SOF fail trying again

May 25, 2026 — BarryK

Posted yesterday, compiled the 6.12.91 kernel with Sound Open Firmware support:

"Trying Sound Open Firmware yet again"
https://bkhome.org/news/202605/trying-sound-open-firmware-yet-again.html

...dismal failure. Audio card not recognized.

Even worse, 'NetworkManager' daemon aborts at startup, no error message. Is that due to one of my kernel config changes, or a regression in the 6.12.91 kernel?

Maybe I am missing a magic kernel config setting...

Looked at instructions here:

https://thesofproject.github.io/latest/getting_started/setup_linux/prepare_build_environment.html

Downloaded the kconfig files from here:

https://github.com/thesofproject/kconfig

Edited kconfig/kconfig-distro-sof-update.sh, commented-out the "make localmodconfig" line.

Ran this:

# tar -xf linux-6.12.91.tar.xz
# cp -a DOTconfig-6.12.90 linux-6.12.91/.config
# cd linux-6.12.91
# ../kconfig/kconfig-distro-sof-update.sh

...created a new '.config' file.

Looking at the changes from my current 6.12.90 config:

< # Linux/x86 6.12.90 Kernel Configuration
> # Linux/x86 6.12.91 Kernel Configuration
> CONFIG_PREEMPT_COUNT=y
< # CONFIG_KALLSYMS_ALL is not set
> CONFIG_KALLSYMS_ALL=y
< CONFIG_INLINE_SPIN_UNLOCK_IRQ=y
< CONFIG_INLINE_READ_UNLOCK=y
< CONFIG_INLINE_READ_UNLOCK_IRQ=y
< CONFIG_INLINE_WRITE_UNLOCK=y
< CONFIG_INLINE_WRITE_UNLOCK_IRQ=y
> CONFIG_UNINLINE_SPIN_UNLOCK=y
< # CONFIG_BT_FEATURE_DEBUG is not set
> CONFIG_FW_LOADER_DEBUG=y
> # CONFIG_PINCTRL_CS42L43 is not set
< # CONFIG_GPIO_ARIZONA is not set
> CONFIG_GPIO_ARIZONA=m
> CONFIG_MFD_CS42L43=m
< # CONFIG_MFD_CS42L43_SDW is not set
> CONFIG_MFD_CS42L43_SDW=m
< # CONFIG_REGULATOR_ARIZONA_LDO1 is not set
< # CONFIG_REGULATOR_ARIZONA_MICSUPP is not set
> CONFIG_REGULATOR_ARIZONA_LDO1=m
> CONFIG_REGULATOR_ARIZONA_MICSUPP=m
< # CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL_HDMI_SILENT_STREAM is not set
> CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL_HDMI_SILENT_STREAM=y
> # CONFIG_SND_INTEL_BYT_PREFER_SOF is not set
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_TOPOLOGY=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_ACPI_AMD_MATCH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_AMD_SOUNDWIRE=m
< # CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_USER_FRIENDLY_LONG_NAMES is not set
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_USER_FRIENDLY_LONG_NAMES=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_HDA_DSP_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_MAXIM_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_REALTEK_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_CIRRUS_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_NUVOTON_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_BOARD_HELPERS=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_WM8804_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_GLK_DA7219_MAX98357A_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_GLK_RT5682_MAX98357A_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SKL_HDA_DSP_GENERIC_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_RT5682_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_CS42L42_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_PCM512x_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_ES8336_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_NAU8825_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_CML_LP_DA7219_MAX98357A_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_CML_RT1011_RT5682_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_DA7219_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOF_SSP_AMP_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_EHL_RT5660_MACH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_INTEL_SOUNDWIRE_SOF_MACH=m
< # CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_TOPLEVEL is not set
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_TOPLEVEL=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_PCI_DEV=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_PCI=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_ACPI=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_ACPI_DEV=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_DEBUG_PROBES=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_CLIENT=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_PROBE_WORK_QUEUE=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_IPC3=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_IPC4=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_TOPLEVEL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_RENOIR=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_VANGOGH=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_REMBRANDT=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_ACP_PROBES=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_SOUNDWIRE_LINK_BASELINE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_SOUNDWIRE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_ACP63=m
> # CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_AMD_ACP70 is not set
