Configuring sound
 

This is probably an easy stupid question. I need to know how to configure my Soundblaster Live 3.1 with Slackware. Am I a newbie obviously. I searched the forums and tried a few suggestions I found like using /usr/sbin/sndconfig and /sbin/modprobe emu10k1, but none of them did anything. So every time I start KDE or try to open music files I get errors about my sound card and how it can't open the device. Please help me and thanks.

You need to compile the drivers in as modules. I'm not sure which ones they are but they aren't emu10k1. SNDCONFIG should work for you though....

Zander,

What version of Slackware are you using? Also, what other distro's have you tried?

I'm using Slackware 8.1- and there is no sndconfig- even though I installed the whole cd. Laugh if you may, but Slack is my first distro. I wanted a challenge ;) (and I sure got one)

Your in for a ride my friend. I gave up on Linux for 2 YEARS because of Slackware, and bought two books to help. Try Red Hat first, because of Red Hat I feel comfortable enough to take on Slackware now....but I don't wanna go through the trouble. :)

its not too hard to get your head around things...my first distro was slackware too, i admit with 8.0 i didn't last too long then tried to install mandrake, but then had troubles and gave up on that, then tried redhat, got that going, but booted in once and formatted the HDD..so back to slackware i went (this was on an old testbox, so when i installed it, i touched it rarely), but lately i've just gotten into linux as ive been trying to get it going on my desktop...and its slack8.1
i don't want to goto redhat/mandrake coz it'll corrupt your mind ;) (i've been told its fairly hard to move from one of them as you get too used to simplistic of it and you don't learn much of whats happening 'under the hood')...so my suggestion, stick with slackware if your determined, its heaps of fun :)

Just an FYI, sndconfig is made by redhat...

Cool ;)

So can someone tell me which drivers they are and how to compile them as modules?

Are you trying this as root? emu10k1 should be the drivers for SB Live cards. If you are trying this as user, then you will first need to change the attributes of the devices as root to work for users. SO:
chmod a+r /dev/dsp
chmod a+r /dev/mixer
chmod a+r /dev/audio
chmod a+r /dev/sequencer

Cool

I am in the same situation. My sound card is A guillemot Fortissimo.

I believe you have to uncomment something to load the correct module, correct?

Also, slackware is my first distro.
Well, I have Red Hat 5.2 from a couple of years ago :) But did not have it on the system for very long. I found Slacks install to be fairly easy. Dual booting with WindowsME. Sound is the only problem I have run into so far...:)

FYI, sndconfig is available on the Red Hat website; go to http://www.redhat.com/apps/download/. Go down to the bottom of the page, and search for "sndconfig" (keyword search).

Also, your system probably came with a set of HOWTOs, and there is one for sound. If not, check out http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/Sound-HOWTO. Finally, check the directory /usr/src/linux/Documentation/sound, which contains documentation for many sound cards, including Soundblaster.