I have just installed Mandrive 2007. I am a converted SUSE user. I like what I see however my new installation is completly Mute
No sound at all. I still have everything plugged in as it was but no sound at all is coming out.

Following the last query of this type I am posting my version of the same diagnostics

Here is the chunk of lsmod

snd_seq_dummy 3620 0
snd_seq_oss 31392 0
snd_seq_midi_event 7072 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 49488 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_pcm_oss 40384 0
snd_mixer_oss 16096 1 snd_pcm_oss
af_packet 17960 2
snd_via82xx 24952 4
gameport 11912 1 snd_via82xx
snd_ac97_codec 96868 1 snd_via82xx
snd_ac97_bus 2848 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm 70116 4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer 19620 3 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 8712 2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm
snd_mpu401_uart 7616 1 snd_via82xx
snd_rawmidi 19936 1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device 7212 4 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
snd 46500 17 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu40 1_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
soundcore 8096 1 snd
video 13924 0
thermal 11240 0
fan 4036 0


lspcidrake -v | fgrep AUDIO
snd-via82xx : VIA Technologies Inc.|VT82C686 [Apollo Super AC97/Audio] [MULTIMEDIA_AUDIO] (vendor:1106 device:3058 subv:15dd subd:7609)
es1371 : Ensoniq|CT5880 [MULTIMEDIA_AUDIO] (vendor:1274 device:5880 subv:1274 subd:2000)


grep sound-slot /etc/modprobe.conf
alias sound-slot-0 snd-via82xx
alias sound-slot-1 es1371


aumix -q
vol 100, 100, P
pcm 100, 100
speaker 100, 100
line 100, 100, R
mic 100, 100, P
cd 100, 100, P
igain 100, 100
line1 100, 100, P
phin 100, 100, P
phout 100, 100, P
video 100, 100, P

I cannot work out what the problem is.
I'd appreciate some help.

now i don't see anything strange with your lsmod output.

i'd suggest you to try the alsaconf command followed by alsamixer command.

alsaconf - configures your sound card
alsamixer - something equivalent to sndvol32.exe in windows for adjusting your volume (here you must your arrow keys)

if nothing works out, post whatever happened.

cheers

alsaconf does not appear to be on my system.
alsamixer seems to have all the things I can set, set to maximum.

amixer
Gives the following output.

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Master Mono',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control '3D Control Sigmatel - Depth',0
Capabilities: volume volume-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Mono
Limits: 0 - 3
Mono: 3 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [on]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost (+20dB)',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Select',0
Capabilities: enum
Items: 'Mic1' 'Mic2'
Item0: 'Mic1'
Simple mixer control 'Video',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 15
Mono: Playback 15 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mono Output Select',0
Capabilities: enum
Items: 'Mix' 'Mic'
Item0: 'Mix'
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Capture 0 - 15
Front Left: Capture 15 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
Front Right: Capture 15 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mix',0
Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mix Mono',0
Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'External Amplifier',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Sigmatel 4-Speaker Stereo',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Sigmatel Surround Phase Inversion Playback ',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]

Silly question.

You sure the sound output isn't muted by default? I have seen Kmix start that way.

I think I saw it doing that at first but this is not a simple muting problem that can be solved that way. All my settings seem to be on and as high as possible.

I have however, discovered the following.
Looking in the configure your computer, hardware screen I
get a screen with the following message
-----------------------------------------------------
The following devices need proprietary drivers or firmwares in order to operate smoothly. The appropriate packages can be retrieved from the Mandriva Club. Do you want to subscribe to the Mandriva Club?

- VT82C686 [Apollo Super AC97/Modem]

--------------------------------------------------------

Joining the club provided no information that I found useful.
If anyone else knows how it could be useful please do tell me.

Whist this now may appear to be a driver problem, and I would really appreciate help on how to fix it, I do find it odd because it worked fine under Suse ( and Red Hat 7 which I have used in the past.

that hardware should use the snd-via82xx driver. Standard via stuff; you shouldn't need to do anything special to make it work. Try modprobing it and if it doesn't work, try modprobing snd-via82xx-modem instead.

These are in the stock installation. You should have them in /lib/modules/2.6.17-5mdv/kernel/sound/pci/

Yes indeed they are there modprobe -l shows them to be present where you say they should be.

Modprobe snd-via-82xx and the equivalent modem produce no results with regards to sound.


One interesting thing I have discovered.The system has been totally mute with sound whatsoever from the speakers. It is as if they were switched off.

I am continually testing this by playing a CD in my DVD writer with the cd player package so that if the sound comes on I know immediately.

Going into the screen that allows me to alter the drivers for the sound card(s) Gives some interesting results.

(I say sound cards because the system lists two of them VT82c686(apolo.. etc and one marked CT5880. I have 3 cards in slots a network card a video capture card and a sound card so I am puzzled into thinking the extra sound card is on the motherboard or something?)

Altering the drivers makes change in the volume control screen,
(At least I think that is what caused it)

I get
0 VIA 824686A/B rev20( Alsa Mixer)
1 Ensoniq audio PCI (alsa Mixer
2 SigmaTekl STac 9721,13 ( OSS Mixer)

Some more fiddling seems to have brought up
Via 82XX Modem (Alsa Mixer) in position2 moving the last one down.

Unmuting the Ensoniq which seemed to be muted brings static sound from the speakers, I can hear different noises when the CD starts etc. So It seems to have some degree of control.

I am wondering if one part of the system thinks one setting holds and another things another "card" is in control. And there is conflict

Further evidence is that on the sound preferences screen
If I set music and movies to OSS and try to test it while there is a CD Playing mutely it complains that it cannot do so because the syst4m is in use/

Alsamixer alters only the VIA 82..etc settings and these are all set to maximum.

Does this extra information help anyone?

The VIA stuff is commonly found in onboard audio chipsets. I don't know if it is available in external sound cards. Sounds like you have an onboard sound system enabled.

If I were you I'd remove the ensoniq card, connect the audio outputs from the VIA, and see if the problem goes away. Or even just connect the audio outputs from the VIA and see if it works.

I would expect the VIA to get control of the sound channels because it'll be first on the PCI bus (ahead of the ensoniq). If there is an IRQ conflict (likely) or any kind of polling conflict or resource conflict, the VIA'll win - although with many conflicts the result is to cause both antagonists to malfunction.

I finally know what those extra sockets are on the back of the PC. I have plugged the speakers into that output and I have sound! I have had to turn down the software volume setting to avoid distortion but it seems fine. Now to test other kinds of sound. I'll try the "four candles" sketch on YouTube. Once voted the number one British comedy sketch.
I am delighted with the help I have had. