continuous system speaker from booting on

[Tobias Verbeke]

Ray Parrish wrote:
> Tobias Verbeke wrote:
>> Jason Crain wrote:
>>> Tobias Verbeke wrote:
>>>     
>>>> I'm running Jaunty alpha (up to date)
>>>> on a Compal JHL90 laptop and since
>>>> some days I live with the system
>>>> speaker producing one continuous beep
>>>> from boot time till I shut down.
>>>>
>>>> Can I provide logs for someone to shed
>>>> light on this strange phenomenon ?
>>>>   
>>>>       
>>> Does it also do that outside of Ubuntu, like while running memtest86?
>>>     
>> No, it doesn't do this while running memtest86.
>>
>> One error message I was able to read during boot was
>> something along
>>
>> Unable to open /etc/udev/rules.d
>>   
> Ok, I forwarded your problem to my electronics technician Uncle, and 
> here is his reply to my query about your problem.
> 
> The problem sounds like it could be hardware - and in a laptop, that can 
> be hard to fix.  I don't know if he is sure the tone is coming from the 
> sound system speakers or the beeper on the mainboard - but I also am not 
> sure laptops use a beeper anymore since the sound system is integrated 
> on the mainboard and could provide the beep code warnings (from post 
> errors) through that system.  The continuous tone beep code on most 
> system BIOS' means a power supply problem - no warnings at all usually 
> signifies a dead CPU/mainboard problem.  Errors that serious do not 
> allow even a display, thus the beep codes.
> 
> If the usual volume control display is available with the Compaq 
> laptop/Linux combo, he could bring that up and try muting or reducing 
> the volume of each sound source individually.  If the source is just one 
> input, troubleshoot that input (synthesizer or MIDI source problems 
> could be software), Mike or Line inputs might mean something is 
> connected that is receiving crosstalk from the sound system output - not 
> likely since the tone frequency or volume would change with any movement 
> that affected the input cables or devices.  If no individual input 
> reduces or quiets the tone, then the master volume and mute buttons will 
> probably not help either, indicating a problem in the sound chip (a 
> surface mount component on the mainboard).  Open filter capacitors 
> around the sound chip could allow a low frequency sound due to feedback 
> via the power supply busses (called motorboating) and might be obvious 
> from the swelled appearance of the capacitors.
> 
> I hope his answer can shed some light on the problem.

Thanks Ray (and electronics technician Uncle) for this extensive reply.
I'll post back whenever I discover anything new / relevant.

Best,
Tobias