I'm a true newbie when it comes to Linux. I loved windows 95 and 98 was okay because I could do anything just about with the DOS command prompt. Every M$ OS after that sux. I don't like em. Now I'm trying linux (Red Hat 7), and I've looked at documentation on sound over and over again. I can't find sndconfig. I've tried configuring the isapnp.conf file with no results. I've looked at compatability lists for my sound card, ESS1869. I didn't find the exact chip, I found the 1868. Am I in over my head with this or is there something I'm missing? Any suggestions?

leavingwindows

Hey, I was in the same situation as you a week ago.. I had this old legacy ISA sound card, no documentation, couldn't find any jumper settings info, nothing. Creative website has no useful info on their older cards. All I knew that it was a SoundBlaster 16 or Pro. So I ran the sndconfig, and I just guessed the card type, IRQ's, address and DMA by trial and error. You won't break anything by doing this, it simply will not play the test sound, but you can go back into sndconfig and try again until you hear the sound.

PS: Redhat 9 is available, I would use the latest version especially if i were a newbie (which I am )


SndConfig Download

it looks like ALSA supports that card... here's install instructions for installing the ALSA driver

http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc...&module=es18xx

I found sndconfig finally. I got the settings right for it all, but I can't play mp3's coz my poor 300Mhz can't handle XMMS. For the basic sounds like system sounds I have running fine. Thanks for the help

A 300Mhz system has trouble playing mp3s?? I remember my Pentium 120 system would choke during an mp3 if I was simultaneously browsing a webpage or doing something similar. But a 300, that shouldn't be. How much RAM do you have?

Try a console mp3 player, such as mp3blaster. It may give you better results.

I play mp3's all the time on an old P166 box I have sitting around - plays them perfectly. Something is up with your system.

I've tried mp3blaster, but the results aren't the same. I thought something was strange how Windows would play mp3's fine, but Linux wouldn't. I just don't worry about it. I think it's something about the onboard chip coz I had the same problem with windows when I first got the machine. Something about the driver may be different in windows than in Linux. I don't know. I think it'll be better once I get my SB16 plugged in.

Are you sure this isn't just the same old redhat mp3 liscensing issue again? You may only need to install an rpm from the xmms website to get mp3s going.

As others have said, your box should play mp3s just fine. Can you play audio cds?

Actually when I tried playing audio CDs, sometimes it would play, sometimes it would play too fast, and sometimes nothing would play. I didn't think anything of it coz it's a dying 4x CD-ROM. I didn't know what to think of it, so I left it alone.

I'm good at windows, but know nothing about Linux. I didn't know anything about a Red Hat Licensing issue. I'll look for an rpm from the xmms site.

I thought it was just something different Linux did with decoding mp3's then windows did and that's why it won't play clearly. Thanks again. I'll be in touch.

You don't really need xmms, you could use mp3blaster, or straight up mpg123; these are all apps that are used to play mp3's in linux.

Cool

I tried downloading mp3blaster and benmp3, but I'm so new to this that I had no earthly idea what I got and what to do with it. Must seem kinda dumb, but I don't know.

I'm not at my box right now or I'd ask what specific files are for.

One of my friends looked at mp3blaster and said I didn't have the source to compile. benmp3 compiled but didn't produce any sound when running. I haven't tried mpg123, but without my friend, I wouldn't know what to do with it.

I'm reading up on how to compile and run, but it takes time, that which is short, so progress is slow but continuing.