Tiny Core Linux

Tiny Core Base => CorePlus => Topic started by: jp734 on June 01, 2026, 09:13:44 PM

Title: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: jp734 on June 01, 2026, 09:13:44 PM

I installed CorePlus and could not get my sound card working [ RealTek ALC298 ]

The only time I can get it to work is if I install "original-modules-6.18.2-tinycore.tcz" and execute "sudo alsactl init" on terminal. If not installed, the only audio card recognized is the nvidia. The problem is once the modules are installed and I reboot the laptop, I don't get a desktop. I only get a black screen with "x" cursor

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: Juanito on June 02, 2026, 05:43:46 AM

It sounds like your machine has both hdmi sound and speakers?

If this is the case, you could try this from a console prompt:

Code: [Select]

tce-load -i graphics-KERNEL
tce-load -i alsa-config
tce-load -i alsa
aplay -l
On my laptop, most of the time "aplay -l" shows that hdmi sound is the default alsa device and the speakers are an alternative alsa device.

In addition, on my laptop the sound comes up muted and alsamixer needs to be used to un-mute it.

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: jp734 on June 02, 2026, 06:35:15 PM

Thanks for the reply Juanito

I did "tce-load -i graphics-KERNEL" and this installed two files: i2c and graphics 6.18.2-tinycore.tcz. It did make the sound work but it also did not give me a desktop screen after reboot. I got the same black screen with X cursor when I got the sound working after I installed "original-modules-6.18.2-tinycore.tcz"

Laptop is Thinkpad P51 with hybrid graphics (intel/nvidia)

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: Rich on June 02, 2026, 08:37:56 PM

Hi jp734

Quote from: jp734 on June 01, 2026, 09:13:44 PM

... The only time I can get it to work is if I install "original-modules-6.18.2-tinycore.tcz" ...

Don't do that. You basically installed every driver available whether
you need them or not. I suspect one or more drivers are causing a conflict.

Place these lines in order at the top of your onboot.lst file:

Code: [Select]

graphics-KERNEL.tcz
alsa-config.tcz
alsa.tcz
If any of the following are listed further down in your onboot.lst file, remove them:

Code: [Select]

original-modules-6.18.2-tinycore.tcz
graphics-KERNEL.tcz  or graphics-6.18.2-tinycore.tcz
alsa-config.tcz
alsa.tcz
Then reboot. Use that as a starting point.

If you're still having problems, try adding  thinkpad-acpi-KERNEL.tcz  to
the top of your onboot.lst file, like this:

Code: [Select]

thinkpad-acpi-KERNEL.tcz
graphics-KERNEL.tcz
alsa-config.tcz
alsa.tcz
Then reboot again.

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: jp734 on June 02, 2026, 10:07:04 PM

Rich

I placed these on top of onboot.lst and reboot. Got black screen and "X" cursor in the middle of the screen

Code: [Select]

graphics-KERNEL
alsa-config.tcz
alsa.tcz

I then added below and rebooted. Also got black screen with "X" cursor in the middle of the screen

Code: [Select]

thinkpad-acpi-KERNEL.tcz
graphics-KERNEL
alsa-config.tcz
alsa.tcz

On both scenarios, I did CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE to drop to prompt and executed both aplay -l and alsamixer in which both showed the sound card active. Below is my current onboot.lst with the thinkpad-acpi-KERNEL and graphics-KERNEL removed so I can have a desktop

Code: [Select]

alsa-config.tcz
alsa.tcz
firmware-audio.tcz
firmware-i915.tcz
firmware-intel.tcz
firmware-atheros.tcz
firmware-ipw2100.tcz
firmware-ipw2200.tcz
firmware-iwimax.tcz
firmware-iwl8000.tcz
firmware-iwl9000.tcz
firmware-iwlwifi.tcz
firmware-marvel.tcz
firmware-myri10ge.tcz
firmware-netxen.tcz
firmware-openfwwf.tcz
firmware-ralinkwifi.tcz
firmware-rtlwifi.tcz
firmware-ti-connectivity.tcz
firmware-ueagle-atm.tcz
firmware-vxge.tcz
firmware-zd1211.tcz
firmware-chelsio.tcz
firmware-intel_e100.tcz
firmware-rtl_nic.tcz
firmware-tigon.tcz
firmware-intel.tcz
Xvesa.tcz
aterm.tcz
flwm_topside.tcz
flwm.tcz
wbar.tcz
icewm.tcz
jwm.tcz
fluxbox.tcz
hackedbox.tcz
openbox.tcz
tc-install-GUI.tcz
kmaps.tcz
wifi.tcz
iw.tcz
pciutils.tcz
ezremaster.tcz
alsa-oss.tcz
alsa-plugins.tcz
apulse.tcz
pulseaudio.tcz
pavucontrol.tcz
alsaequal.tcz
alsa-modules-.tcz
alsa-modules-6.18.2-tinycore.tcz

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: Rich on June 02, 2026, 10:25:39 PM

Hi jp734
It sounds like  graphics-KERNEL  may be the culprit.
I think you might need to use Xorg or Xfbdev if you plan on using  graphics-KERNEL.

I don't think  Xvesa  is compatible with  graphics-KERNEL.

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: Juanito on June 03, 2026, 02:35:20 AM

Quote from: jp734 on June 02, 2026, 06:35:15 PM

Laptop is Thinkpad P51 with hybrid graphics (intel/nvidia)

If possible, it would be good to set the display to intel graphics in your bios.

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: jp734 on June 03, 2026, 04:01:42 PM

Hey Juanito and Rich

I was able to finally make everything work. As you both have suggested, I had to install xfbdev and graphics-KERNEL. These gave me a desktop and my sound card detected as well. However, it still would not play a sound. When I used aplay to test audio, it gave me an error: set_params:1398: Channels count non available. So I had to create a .asoundrc file and added it to /opt/.filetool.lst

.asoundrc file contains the following:

Code: [Select]

pcm.!default {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "hw:1,0"
}

ctl.!default {
  type hw
  card 1
}
Thanks for the help  :)

Title: Re: No Audio or No Desktop
Post by: Rich on June 03, 2026, 09:38:18 PM

Hi jp734
Glad to hear you got it working, and thank you for sharing
the additional work you did.