Ok, sorry for the lots of different posts, but I like to keep things separated!

I have an ESS Maestro3 chipset in a Dell Inspiron 8000. I compiled the Kernel 2.6.2 with ALSA and the PCI Driver for this card, which loads perfectly fine at boot.

In KDE 3.2, I turned my mixers up, and unmuted them if they were but I don't get any sounds!! At one point I got errors saying I didn't have access permissions to the devices but I chmoded all of the sound related dev files. If I launch the KDE aRTs Control Tool (Sound Server Control), and turn that up... and then from the Sound Control Center panel click Test Sound... I can see the meters moving, but I hear nothing!

What should I check? What normally has to be done to get audio working??

Thanks!!

heh. once again, had the same problem - should search forums before posting, this one's been answered. what's probably throwing you off is the /dev/snd directory. ALSA creates and uses this one. took me the better part of a week (i know it's sad) to figure out that I not only needed permissions to the files in /dev/snd, I also needed permission to ACCESS /dev/snd (rwx permission). Make sure relevant devices are group audio, they should be, but chgrp any that aren't.

Then, as root:

adduser <you> audio
chmod g+rwx /dev/snd
chmod g+rw /dev/snd/*
chmod g+rw /dev/dsp
chmod g+rw /dev/midi
chmod g+rw /dev/sequencer
chmod g+rw /dev/mixer

That shoudl do it.

--Rounan

Try using Contro Center->Sound & Multimedia->Sound System->Hardware->Threaded Open Sound System
That is a temp fix until alsa or arts is fixed. It works for me right now.

Ok, I did search this forum before I posted, and I believe I found the same advice you gave...

My problem I suppose is that there is no /dev/snd directory... there's not even a /dev/snd device... There is no midi device but there are ones with midi00 or midi0 and several of those.

What do I do!?

odd...

Kernel 2.6.2.... that leads me to believe you're using udev, and not devfs.
You may need to run the snddevices script. It's included with the alsa-driver .bz2 from alsa-project.org
That will create the devices ALSA uses.

If you're using devfs, though, you shouldn't run that script. Not sure what the effects of doing so are.

Before you try that, try just:
chmod g+rw /dev/midi*

and so on for dsp*, sequencer*, etc. That will change permission for all such devices. Don't see how this will change things.... but you never know.

--Rounan

EDIT: Sorry, don't think i was clear:
download the alsa-driver .bz2 file fomr alsa-project.org

tar -xjf <alsa-driver>
cd alsa-driver-<version>
./snddevices