Note : I requested to close this question as it turned out to be a Linux/Qemu specific issue.
I am trying Android x86 4.4-r2 in a Qemu virtual machine on a Linux Mint 16 laptop. The installation was successful. My biggest issue so far is sound. I have tried SB16, ES1370, AC97 virtual sound card models from Qemu but I get no sound from my virtual machine. Here's what I have in Android 4.4-r2:
# alsa_actl init
Found hardware: "SB16" "CTL1745" "CTL1745" "" ""
Hardware is initialized using a generic method #exit code is 22
I have also tried the EEEPC version (4.0), with ES1370, as suggested. Same thing: no sound.
With the SB16 driver though, alsa_aplay /system/media/audio/ringtones/Sceptrum.ogg seems to play something but I hear nothing.
I have a Windows virtual machine from which I can hear system sounds. So it definitely rules out a problem with Qemu on my part(**).
I also looked up suggestions from question #11037254 but none of them worked.
Can anyone shed some light?
(**) Well, in fact, not totally ruled out! I have just noticed that so far none of my GNU/Linux virtual machines do output sound. Only my Windows virtual machine does and I have no idea why it is so.
EDIT : Detected hardware, from a Linux virtual machine.
~# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 440FX - 82441FX PMC [Natoma] (rev 02)
00:01.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82371SB PIIX3 ISA [Natoma/Triton II]
00:01.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82371SB PIIX3 IDE [Natoma/Triton II]
00:01.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82371SB PIIX3 USB [Natoma/Triton II] (rev 01)
00:01.3 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Cirrus Logic GD 5446
00:03.0 RAM memory: Red Hat, Inc Virtio memory balloon
00:04.0 SCSI storage controller: Red Hat, Inc Virtio block device
00:05.0 Ethernet controller: Red Hat, Inc Virtio network device
00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq ES1370 [AudioPCI]
00:07.0 Ethernet controller: Red Hat, Inc Virtio network device
EDIT : Here are mixer and loaded module extra information.
Loaded (sound) modules :
~# lsmod | grep snd
snd_sb16 8701 0 - Live 0x00000000
snd_sb16_csp 7275 1 snd_sb16, Live 0x00000000
snd_sb16_dsp 6623 1 snd_sb16, Live 0x00000000
snd_pcm 67937 2 snd_sb16,snd_sb16_dsp, Live 0x00000000
snd_mpu401_uart 4517 1 snd_sb16, Live 0x00000000
snd_rawmidi 16434 1 snd_mpu401_uart, Live 0x00000000
snd_opl3_lib 7187 1 snd_sb16, Live 0x00000000
snd_seq_device 4877 2 snd_rawmidi,snd_opl3_lib, Live 0x00000000
snd_hwdep 4409 2 snd_sb16_csp,snd_opl3_lib, Live 0x00000000
snd_timer 14529 2 snd_pcm,snd_opl3_lib, Live 0x00000000
snd_sb_common 10548 3 snd_sb16,snd_sb16_csp,snd_sb16_dsp, Live 0x00000000
snd 47842 11 snd_sb16,snd_sb16_csp,snd_sb16_dsp,snd_pcm,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_opl3_lib,snd_seq_device,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_sb_common, Live 0x00000000
soundcore 4971 1 snd, Live 0x00000000
Mixer settings:
~# alsa_amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Capabilities: pvolume penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Bass',0
Capabilities: volume penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 15
Front Left: 2 [13%]
Front Right: 2 [13%]
Simple mixer control 'Treble',0
Capabilities: volume penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 15
Front Left: 2 [13%]
Front Right: 2 [13%]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Capabilities: pvolume penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Synth',0
Capabilities: pvolume cswitch penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch cswitch penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 4 [13%] [off] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 4 [13%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch cswitch penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 4 [13%] [off] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 4 [13%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch penum
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 4 [13%] [off]
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Auto Gain',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
Capabilities: volume volume-joined penum
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Mono
Limits: 0 - 3
Mono: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Playback',0
Capabilities: volume penum
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 3
Front Left: 3 [100%]
Front Right: 3 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
Capabilities: cvolume penum
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Capture 0 - 3
Front Left: Capture 3 [100%]
Front Right: Capture 3 [100%]
Simple mixer control '3D Enhancement',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
In Archlinux the same problem occurs often. There are several sound engines: gstreamer, vlc and others. The most common is gstreamer but I must to change to vlc if i want to have sound.