If anyone is interested in installing gnome 2.8 and has not been successful with the the experimental version for debian, I managed to install gnome 2.8.1 off of the Ubuntu Warty CD. It is working perfectly, no issues whatsoever. All I did was make a change in apt>repositories>cdrom from sarge to testing in the distribution box and mark for upgrade. This can probably be done using the Ubuntu repositories as well but I have not tried it.

I tried the debian experimental version but was never able to get nautilus working.

Now if anyone can help me get the sound working on my system I would appreciate it. I first installed debian sarge through the net install cd and everything went well when using kernel 2.4. Then I re-installed with the net install with kernel 2.6.8-1-386 and everything again went fine except for the sound issue. When I run sndconfig I get the following, " You don't seem to be running a kernel with modular sound enabled." I have an Nvidia sound card built into my motherboard along with my ethernet and graphics and only the sound is not working.

I have been using slackware for a while now and can get things done pretty easily on slack. I am making the switch to debian and things are done a little differently. I have everything I need installed and working except for the sound. Am I missing something? Another thing I would like to install is the Beep Media Player , but I have not been able to find it in the repositories. Of course, if I don't get the sound working I can't make any use of BMP.

By the way, is debian faster than slackware or is it just a mistaken impression of mine. I really like slackware, but it seems that debian is significantly faster on my system.

Thanks and take care

OK, I found BMP and installed it. The sound issue is resolved in BMP by using the esound output plugin, but I still have no sound with all the other apps. I can't get sound in root at all, not even with BMP.

Is this a permissions issue? Or is it related to something else?

Did you add yourself to the audio group?

zuralin,

Thank you for the reply, I was wondering if I was going to hear from anyone.

Yes I have added myself as well as root to the following groups, audio, dip, users, cdrom, sudo just as sugested in the post install message by macondo. The interesting thing is that I have sound in totem and rhythmbox after installing gstreamer0.8-esd and gstreamer0.8-oss, but I still have no sound at all in root. I would like to have sound while using firefox to surf but I have yet to solve this. Another thing I noticed is that when I place the cursor over an mp3 file it does not play as it did on gnome 2.6. I don't have sounds for events either, even though this is enabled.

The system is running well otherwise, in fact it is the fastest gnome and linux have run on my computer. I have a 2.8 ghz Athlon w/ 512 MB of ram and it is really flying. By comparison dropline gnome 2.8 and slackware w/ kernel 2.6 took about 3 minutes from boot to desktop, ubuntu gnome 2.8 and debian w/ kernel 2.6 takes about 45 sec.

Thnks again

Did the very same thing. Same result. Using a USB headset.. properly detected in ALSA (which I also tried to reinstall) and the microphone still gives off sound if not disabled. So don't try this unless you know how to fix the sound "issue".. Haven't tried logging in as a user. Using root..

After installing alsa, did you try running alsaconf to set up your card and then run alsamixer to make sure the volume level and pcm level are set properly.

several times yes (at least me that is.. not meaning to hijack thread, tho' I guess my problem is *exactly* the same as his)
when I checked XMMS it was flicked back at OSSdriver as default.. Wierd.. selecting eSound works but Alsa immidiatly asks if I have a card on, if it's blocked or anything.. The same message as if it wasn't setup..

So I was wondering.. perhaps some OSS libs got back in. I know that Ubuntu uses OSS and ALSA at the same time, they have had alot of sound-related problems cause of that.. So how does debian give name to OSS packages ?

SOLVED!!!
Kinda easy when all comes to all.. Somehow Ubuntu chose to let ESD manage all sound.. You can check on this after installing ubuntu's gnome by doing :

lsof | grep esd

if it's there.. type:

killall esd

and alsa should be back in control. I also recompiled my kernel to exclude OSS just to be 100% sure.. but it didn't change a thing.. Now I just want to rid myself of this ESD sound daemon :P