Unix and Linux → Intel HD Audio through HDMI

Anyone have any ideas on how to get the audio working on the integrated Intel audio?

Here is my setup:
Core i5 2500k
Intel HD 3000 graphics
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 (Z68 chip set)
Commodore OS Vision (based on Mint 10 and downloads from the Ubuntu repository)
So I guess I would need Ubuntu or Debian drivers?
I think I am using kernel 2.6.30-generic. Would I need to switch to a more recent one like 3.x? Maybe that would have better hardware support?

I bet with the Core i series and the HD 2000/3000/4000 graphics chip that this is going to help a lot of people.

I think I am using Pulse audio, is ALSA better?

cat /proc/asound/cards lists all audio hardware known to the kernel.

Audio should work right away, but looking at your kernel version you really need to update. That's nearly 3 years old now if not older and you're using hardware from just over a year ago.

that would explain why my X-fi works.

LMAO funny you bring this up, my home server ended up dieing lastnight so I ran to microcenter and picked up parts for a new server/media center. Long story short I spent the ENTIRE day trying to figure out how the F* to get hdmi audio working. Its been a very very long day... Anyways.. yes I would absolutely get a newer distro (even the current ones are not great for recognition). Debian Sid (what I ended up using) ubuntu, or even fedora would be a good option. Then use aplay -l which will list a bunch of devices, test each one at a time until you find the one that works. Funny thing about hdmi audio is that there will be multiple hdmi audio devices listed, but at least in my case only one will work.

Argh what an awful day I literally went full circle. Originally going by the alsa release log I had thought sound wasnt working because according to the site my chipset wasnt supported until the latest 1.0.25, however the *buntu's and debian sid reported the version file as 1.0.24. I spent most of the day trying to figure out why the driver wasnt updating properly, I now think I may have discovered a bug and the version file just was never updated.

Running Kernel 3.2.0-24-generic now.

Here is the output.
**** COMMODORE OS VISION V1.0 (Beta 9 RC1) ****

total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 7637676 1019640 6618036 0 67808 422716
Swap: 19802108 0 19802108

rob@rob-desktop ~
READY.
cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [XFi ]: SB-XFi - Creative X-Fi
Creative X-Fi 20K2 SB0880
1 [PCH ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
HDA Intel PCH at 0xf8900000 irq 54

rob@rob-desktop ~
READY.

There is the Intel HDA audio. Don't understand why there are 3 HDMI listings when the motherboard only has one port.
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC892 Digital [ALC892 Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

On my AMD mobo HDMI audio is sent directly to IGP, which pretends to be yet another soundcard.
If Intel IGPs also work this way, you obviously need a newer kernel (I don't own one and don't know how they work).

If they source audio from the HDA, you simply need to find out which of these HDMI outputs is connected to IGP input. Shouldn't take long.
/*EDIT*/
Actually, Ryan's post and your aplay -l output suggest that Intel IGPs are connected to HDA bus and these HDMIs belong to them. One should work.

Yep at least in my case it was device 0,8 that worked.

Try

aplay -D plughw:0,8 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav

If that doesn't work try 0,7 then 0,3

Also verify nothing is muted in alsamixer including the independ setting.