I just got a new soundblaster digital 4.1 for christmas and can only get sound from the front 2 speakers and the bass, nothing from the rear speakers. I have used alsamixer to try and adjust or unmute different channels without any success. I have seen a handfull of different posts about this problem, but haven't found anything helpfull. I've never attempted to install or configure a sound card beyond what yast pretty much does for me, so newbie-ish help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm running SuSE 8.1 with alsa 0.9.0rc3

If alsa is unable to correctly use the rear speakers, would the closed source and overpriced OSS sound drivers work better?

Thanks

Steve

Check the Alsa Card compatibility Base and make sure that all channels are supported.

This sound card uses the PCI 128 chipset which the alsa website claims to support. No-where under this chipset does it make any mention of the rear speakers working, or not working. I have heard of other people making them work after some draw out struggels, but I haven't been able to find out what was actually done.

I've tried everything possible, I've even tried the oss drivers, and they have no better luck at the rear speakers than alsa did. This lack of functionality has had me talking of moving back to a windows only machine.

Please, if somebody has any suggestions, however small, send them this way. Snap me out of that "can't handle linux" mentality. Please

No it certanly does not. The PCI 128 (aka vibra 128) uses the es1371 chip and SoundBlaster Live uses the emu10k1 chip. I have a SB Live 5.1 working fine with rear speakers, I'm using the emu10k1 module thats included in the stock kernel. I suggest you do "lspci -vv" (as root) and find out exactly what card you have first.

The lspci -vv comand tells me that the card is an Ensoniq 5880 AudioPCI. I believe that SuSE sets it up with the es1371 driver (I could be wrong) If that's that case, how grim are my chances of getting the rear speakers to work? If alsa doesn't work do you know if OSS drivers will do me better? I've been to all the websites for the above drivers and been around every search engine I can think of, and haven't found a clear answer for this.

I appreciate any and all help, Thanks :-)


Steve

Your chances of getting rear speakers with that card are nill.
The Ensoniq 5880 AudioPCI is a Creative PCI 128 (aka Vibra 128) and does not support rear speakers. The es1371 module is the correct module for this card, I know because I have one, I've only just replaced it with a SB Live 5.1 card. If you were sold this card under the impression that it is capable of suround sound then I'm afraid that you've been had.