No sound on fresh install of laptop (HP 6730B from 2008)

[Ithilgore]

I am using HP 6730b. A core 2 duo P8400 cpu. Speaker doesnt work. On Linux it worked before. I've tried various FreeBSD wikis, but couldnt solve it.

[chadbsd]

To get the audio working for the Intel ICH9 HD Audio Controller, here are some steps that typically resolve issues with onboard Intel HD audio:

1. Ensure the Sound Driver is Loaded:
FreeBSD uses the `snd_hda` driver for Intel HD Audio devices. First, check if the driver is loaded:

kldstat | grep snd_hda

If it's not loaded, load it with:

sudo kldload snd_hda

To make this change permanent, add `snd_hda_load="YES"` to `/boot/loader.conf`:

sudo echo 'snd_hda_load="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf

sudo reboot

2.Set the Default Audio Output Device:
Once the driver is loaded, list the available audio devices:

cat /dev/sndstat

Identify the audio device corresponding to your speakers. The devices are numbered, like `pcm0`, `pcm1`, etc. Set the appropriate one as the default by adding to `/etc/sysctl.conf`:

sudo sysctl hw.snd.default_unit=X

Replace `X` with the device number that corresponds to your speakers.

3. Test Sound Output:
Use a basic sound test to check if audio is working:

cat /dev/urandom > /dev/dsp

Or use `mplayer`, `ffplay`, or `aplay` with an audio file if installed.

4. Check and Configure Mixer Settings:
Sometimes, audio levels are muted by default. Check the mixer levels and unmute them if necessary:

mixer

You can increase the volume by running:

mixer vol 100
mixer pcm 100

5. Troubleshoot Further if Needed:
If there’s still no sound, it may be necessary to experiment with different device numbers in `hw.snd.default_unit` or consult the hardware compatibility for the specific HP device.

Let me know if the issue persists after these steps.

[Ithilgore]

Frankly I tried all those.
I fixed it via this topic: https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/sound-snd_hda.35787/

I added these to /boot/device.hints:

hint.hdac.0.cad0.nid18.config="as=0"

hint.hdac.0.cad0.nid17.config="as=1 seq=15 device=Headphones"

hint.hdac.0.cad0.nid22.config="as=1 seq=0"

Though I didn't test if sound recording and audio jack works. Internal speakers work.