> alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device

Most times this happens when the /dev/ devices are not present. In the
pre-udev days you could run ./snddevices and it fixes that issue. You
still can run that, but udev takes issue with non-udev created devices.

> Then i have the driver loaded (lsmod) but no audio and no alsamixer

Once you modprobe all of those modules try restarting udev.

/etc/init.d/udev restart
(or stop && start)

Also note that if you setup the /etc/modules.conf or /etc/modutils/ or /
etc/modprobe.d/ with the alsa entries specific for your card, they should
autoload the modules when you access the device. Like when your distro
restores the mixer settings at boot.

It should look something like this:

#--- start ---

# ALSA
alias char-major-116 snd

# OSS
alias char-major-14 soundcore

# CARD - Intel 8x0
alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss

options snd major=116 cards_limit=1
options snd-intel8x0 index=0

#--- end ---

HTH

Hans Novak wrote:
> lspci -v (as user) give this:
> 0:05.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP61 High Definition Audio (rev a2)

This is an HDA controller.

> Then i try to load
>
> modprobe snd-intel8x0

This is for AC'97 controllers.
Try snd-hda-intel instead.


HTH
Clemens