I just installed Linux Debian on my PC, but the sound isn't working. I find this rather odd, as it was just recently installed on my brother's laptop, and the sound works fine on there. To be perfectly honest, I don't have the first clue as to why the sound isn't working. I'm wondering if Linux didn't detect the drivers, if that makes any sense (still very new to Linux). I don't really know how to begin troubleshooting this problem, so if anybody could point me in the right direction, I would apprecaite it. Thanks.

Welcome to LQ.

Congratulations--you made a good choice, IMHO

Okay, here's the two-minute tutorial to drivers and kernel modules:
Most drivers are available as module you can `plug into' the Debian stock (stock = the-one-you-get-from-debian) kernel.

*) To see which modules you already have running
*) To see which modules you *can* load
*) To load a module
(fx. with <NAME> = `pcspkr'; do `modprobe -l | grep pcspkr' and infer the pattern)

*) To *always* load a module (i.e. on boot-up)
add <NAME> to /etc/modules (must be root)

... play with these a little bit to get familiar with them.

Do you have the brand+model name of your card? Is it onboard or PCI?
if PCI (and in any case), try `lspci' and look for something that sounds like your sound card. Find the right module for your soundcard (modprobe -l | less -- search for `sound'). Is it loaded (lsmod)?

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That should go over the basic low-level stuff. How did you try to play sound? Try a few other ways. Which kernel version are you using (post $ uname --all)? Are you using OSS, ALSA, esd, artsd?

Try (if you can) to make sense of /etc/libao.conf, /etc/esound/esd.conf and ~/.asoundrc

Btw, read the sticky; it tells you to include `lsmod`, `uname -r` and `lspci`.
Do also read http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html (no offense meant).

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If there's anything you didn't understand, feel free to say so.

hth --Jonas

As an optional exercise, make your PC Speaker work if it doesn't already--I think I've given you enough hints

Just a few things you can try as root:
This will try, with a little user input, to detect your soundcard.
If this goes well, run to unmute or change volumes for the different channels.
Then to store these settings.

<what cor67393 said>

Thanks for your replies everybody. Jonaskoelker, your post was very useful. However, I don't know where to input those commands.

In a terminal window. You should be able to find an entry for "Terminal" or something similar in the menu of whatever window manager you're using.

gnome desktop ->
start here ->
applications ->
system tools ->
terminal

-- or --

gnome menu ->
run program ->
"gnome-terminal"

(I prefer xterm over gnome-terminal; YMMV).

hth --Jonas