I can give you all the information I have about this, so if you want more you will need to tell me how to get it as I am not sure on my way about linux as I am new to it.

My sound card (integrated with my motherboard) is a "C-Media AC97 audio device" (according to device manager in Windows XP, cannot find the chip on the motherboard to confirm this)

The kernel version is 2.4.20-8 on an i686
I am using Red hat 9 (shrike)

Some general specs are
3.4 GHz Intel Celeron
256 Mb Ram
64 Mb Intel 82865 Internal Graphics Card (confirmed by both device manager and DxDiag)

Any information that is needed can be found out if you need it.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give,
Graeme Nimmo

hmm .. sounds like a nice board. I bet the sound is also 6 channel.

You want to install ALSA. GO to freshrpms.net and download the ALSA rpms for RH9 and then check out the alsa-project.org page to see how to configure it

(Your board may be too new for OSS to see it)

I tried installing alsa on the system, but after 6 hours searching for version info for the kernel (as I said I am new to linux) I found it and when I got alsa for that kernel version and tried to install it I was told that it already existed.

However, I never got it from those source you mentioned above, so I will have a look for it on there and give it a try.

Unfortunately I am not finished at uni until 9 and will therefore not be home until about 10:30 at the earliest I doubt I will be able to post an update until tomorrow mid-afternoon, but I will try my best to at least get more info up on it.

Another small side-note...
I downloaded the latest kernel from kernel.org, but I have absolutely no idea how to compile it and so cannot install the update. If you could either give me instructions on how to do so or give me a link to a pre-compiled (I am sure this term is incorrect, but I do not know the correct one) that would be amazing too.

Knowing my luck my board will be too new! But I suppose I could make a vist to my grandfather's house and take his soundcard (he doesn't even have/want speakers so it would be no loss to him) as I am sure that would work. Would this be a reasonable solution to the problem if Alsa fails to resolve my problem?

Thanks for the help so far,
Graeme Nimmo

p.s Sorry for such a long post

The best thing to do for your system would be to download the latest kernel from the redhat page for RH9 ... compiling a brand new kernel would be best done under the guidance of a pro or a RH book.

https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/rh9-errata.html --- looks like the latest kernel fix came out 12/01 .... when installing these kernels, do this in the command line "rpm -ivh kernel-whatever" Installing(versus upgrading -Uvh) is much safer

Thanks for that info Tomas.

Should I do the same for the alsa thing as well then? or can I just install it by double-clicking?

I should also ask. Will installing the newer kernel over the one I currently have overwrite the alsa stuff if I do that first?

If so will I need to get a more uptodate alsa program?

wait til 2.6 is ready or spend the $24 usd for a soundblaster card. be sure to turn off the onboard in your bios though

macewan

If I install ALSA, does it replace OSS, or aRTs? Do I have to select ALSA as a plugin for xmms.etc?

Nimmo, I posted something about apt-rpm.... if you can't find the post, head over to
www.freshrpms.net

follow the link to apt ... no dependcie woes and you candownload a GUI manager if don't like command line.

Regards

Mick

Nimmo -
Yes, everytime you install a new kernel, you have to install the new alsa packages as well. If you want to install any rpm in the command line, use this:

rpm -ivh anyrpm-0.0.0.whatever.rpm

for upgrading an already existing rpm, do this

rpm -Uvh newerrpm-0-0.1.rpm

Have you browsed through the freshrpms site any? They have tons of cool stuff, and with two programs called apt and synaptic, you can stay up2date with a couple clicks of the mouse. (they are both on the site, and someone on there there are also directions, like mickboda said )

ALSA does replace OSS

I would go for that up2date thing, but unfortunately I must connect to the internet through windows as I am stuck with AOL and from what I have gathered they don't have a linux version.

Thanks for that infor tho, it will be useful when BT get round to installing broadband in my nice little home.