Right as im a bit of a n00b to linux, i feel a bit stupid asking questions lol. Searched other posts and cant find the info im wanting. First of all, i am running Slackware 10, and i am having problems with my sound.

I am having trouble finding the linux drivers for my soundcard: Sound Baster Live, after searching many driver pages i cannot seem to find any linux based drivers, can anyone direct me to where i could find them?.

Alternativly i could use the nvidia drivers which i tried to install (unsuccessfully). When i follow the instructions to install the linux nvidia sound drivers it seems ok at the start, then i get to the actual installation part of the setup, and i get an error saying:

No precompiled Kernel interface was found to match your kernel; This means that the installer will need to compile a new kernel interface. Then there is only the option of 'ok' so i select this.

Then it begins to create a module or something, gets to 30% and an error pops up:

ERROR: unable to load the kernel module 'nvsound.0' . This is most likely because the kernel module was built using the wrong kernel source files. Please make sure you have installed hte kernel source files for your kernel; On redhat linux systems for example be sure you have the 'kernel source' rpm installed. If you know the correct kernel source files are installed, you may select the kernel source path with the ' --kernel-source-path' commandline option. Again there is only the option to select 'ok' so i do this.

Goes back to the percentage bar thing, flicks upto 60% and ANOTHER error this time saying:

ERROR: Installation of the audio driver has failed. Please see the file '/var/log/nvidia-nforce-installer.log' for details. You may find suggestions on fixing the installation problems in the README availale on the Linux driver download page at nvidia.com.

Once again there is only the option 'ok' so i select this. and it takes me back to the terminal where i started. I looked around the Linux driver download page and couldnt find the README, all i found was known problems for any special installation instructions required by your platform: this told me nothing in relation to my problem. Anyone have any ideas? i dont have the faintest idea whats rong so any suggestions/help wud be appreciated.


Thanks
Colonel-1990 (by the way, sorry for the long post :S)

If you are using Soundblaster live, it sould be auto detected. The module you need is emu10k. Just do alsaconfig as a root. Then do type alsamixer to adjust the preferred volumes.

DID YOU RECOMPILE YOUR KERNEL?

I cannot locate emu10k, what i can locate and i know that its loaded is emu10k1. Also alsamixer works but when i put alsaconfig it says ' -su: alsaconfig: Command not found ' . Any other ideas?.


**edit** No i didnt recompile the kernel cos the setup was supposed to be doing that i think. :S


Colonel-1990.

Sorry, type
as root

It has now installed and configured it all but when i go to play an mp3 i get no sound. I have been into alsaconfig and i can only change 1 volume within that, that is: capture. Any ideas, im so close to getting it lol thought it was going to work when i did that lol. .

Thanks,
Colonel-1990.

OMG....OMFG..... IT WORKS, thanks for your help Perfecr_Circle, my brother just changed a thing on alsa mixer to alsamixer -c 1, as it was picking up my tvcard not the sound card lol, so that was why the sound wasnt working after doing the setup that you told me to do. Thanks a lot, now im happy .

Thanks once again Perfect_Circle....
Colonel-1990.

The setup does not recompile your kernel, it just uses a generic kernel that works with most features. Now for the nvidia thing.

Can you post me the slackware entry in /etc/lilo.conf?

Then post me the result of : ls -la /boot

Its ok, i dont need the nvidia one now, i didnt used to use the onboard one anyway, the nvidia was just an option if i couldnt get teh sblive working as i didnt know that it was already there and just needed configuring. Regarding the kernal... I didnt know that, but its working fine so.... wahoo i guess lol.

Thanks again for the help
Colonel-1990.

You must be talking about nforce. I thought you wanted to install the nvidia 3D accelaration driver.

Right forget that lol.

Another problem with sound now that iv just noticed is: You can change the volumes of things perfectly fine in alsamixer but the problems comes when im in the sound player XMMS and any other program like it to be honest. I cannot seem to change the volume within the programs, the bar moves up and down but no changes occur in the volume. Am i right in thinking that alsamixer is supposed to link with everything so when you change the volume on say XMMS, it changes the alsa mixer volume?. Any ideas how i can make it so it changes the volume withing programs not alsamixer?. The same problem occurs with the tv card, i can only change the volume of that in alsamixer too so... i dont know whats going on... seems a bit strange to me....

Colonel-1990.

GO to xmms preferencies and use AlSA instead of OSS as output plugin.

Already set to that. Checked that straight away, but its strange cos the tv card volume isnt working ither so....

Colonel-1990.

Well, could be the default mixer thing since sounblaster in device 1 and not 0 in your system. Go again to preferencies and press configure the alsa outputplugin. Set another device instead of default, another mixer, or use software volume control. If you have 4 speaker like I do, don't expect to be able to control all four with one volume. If your card outputs more than one speakers make sure you use the proper channel. My mixer shows the back speakers as wave surround and the front as Master or PCM. So i can't control the back speaker if i use master in the mixer configuration of the alsa plugin of xmms. In alsa mixer check what channels actually have an effect and mute the others.

Nice. Knocked the mixer card upto 1, this gave me more options in the mixer device, and i selected PCM from this as you said your front ones work on that.... and vwalah... its working . Thanks a lot... again lol.

Colonel-1990.