Soundcard in Linux

[NoteMe]

And now it is my sound card that doesn't work.....The list goes on.

I have a SoundMax integrated sound card on this machine. I heard something about ALSA so I did a:

apt-get install alsa

and it installed some stuff, but I have no idea what to do about it..

But if I try to play something now, it gives me the following error (see image), but there is something called dev/dsp there, but I have no idea what it is. I can even find dsp0, dsp1, and dsp2.

Anyone care to guid me a bit again?


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[NoteMe]

OK. I just opened the case using a paper clip......and found out that I have a Intel D865GBF mother board. And a sound card with this info: "SoundMAX 4 XL with AudioESP audio subsystem using the Analog Devices AD1985 codec". But when I go to the driver page, there is no drivers for Debian. Can I choose any of the others? If so, what?

http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/bf/bf_drive.htm




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[kfcSmitty]

I would suggest just downloading a tarball of it, install it, and hope for the best...

I have never used Debian myself, so I wouldnt even know where to start looking for drivers.

[NoteMe]

So you are here today again..

I have never used Debian before either. Last time I used linux it was RedHat 7, and that is a few years ago......and I never managed to install my netowrk card, so actualy, I havn't used it much.....and Linux still ticks me off..

Tarbal? Is that some kind of zip file? Do you care to elaborate for a poor "old" Windows guy on how to do this?



Thanks
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[kfcSmitty]

a tarball is basically a zip file that you can also install.

download a file with a .tar file extension for your driver

once its downloaded go into the terminal and type

tar -xvpf filename

although it seems therer are no .tar files there...I have never used a .sh.gz file, so if you have problems extracting it I will try to find you a decompressor.

[NoteMe]

Well, gz files can be extracted with gzip, so I did that, and then I had a sh file. So I used the sh command to run it:

sh intel8x0-alsa-1.0.1.sh

but then this happend:

Intel(R) Desktop Board Installer.

Starting installer, please wait...

Error:
The installer could not find the kernel source on your
system. Please install the kernel source and try again.

Locations searched:
/usr/src/linux
/usr/src/linux-2.4
/usr/src/2.4.27-2-386

Where is it supposed to be, what am I looking for here? Does it try to recompile my kernel? I know jack **** about this....sorry..


PS: Ohhh...B TW if I have to download it, can I download a newer version, or should I use the exact same version?

[kfcSmitty]

you need to find out what kernel version you're using (2.4.27-2-386.)..and you need to use a file with a kernel equal or lower than your current compile.

[NoteMe]

Hehe...this is not going well......grrrr...

- I downloaded the RedHat Linux 9 drivers.
- Unzipped them
- Downloaded the same kernel as I have
- found the conf-linux-kernel-***** file
- rendamed it to .conf
- moved it to the kernel source dir
- ran "make oldconf"
- and also ran "apt-get update", "apt-get dist-upgrade"


and then started the driver install.

But when I restarted again, then windows was not able to start (I have fixed this now), but my sound card is still not working...grrrrr...any better ideas..


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[kfcSmitty]

uhh...use redhat9?

You could always try asking here -- http://www.debianhelp.org/
They may be able to tell you where to download some debian drivers

[NoteMe]

Thanks, will try there and see if I have any luck...

[ThaRubby]

You probably should find a good tutorial on how to upgrade your kernel ^.- Also you ARE root when trying to install the new drivers right?

*EDIT*
Also type alsaconf which configures alsa. Also type alsamixer and make sure PCM and Master arent set to off, and they are both up. If they are off hit m to turn it on. Linux sound sucks ill admit that

*EDIT2* lol Also make sure w/e your using to play sound is set to ALSA and not OSS

[NoteMe]

Thanks for input. But I actualy just came back to this thread now to resolve it..

I have used SOOOO much time on this to get it work. And I think I know what was wrong now. It looks like Linux don't want to use my HT at all...So I got a kernel without HT and recompiled and now it works...And then also ALSA started to work with no problem, and my mic...I finaly got my life back......now I only need to get my keyboard working properly and get Thunderbird to connect to our MS Exchange server, and I am ready to rumble...