here is the output to linux:~ # /sbin/lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE/PE DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface (rev 02)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE/PE Host-to-AGP Bridge (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 82)
0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL (ICH4/ICH4-L) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DB (ICH4) IDE Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV18 [GeForce4 MX 440 AGP 8x] (rev a2)
0000:02:02.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 536EP Data Fax Modem
0000:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB PRO/100 VE (LOM) Ethernet Controller (rev 82)

Two cards were listed in alsaconf: intel 18X0 Intel Corporatioon 820801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97
and
legacy Probe legacy ISA (non-Pnp) chips

Not sure about the last entry. I know that actual sound card that is in my box is a 3D Wave.
What's going on?
D

open a terminal window then type aumix
when aumix opens adjust your PCM and PCM2 volume levels up press S then press Q and try running xmms or other sound program. next time sound doesn't load at command line type aumix -L to reload your mixer settings. Hope this helps, had about same problem under Fedora with a VIA sound chip and aumix solved it for me.

Thanks for your help.

I tried aumix and it won't open (SUSE 9.3). Previously, I adjusted my PCM with alsamixer after a successful sound card installation. Still no sound.

What happens when you plug the speakers into the onboard jack?

Nothing. I have speakers and a small amp (Boston Acoustics). I know that they work because I was running them off of XP before I switched to SUSE.

I was thinking that the computer was trying to use the wrong sound card.
What is in /etc/modules.conf?

I found modprobe, but not /etc/modules.conf. modprobe had several text files; one of them called /etc/modprobe.d/sound.YaST2save.

The only text there reads:
# W60f.FqFX8nG0RM2:82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller
alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0

The other file is called /etc/modprobe.d/sound

It reads:

alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-intel8x0

yeah that means that the onboard sound is configured, not the 3D Wave. Since it looks like the 3D Wave is "legacy", maybe OSS is a better option.

What is OSS?

alsaconf gives me the option to configure 'legacy', but it also gives a warning about Pnp cards or something being damaged if I do so. Should I try configuring sound that way, or is it playing with fire?

I couldn't tell you about the damaging PnP cards thing - I've never heard of that - but OSS stands for Open Sound System. It's kinda like ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) - they're both meant for playing sound. Not sure how to set it up - my PC works fine with ALSA - but try searching the Web for "OSS configure" or something if you want to give it a try. Or just use the onboard sound.