Hello,

I have been using Linux for quite some time now and normally I am able to figure out enabling sound support via modules if a default intall does not innitially enable sound. I am however having much difficulties getting my Intel D865GBFL motherboard that had an AC'97 Analog Device 1985 chip.

For the life of me, I cannot get sound working. I have followed instructions at alsa-projects.org to the tee. Even with the 2.6 kernel distros (i.e Mandrake and/or Fedora Core) it doesn't work.

I think my main issue may have to do with an incorrect modules.conf or the more recent modprobe.conf file not having the correct lines. For the most part, I have constantly getting a message stating /dev/dsp not present.

Can someone please provide me step-by-step instructions on how to get this working?

God Bless,
MarlyMar

if you're missing /dev/dsp, it's imo because of you haven't loaded the correct modules; these must first be enabled in the kernel while installing it or updating it (either built into the kernel itself or as modules...but that they are there). if you've compiled them as modules, as they usually (?) are, try

modprobe -l | grep sound

and see what you get - these modules are for sound and from these you should pick the ones you need (if not all). when you think you know what they are, or just wish to put everything up, modprobe the ones you want:

modprobe <modulename>

where modulename is the name (without any paths or anything...like if you found a module line like this via modprobe -l: "/lib/modules/2.6.1/kernel/sound/oss/sound.ko" you load the module by giving "sound" as it's modulename (without quotes) - the complete line would be then

modprobe sound

try doing this for the modules you think you need (usually something like sound or snd, and any that has your card's name in it or parts of it)

when you've modprobed a module, check if /dev/dsp has appeared. continue until you find the one which gives you the dsp device, and then add it to the list of modules that are autoloaded in bootup.

I found on my laptop (which is old for price reasons) that i can't get sound to work unless i include in the compile the old deprecated OSS modules. If i do that all is well, if i don't nothing works (in terms of sound).

Good luck

Thanks b0uncer & chakkerz,

I will look into both of your suggestions. Hopefully this will get me going again on Mandrake. For now because of the difficulties I have been having with geting sound support on this Intel 865G board (that includes Mandrake & Fedora), I have decided to give LindowsOS v4.5 a try. Surprisingly, the thing installed without a hitch and seemed to fully support my onboard sound. For now, I will keep LindowsOS installed until Mandrake release the next RC.

Thanks again,
MarlyMar

Hi MarlyMar,
I too have similar kind of problem as you have. I have ICH4 845G/GL AC'97 sound card. I don't have sound once i installed Mandrake 9.2 (2.4 old kernel). If you were able to resolve your sound issue, please let me what you tried, so i could too enjoy my bunch of mp3s!
Thanks in advance.

Mcube.

I've had similar problems while compiling the new kernel (2.6) and getting my onboard Intel i8x0+AC97 to work. There are two ways to 'get' sound

- In the kernel config enable the DEPRECATED OSS component and simply leave ALSA out of your new kernel, or..
- Do not select OSS and enabe ALSA sound in the kernel config, using appropriate driver for your sound card. You then still have to unmute the various ALSA channels/plugins using the 'amixer' utility (make sure to install all ALSA related packages/rpm's). or, when the new kernel has been booted, run 'alsaconf' util.

yeahh i have the same problem, my motherboard is p4p800, and my sound didn't work with slackware 9.0, why?!!
which driver should i used???

because on SuSE 9.0 may sound was working properly.

i used kernel 2.4.22