I have recently installed FC4 on my desktop machine. I am running the default Gnome Desktop as well as the default Alsa mixer. I first noticed that I had no sound from TVtime. I later noticed that all sounds were actually only coming from the rear speakers.

I have a set of cambridge soundworks speakers, all four speakers and the sub connect via a single digital output on the SBLive card. My TV Tuner is an older Hauppage card based on the bt878 chipset. It has an audio output that I have connected to the line in on my SBLive card. I know the hardware setup is correct as it works perfectly when I boot to windows XP on the same box.

I have looked in the mixer and the Line In is NOT muted. I feel like the two problems are related. I believe that if my front speakers were to work, so too would my TvTime sound. TVTime did the same thing on FC3 as well. At one point I did have it working correctly on RH9 but that has been so long ago that I don't remember what it took to make it happen.

Any ideas?

I hate to sound too dumb about this but please include details in your suggestions. I'm quite the newie at linux and telling me to do something will likely have me just asking "How?" in the next step. Thanks in advance for the help.

Additional information.

I've noticed that the mixer seems to be completely useless. Adjusting ANY of the controls has absolutely zero effect. Likewise the volume control in XMMS does nothing.

Is the mixer not communicating properly with the sound card driver?

Perhaps reinstalling the sound card driver may help this?

reply:
I had this problem as well and solved it by either selecting or de-selecting (sorry I don't remember which at work) the "Line In As Rear" option on the expanded mixer view.

-Hope this helps.