I'm running a desktop PC with Intel dual core, 2 OS win+linux. Sound Hw includes off store Realtek + external M-Audio Fire Wire Solo USB soundcard, which works great on Windows. I enjoy playing music on the PC with Cubase and other soft, virtual instruments and sound libraries.

With Fedora 10 I've tried to play sounds under all the combination of choices provided at system-preferences-hw-sound, with no sound at all so far.
On the terminal, I get the message of "unknown hw" when typing # alsaunmute
and it says "hw is initialized using a guess method"

I'm really stucked, I don't know whether I should be getting a soundcard for Fedora, or if I have missed or skipped vital steps at hw configuration when installing Fedora (and what to do consequently).

I believe that if I could manage to have sound with Fedora, I would use it more and learn more about Linux. Currently I still spend more time using Windows than Linux mainly for this reason.

Could you please help me

Have you actually gone to the RealTek site (I am assuming this is a RealTek what is said above) and seeing if they have a Fedora or Red Hat driver for the sound card? If not, even a generic Linux Driver?

Yes, thanks for your suggestion, how could I not think of it?

After following your indications, my conclusions are:

I have learned that M-Audio (my external USB soundcard) is not a Linux-supported soundcard.

RealTek is not providing Linux specific drivers but refers to system / motherboard manufacturer. Perhaps the ALSA driver could work with RealTek, I've downloaded it (4 different .tar files), but to install it, I've understood that I should first recompile the kernel source, which I've surprisingly found that I don't have. Therefore I would first need to get the kernel source.

Before starting this frightening never ending process, I've been thinking of trying a different Linux distro instead of Fedora, but I fear I would still have similar problems.

Perhaps I should be giving up the idea of having sound with Linux, or perhaps I could buy a cheap Linux supported external soundcard.

What would your recommendation be?

Thanks in advance,
Alfons0

Sorry r3sistance,

I've recently found that my ASUS motherboard disk included Linux drivers for RealTek, and that the help file included therein provides an alternative option (which I believe I can at least try) in case the kernel code is not present.

I'll try to install the drivers carefully next weekend, and will report back to you either if I succeed or if I don't.

Regards,
Alfons0

Sounds strange it would ask you to recompile the kernel source manually, that's something that if required should be done relatively automatically when the drivers themselves are compiled into the kernel, more so in a distribution like Fedora what is commonly used in regards to Linux Desktops... Well let us know how it goes.

Dear r3sistance,

As I'm not having the kernel source code, the alternative option to install the driver was:

"If can not compile the source code, try to rename the /usr/src/linux-2.x -> /usr/src/linux"

Unfortunately I didn't have nor such directory nor the chance to rename it, so I had to give up after many tries all of which ended with compilation problems (files or directories missing).

Now I'm downloading 2 Fedora 12 (improved sound) DVD disks, one of them includes the source code.

Following I'm copying the readme file which was my guide for driver installation:

The source code copy from www.alsa-project.org. ver:R3.1
Linux Source Code for ALC audio codec

Installation:
This Source Code is from www.alsa-project.org.
For driver installation, please follow below steps.

Step 1. unzip source code
tar xfvj azx-021705.tar.bz2

Step 2. Turn on sound support (soundcore module, default turn on)

Step 3. Complied source code
a. ./configure
b. make
c. make install
d. ./snddevices

Step 4. Edit your /etc/modules.conf or conf.modules depending on the distribution
(Please refer to the attached modules.conf)

Step 5. reboot your machine

Note: 1. The most detail information, can refer the alsa-kernel/Documenttation/ALSA-Configuration.txt in the azx-021705.tar.bz2.
2. Kernel Version must be 2.2.14 or later.
3. All mixer channels are muted by default. You must use a native
or OSS mixer program to unmute appropriate channels.
4. If can not compile the source code, try to rename the /usr/src/linux-2.x -> /usr/src/linux.
5. The driver added to support the SPDIF functoin.
6. Suggest use alsamixer to control mixer function. you can find it in the alsa-utils-0.9.4 (www.alsa-project.org).
7. a. You can download the alsa-lib-1.0.8 and alsa-utils-1.0.8 form the www.alsa-project.org, then unzip and install them.
b. Used "alsaconf" can autodetect which drive you need to install (step 4).

Regards,
Alfons0