This has been my all time struggle with linux: nearly every distro I install I face the same problem: I can never get sound to work no matter what the sound card is.

I have tried over and over again to understand how to get the module for a card to actually 1) work 2) load at startup and 3) work with the "sound server"

I currently have mandrake 10.0 and a lscpi reports this for the sound card:

00:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: Cirrus Logic CS 4610/11 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio Accelerator] (rev 01)

At this point I don't really care if it works with ALSA or the "regular" sound system. I am just seeking to uderstand how exactly linux sound works and then get it to work.

I am sure more information is needed and I would be happy to provide it if someone can end this frustration that has been going for for years now!

THANK YOU!

Open a mixer window (Kmix is good) and see what it says about the card and where the faders are.