same issue as the others who have VIA AC'97 sound

akshunj · 08-17-2003, 11:17 PM

I've got the infamous VIA AC'97 on-board sound. My laptop is running Libranet 2.8. Sound issues are giving me a HEADACHE!
First, I tried the standard OSS drivers, and I got no sound at all.
Second, I tried ALSA drivers (.90) and that gave me the current "popping and sizzling sound" similar to what others on this forum have reported.
Last, I tried the commercial OSS drivers, but they would not compile against my kernel for some reason.

Here's the wacky thing. I'll play an MP3 with XMMS, and the sound is awful. Then I'll watch a Divx movie with Xine, and the sound is perfect! Then I listen to the news on RealPlayer, again with perfect sound. Then I listen to an MP3 again (different one, of course, from a VAST collection), and the sound reverts to crackling and popping! What gives? This does not make sense to me. Shouldn't the sound suck 100% of the time, or never at all??? Any suggestions on how I can improve things? Thanks!

--Akshun J

utopicdog · 08-18-2003, 11:35 AM

compile a kernel with sound card support as a module, but nothing else in sound checked; and probably module version information.
get the alsa source.
reboot to new kernel.
follow the instuctions ie insmod sound, configure make, etc
run alsaconfig

worked for me.

akshunj · 08-18-2003, 08:26 PM

Thanks! I will try this. Libranet has a neat kernel config tool that I've been dying to use, so here goes nothing...

I'll post an update this weekend.

--Akshun J

riddlebox80 · 08-19-2003, 09:47 AM

I have a laptop with the AC'97 sound in it and have had no problem, most distros pick it up right away, with the 2.4.20 kernel it works fine, with 2.4.19 I had to compile it into the kernel with adding sound card support and then in that section selecting VIAXXX(I believe its right above the OSS). After a recompile I had no problems at all.