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_TOPLEVEL=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_HIFI_EP_IPC=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_ATOM_HIFI_EP=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_BAYTRAIL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_BROADWELL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_MERRIFIELD=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_SKL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_SKYLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_KABYLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_APL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_APOLLOLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_GEMINILAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_CNL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_CANNONLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_COFFEELAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_COMETLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_ICL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_ICELAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_JASPERLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_TGL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_TIGERLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_ELKHARTLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_ALDERLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_MTL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_METEORLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_LNL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_LUNARLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_PTL=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_PANTHERLAKE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_COMMON=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_GENERIC=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_MLINK=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_LINK=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_AUDIO_CODEC=y
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_LINK_BASELINE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_HDA_PROBES=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_SOUNDWIRE_LINK_BASELINE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_SOUNDWIRE=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_XTENSA=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_CS42L43=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_CS42L43_SDW=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_HDAC_HDA=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_RT1011=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_RT1308=m
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_RT5660=m
> # CONFIG_SND_SOC_SDW_MOCKUP is not set
> CONFIG_SND_SOC_SDW_UTILS=m
< # CONFIG_SOUNDWIRE_AMD is not set
> CONFIG_SOUNDWIRE_AMD=m
< # CONFIG_DYNAMIC_DEBUG is not set
< # CONFIG_DYNAMIC_DEBUG_CORE is not set
> CONFIG_DYNAMIC_DEBUG=y
> CONFIG_DYNAMIC_DEBUG_CORE=y
< # CONFIG_SOFTLOCKUP_DETECTOR is not set
> CONFIG_LOCKUP_DETECTOR=y
> CONFIG_SOFTLOCKUP_DETECTOR=y
> # CONFIG_BOOTPARAM_SOFTLOCKUP_PANIC is not set
< # CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR is not set
> CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR=y
> # CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_PREFER_BUDDY is not set
> CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_PERF=y
> # CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_BUDDY is not set
> # CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_ARCH is not set
> CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_COUNTS_HRTIMER=y
> # CONFIG_BOOTPARAM_HARDLOCKUP_PANIC is not set
< # CONFIG_LOCK_STAT is not set
< # CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEXES is not set
< # CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK is not set
< # CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES is not set
> CONFIG_LOCK_STAT=y
> CONFIG_DEBUG_RT_MUTEXES=y
> CONFIG_DEBUG_SPINLOCK=y
> CONFIG_DEBUG_MUTEXES=y
< # CONFIG_DEBUG_RWSEMS is not set
< # CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCK_ALLOC is not set
< # CONFIG_DEBUG_ATOMIC_SLEEP is not set
> CONFIG_DEBUG_RWSEMS=y
> CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCK_ALLOC=y
> CONFIG_LOCKDEP=y
> CONFIG_LOCKDEP_BITS=15
> CONFIG_LOCKDEP_CHAINS_BITS=16
> CONFIG_LOCKDEP_STACK_TRACE_BITS=19
> CONFIG_LOCKDEP_STACK_TRACE_HASH_BITS=14
> CONFIG_LOCKDEP_CIRCULAR_QUEUE_BITS=12
> # CONFIG_DEBUG_LOCKDEP is not set
> CONFIG_DEBUG_ATOMIC_SLEEP=y
> # CONFIG_TEST_DYNAMIC_DEBUG is not set

Right now recompiling the 6.12.91 kernel with this new '.config'.

EDIT:
Same story on my Zenbook laptop; sound card not found, and 'NetworkManager' daemon crashes at startup.

All OK on my Lenovo Ideacentre PC, with Intel i3 CPU. But the Zenbook is the concern, it is a more modern computer, with Intel Ultra7 155U CPU, and SOF doesn't work, so it is useless for me. Going back to kernel built with "legacy" sound drivers only.

Though, I might install Debian, see how it works on the Zenbook. Just to find out if the problem afflicts mainstream distros, not just EasyOS.

Tags: easy