Hi. Being completely new to Linux (well I tried RedHat 7.2 and Debian 2.6 a couple years ago with no success), I am having a couple of issues getting my install completely ironed out. I just got a DVD with two distros on it -- Mandriva 2006 and Ubuntu 5.10 (from "Linux Format" magazine -- January 2006). I have installed both distros and both give me the same issue -- no sound. I am using a Soundblaster Live! 5.1 soundcard that was packaged with my Gateway (yeah don't laugh, this was before Gateway was totally crushed by Dell). The model # of the card is "SB0220." The card works great under Windows (I dual boot), so I know there is no issue with the card itself.

Here's the deal: I have a LCD monitor with built in analog only speakers, as well as my regular PC speakers and a subwoofer. I have the digital output of my soundcard hooked to my PC speakers, and another output hooked to my analog monitor speakers. When I first installed Mandriva and Ubuntu, they both gave me sound but ONLY through my analog monitor speakers. For some reason, I get no sound from my PC digital speakers. I have tried hooking my PC speakers into the analog output where my monitor speakers were hooked, but no sound there either. No matter where I hook my PC speakers into my soundcard, I get no sound. I have reinstalled both distros a couple of times and nothing. I am using the reccomended ALSA drivers under Linux that both Mandriva and Ubuntu have as default. Under Windows, I have to go to the Creative "AudioHQ" and go to the "mixer" and make sure "Digital Output Only" is checked. If I don't have that checked, my speakers wont work under Windows either. So, basically, these speakers only support digital out. Is there an equivalent place to go under Linux (in the drivers some place) where I can make sure "Digital Out Only" is activated? There is no Creative SoundCard control panel in Linux, of course, so I need to know what to do and where to go to fix it.

My other issue is this: the modem. Yes, I know it is a common problem when dealing with Winmodems. I have a GRV Conexant HCF 56K PCI modem. Yes, I know that Linuxant.com has the drivers, and I have installed them and they do work. Then you may ask what is my problem? My problem is, the free drivers at Linuxant only work at 14.4k. It seems the Linuxant guys have gotten greedy and totally out of spirit with the OpenSource community and they have begun charging $20 so that one may use their modem they paid hard earned money for. I think it is B.S. I am not asking for cracks or any of that stuff, but am asking is there a FREE alternative to Linuxant drivers out there? Has some generous individual made any? If you know where I can go to get drivers that will support 56k, I would greatly appreciate it.

Any help with both issues is greatly appreciated in advance.

P.S. Which Distro do you guys recommend -- ubuntu or Mandriva?

Have you run the command 'alsamixer '. See if the master and pcm channels are set to zero or if the channels are muted. If muted there is a MM above the bar. Hit ' M ' key to unmute. Same may apply to the sdpif channel. Not sure though.

No help on modem. I use an external modem.

Brian1

Thanks, Brian.

I got the sound working great now. I was not aware of the alsamixer, as I really have no idea how Linux is set up yet (still learning). The alsamixer is actually more configurable than the Creative Control panel in Windows. It took some playing with to get it to work. First I had to unmute the SB Live Digital Out box, it still didnt work, so I went to the web and luckily found a nice little tutorial. You must also unmute the IEC958 Optical RAW option. Once you do that it works. So if anyone else who reads this in the future has a Soundblaster Live 5.1 card that they can't get to work with the ALSA drivers, try these steps:

1. From terminal type "alsamixer"
2. unmute "SB Live" Digital/Analog Output button
3. unmute the "IEC958 Optical Raw" option
4. Adjust rest of settings such as bass and treble and tone until they meet your needs.

As for my modem, it works but at an excruciating 14.4k. If anyone has a free alternative Conexant 56K HCF driver to Linuxant's racket, I would greatly appreciate it and would be happy to trade any sort of software or fix you might need.

As for Linuxant, I know they have an explanation for charging for the drivers, and I am not one who minds paying for good software, however, I OWN this modem and the drivers should be included WITH the modem at no extra charge. Charging for something someone ALREADY owns in B.S. Just my $0.2.

Could you post the link to the tutorial you found for a reference for me and others.

Great to see you have sound working.
Brian1

Brian,

Sadly I googled it and did not save it. However, alsa.opensrc.org has a lot of great info for configuring soundcards under ALSA drivers.

http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php?page=emu10k1

That link has a lot of info for a lot of different cards.

The main suggestions I have came across in different tutorials for those using Soundblaster Live! 5.1 cards with digital output is to do two things:

Unmute the SB live Digital/Analog button and
Unmute the ICE958 Optical RAW buttom.

Apparently these two options are muted by default. I have no idea why ICE958 Optical Raw has anything to do with the digital output, but it does.

Thanks I will make a note of that.
Brian1

I presume you've been to linmodems.org
Years ago on this laptop I was fighting the winmodem fight. Gave up, and bought an external. About the same time I got a wireless router, and got that working, so I've never actually used a modem on this box ....
For a while I had the modem outboard of the router (no DSL to my place at the time) - maybe you could try something similar.