From nobody Wed May 27 17:07:09 2026 X-Original-To: questions@mlmmj.nyi.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mlmmj.nyi.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4gQbdd4GsLz6fLYs for ; Wed, 27 May 2026 17:07:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd.questions@palaceofretention.ca) Received: from mail.vinnythegeek.ca (mail.vinnythegeek.ca [66.183.142.13]) (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits) key-exchange X25519 server-signature RSA-PSS (4096 bits) server-digest SHA256) (Client did not present a certificate) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 4gQbdd1hw2z3sgT for ; Wed, 27 May 2026 17:07:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd.questions@palaceofretention.ca) Authentication-Results: mx1.freebsd.org; none Received: from [192.168.60.59] (unknown [192.168.60.59]) by mail.vinnythegeek.ca (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 09A3CBA; Wed, 27 May 2026 10:07:10 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.10.3 mail.vinnythegeek.ca 09A3CBA DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=palaceofretention.ca; s=all-mail; t=1779901630; bh=aW7plbpAFAyD6NUDiURB5MJczXzs4PxBgnHPwv4vIzY=; h=Date:Subject:To:References:From:Cc:In-Reply-To; b=VLFVrjxUyfCzVk5QpAkMr7wxfvT5ns0V6aVrbABT4g8B+UJd/tzHYm+UlwVXQDhVJ 6C/RqpUNpfSbplqS5fAUyxDwSDm1nOk8+kf2Esg4+Y1UfG4nZVdqwekjjyhAU+jwYa xUJP/hSJaoqJz1AdcHk3sjKmf3X/fSWHDlrqT5GY= Message-ID: Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 10:07:09 -0700 List-Id: User questions List-Archive: https://lists.freebsd.org/archives/freebsd-questions List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org List-Id: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: List-Owner: Precedence: list MIME-Version: 1.0 User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Subject: Re: Audio not working no matter what I try To: questions@freebsd.org References: <20260527121906.04f4c270@Hydrogen> Content-Language: en-US, en-CA From: "Mark G." Cc: Polarian In-Reply-To: <20260527121906.04f4c270@Hydrogen> x-ms-reactions: disallow Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Spamd-Result: default: False [-4.00 / 15.00]; REPLY(-4.00)[]; ASN(0.00)[asn:852, ipnet:66.183.0.0/16, country:CA] X-Rspamd-Queue-Id: 4gQbdd1hw2z3sgT X-Spamd-Bar: ---- X-Rspamd-Pre-Result: action=no action; module=replies; Message is reply to one we originated On 5/27/26 04:19, Polarian wrote: > Hey, > > So I have moaned about this on IRC a lot with no solution. So a few > years ago when I started using FreeBSD I had no issues with audio, it > just worked. However I did a reinstall at some point and it never > worked since then, that was probably 2 years ago from now. > > I very rarely need to use audio on my laptop, and I got lazy and > anything I needed audio for I would use my phone or a second laptop. > > However I need to do a presentation and I need my dev environment, > which is on FreeBSD, and I can't get working audio, so I can't present > it. > > Steps: > > 1. kldload snd_driver > 2. cat /etc/sndstat > > Installed devices: > pcm0: (play/rec) default > pcm1: (play/rec) > pcm2: (play) > pcm3: (play) > pcm4: (play) > > I know from previous experiences, that pcm0 is the right one, but I > have tried all of them just to be sure. > > 3. Check mixer > > pcm0:mixer: on hdaa0 (play/rec) > (default) vol = 1.00:1.00 pbk > pcm = 0.27:0.27 pbk > speaker = 1.00:1.00 pbk > line = 0.01:0.01 rec > mic = 0.34:0.34 rec src > mix = 0.35:0.35 rec > rec = 0.35:0.35 pbk > ogain = 1.00:1.00 pbk > > No issues there it appears. > > 4. beep(1) or write to /dev/dsp*, andddddddd nothing! > > I have a feeling because desktop packages pull in pulseaudio that this > could be the issue, but this would require me literally uninstalling my > desktop, which is 1. not a solution and 2. not something I > have time to do for debugging. > > So I am hoping its not that, does anyone have any ideas? > > Thank you, Some ideas (on 14.4p5 and 15.0p9) for working sound: You don't say what programs you want to use for audio, so I will offer general advice on how I got my stuff working. rc.conf: sndiod_enable="YES" pipewire_enable="YES" virtual_oss_enable="YES" The pipewire/sndiod entries may be optional, but some software had an option to use it. The virtual_oss is what I rely on. I use mixertui to select/set devices for default. It's in pkg/ports. I also use this shell script to set a default for virtual_oss: ============== #!/bin/sh # # Set the virtual oss device defaults # to the dsp number passed, usually for the speakerphone. # DEV=${1} if [ "x${1}" = "x" ]; then DEV=6 fi virtual_oss_cmd /dev/dsp.ctl -P /dev/dsp${DEV} virtual_oss_cmd /dev/dsp.ctl -R /dev/dsp${DEV} virtual_oss_cmd /dev/dsp.ctl =========== Call it with the number 0 for pcm0 as the requested default device: $ ./set-speakerphone.sh 0 I usually use both the script and mixertui before I start chromium for a jitsi meeting. One must sacrifice the correct number of chickens after all. The most important item is to make sure that the ports or packages you install are compiled with the proper sound system support. This is what usually bites me in the bottom trying to get sound working. So go check the OPTIONS in make config and confirm that the sound subsystem (e.g. pulseaudio) is actually compiled in to the software you want to use. For example, my poudriere build of chromium has these options: % pkg info chromium chromium-146.0.7680.164_2 Name : chromium Version : 146.0.7680.164_2 Installed on : Sat Apr 11 20:14:01 2026 PDT Origin : www/chromium Architecture : FreeBSD:14:amd64 Prefix : /usr/local Categories : wayland www Licenses : BSD3CLAUSE, LGPL21, MPL11 Maintainer : chromium@FreeBSD.org WWW : https://www.chromium.org/Home Comment : Google web browser based on WebKit Options : ALSA : on CODECS : on CUPS : on DEBUG : off DRIVER : on HEIMDAL : off HEIMDAL_BASE : off KERBEROS : on LTO : off MIT : off PIPEWIRE : on PULSEAUDIO : on SNDIO : on TEST : off WIDEVINE : off ... I recall some packages from the FreeBSD repositories not having some common sound subsystems compiled in as OPTIONS and had to rebuild them myself. Anyway, using mixertui/virtual_oss before starting chromium for a meeting allows for a speakerphone to be used easily. Otherwise the laptop microphone and speaker will also work when specified. Hope this helps, Mark