RIGHT!!! REcently got to fiddle around with a computer and thought that since im already using rh 7.3 and have the discs i might as well install it. Installation goes smooth, no problems at all, first boot also ok. Suddenly strange things start to happen: After second boot after install everything hangs when the system gets to:

partition check:
hda:
*DOH*

Third reboot, everything goes well untill:

mounting root partition: *DOH*

Clearly a hd problem!??? After another reboot (pretty meaningless or?) and everything starts as normal... After a little fiddling (nothing serious) and a new reboot (clean) kudzuu reports that the soundcard (sb live, supported) have been disconnected???!!!

oh, i did try to install (i put the card in the pci-slot) a d-link dwl-520 wlan card and everything hangs as described above. Im totally running around in darkness here any help would be greatly appreciated! The system doesnt contain any strange hardware did however read something about that getting a customized kernel for the via motherboard would make things run faster but it wasnt requiered...

am enjoying linux a lot but i'guess im still a newb HEEEELPPP!!!!

Creative Labs Soundblaster LIVE! has problems with VIA chipsets. If your south bridge chip is 686B, you might or will have hard drive problems. Soundblaster LIVE! does some fancy things to make the PCI bus be at 33 MHz. Intel boards also have the same problem. Since ALSA has enough support for other sound cards, you can get any sound card that is not a Soundblaster LIVE! and still have sound in LINUX. I read that Santa Cruz from Turtle Beach or Acoustic Edge from Philips have better sound quality.

I don't recommend the Audigy 2. It may also have the same problems. Creative Labs does too much resampling. If you have an on-board sound, you can use that instead. Search the motherboard for any sound chipset that match ALSA (csXXXX, esXXXX, etc).

The intergrated sound device on my motherboard (ABIT TH7II-RAID) has better sound quality than my Soundblaster LIVE! 5.1.

hmmm... Ive noticed that it sais that PCI bus is actually runing at 33 mhz so that might be it, although i havent got the 686B but 686A (is there really any difference and im not really sure what im talking about !!
Dont think that theres any onboard sound, lost the bloody manual for turning it on anyway but i guess i can find it elsewhere! Huh, money on a new soundcard, NAHHH.... is anybody looking for a SB LIVE! ? hihihi....

Thanks for your help, Ill give it a try and hopefully I wont be back

OHH YEAH!! Works great, Electro thank you very much!!!
Does anybody know a workaround so that I can use the SB LIVE! ? (will probably post it as a new topic)
Exspenses are never great, specially not unplanned

Cheers, Klod

The PCI bus goes at 33 MHz but it doesn't go constantly at 33 MHz.

There is a few ways to still use Soundblaster LIVE!.
One put the sound card on the last slot but be careful with IRQ.

Second way, make a copy of your BIOS and change a hex code in it. Then flash your BIOS with revised version. <<-- very dangerous

Third, you can buy an nforce chipset.


The 686A has 66 megabyte per second for IDE devices and the 686B has 100 megabytes per second for IDE devices. The Two chips are basically the same but some added features.

well, ive tried the first way, didnt work, and the second way does seem a bit dangerous... pretty much leaves one thing now does it

Thanks!
Cheers Klod ohh and btw
"The 686A has 66 megabyte per second for IDE devices and the 686B has 100 megabytes per second for IDE devices. The Two chips are basically the same but some added features."
The 686A card does also have a 100 megabytes per second "connector" but as I found out, its not in use... should I perhaps give it a try?