The System Hangs When the Sound Card Is Activated

Support knowledgebase (thallma_restoring_snd80)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Version 8.0

Symptom

Your sound card has been properly set up during the installation. However, when you restart the system, it hangs with the following error message:

restoring previous settings

Cause

An ordinary OS kernel for 1 CPU PCs was used for the installation and that is why your sound card driver worked without difficulties. However, if your PC was detected as a multiprocessor system, an SMP kernel will be installed. This kernel is loaded when the system is restarted. Some sound card drivers (along with some other hardware component drivers) do not work properly with an SMP kernel.

Solution

Use the first SuSE Linux CD or DVD to start your PC. Once in the boot menu, select the item "Installation - Safe Settings". Choose the language and select "boot installed system" in the displayed dialog box. Your machine will start from the CD with a standard kernel.

Thanks to the ALSA developers, an update for SuSE 8.0 where the problems related to the SMP kernel are solved, is already available. You will find instructions for the installation of this update in the SDB article "Updating the ALSA Sound System in SuSE Linux 8.0" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/thallma_alsaup_80.html).

If you use a 1 CPU PC and you have problems with other hardware drivers, too, or if the situation does not improve after having updated, you can install a "normal" kernel by doing the following:

  1. Start YaST2 and select the menu items:
  2. Go to the software group "System/Kernel",
  3. deinstall the package "k_smp"
  4. and install the package "k_deflt".
  5. Finish YaST2.
  6. The boot configuration will be updated.

After restarting the system, this kernel will be loaded from the hard disk and everything should work fine.


Keywords: SOUND, RESTORING, SETTINGS, 80

SDB-thallma_restoring_snd80, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 07. Jun 2002
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 11. Jun 2002 by ip (sdb_gen 1.40.0)