LinuxQuestions.org - "supported" sound card won't work...

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"supported" sound card won't work...

Okay, I've been looking (off-and-on) for somewhere around 6 months or more. I am fairly convinced that (1) my card is a really obscure piece of crap and (2) I'm not going to find anyone else with the issues I have. :confused:

My card is an Audio Excel AV 51A. The box says it comes with Linux drivers. And there are files on the CD, under a directory named "Linux", but I can't get anything to go. So, I have no idea if this card is an unsupported piece of crap (probably), my sound system is not configured correctly or I'm just an ignoramous who should go back to Windows and live with the limitations of my intelligence.

Let's see, I've managed to vent my frustration, bash Micro$oft and give a small amount of info. Not a bad start. I am listing the results of lspci below. I hope someone sees what I need to know and can explain it to me.

Code:

arthur:~$ lspci

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82865G/PE/P DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface (rev 02)

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82865G/PE/P PCI to AGP Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev c2)

0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Bridge (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) Ultra ATA 100 Storage Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB (ICH5) Serial ATA 150 Storage Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02)

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV250 If [Radeon 9000] (rev 01)

0000:01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV250 [Radeon 9000] (Secondary) (rev 01)

0000:02:00.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10)

0000:02:01.0 Ethernet controller: D-Link System Inc RTL8139 Ethernet (rev 10)

0000:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet Controller (rev 01)

I'm sure there's something else I should provide, but I'm pretty stinkin' lost at this point.

I'm running Debian 3.1r0. As some of you will be able to tell from above, this box was originally built (by and for someone else) to be a better-than-average web design box on a Windows platform. I am hoping it's not too deep into that realm that I can't get it to do what I want in Linux.

If there is anything, information-wise, that I can provide to help someone help me - just let me know. I'll do what I can to make this easier on someone else. I just want help.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Okay, I read it. Most ppl have no prob. Some have issues. No one gave any insight as to how I could get my card to work.

Any more help out there?

Frankly, it looks like the basic and standard you have 2 soundcards installed issue. You have onboard, and you have the one you want. Onboard nearly always overrides priority and it the default soundarcard.
You just need to disable that card in the bios, so you have only a single sound card.

In BIOS, okay. I think I can do that (although I've never done it before). I'll be back later to let you know what happened.

"And the beat goes on..."

But it's going somewhere besides my speakers...

Code:

arthur:~$ lspci

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82865G/PE/P DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface (rev 02)

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82865G/PE/P PCI to AGP Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02)

0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev c2)

0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Bridge (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) Ultra ATA 100 Storage Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB (ICH5) Serial ATA 150 Storage Controller (rev 02)

0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller (rev 02)

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV250 If [Radeon 9000] (rev 01)

0000:01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV250 [Radeon 9000] (Secondary) (rev 01)

0000:02:00.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10)

0000:02:01.0 Ethernet controller: D-Link System Inc RTL8139 Ethernet (rev 10)

0000:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet Controller (rev 01)

Okay, one. One single, solitary, little sound controller listed. And still no sound, noise, distortion, anything from my speakers.

I've read enough to know that others have had success with this chipset, although I'm not so certain about this card. Is there a configuration file I should be checking/posting to get the desired sounds to emit from my speakers without rebooting into Windows?

BTW, I don't know who posted it - or in which thread I read it - but to the individual who decided to advise the use of lspci I wish to extend my most hearfelt gratitude. Not only can I see what's installed, but the important part of what's installed - the chipset and/or manufacturer!!!

According to apt-get install alsa it is already installed and at the latest version. It's not showing up in the process list, so I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm going to post this and get to searching and reading on how to use alsa. Apparently there's more to it than installing, but no man page to tell me what...

I look forward to hearing from someone (even if it's to tell me to keep reading), soon.