3 days ago I did it. I wiped Windows out and installed Mandrake 9.1 on my computer. So far, I love it. But of course there is some small things, that I yet have to correct. It seems as if the sound is my biggest problem right now.

I have sound - but it is very noisy, similar to the problems in this post: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/history/32811

By reading around here at linuxquestions.org and all over the net, I understand that I should update my ALSA drivers. But - in order to do that, I have to remove the installed ALSA 0.9.0 RPM packages. But if I choose to do that, the package manager tells me that it needs to uninstall nearly all of my KDE environment... or at least everything that has to do with sounds.

Is'nt there an easier way? E.g. simply downloading an RPM with the newest drivers?

I'm a totally newbie, so if replying, please be specific!

Thanks!

Jeppe Kabell

Have you tried updating it with urpmi?

On-board sound is naturally noisy. It's right next to the CPU, fer <censored> sake.

Soundblaster live is so cheap now....

Linux Audio Quality HOWTO

# Mandrake links
Mandrake home page
Mandrake Users website
Easy urpmi config for Mandrake
urpmi mini-HOWTO
Easy software management: Red Carpet
Maximum RPM
rpmfind
You didn't install the developmental packages? As root, command:
urpmi gcc

Yes. It says: "Everything is installed".

Yeasterday I even ran

urpmi.addmedia --update sunet ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/os/Linux/
distributions/mandrake/updates/9.1/RPMS/ with ../base/hdlist.cz

and after that:

urpmi --auto-select

and it downloaded 200+ MB of updates. But I'm still stuck with ALSA 0.9.0r6

I know I could buy another soundcard, but I just bought my new computer, and I'm so low on money... and I know, that other's have gotten it to work. So I really hope that someone out there have a suggestion for me.

Jeppe

I just found out, that my soundcard is the VIA 8233 - not 8223. But I still have the same problems!

Can you find new builds in the mandrake cooker or rpmfind? If so, try downloading the new drivers and try installing them with

rpm -Uvh <pkgname>.rpm

That might work.

If not, install your developental packages, download the source code and install that way.

# Guides to software and installation
LNAG - How do I install a program I downloaded from the Internet?
Rute Guide's software explanation

I downloaded the ALSA-source and compiled everything. Some weird things happened (I think it was because I did'nt uninstall the old ALSA-drivers), but suddenly it worked, and I had much, much better sound.

But I followed your suggestion and went out and bought me a SoundBlaster 4.1 Digital. It has perfect sound, BUT, every 7 second or so, there is a little "bumb" in the music in the higher tonal range, hardly noticeable, but rather annoying when you know it is there.

I will try to find a way to make i disapear, but any suggestions is of course appreciated! I have tried most things in the Linux Audio Quality HOWTO, but untill now without much luck.

Mandrake 9.1 detects is as an Ensoniq CT5880, is that correct? BTW I have made a new installation of Mandrake due to some other problems (messing around as root ) so it's now again the old ALSA 0.9.0r6 drivers I'm using.

Thanks for your help until now, fancypiper!

- Jeppe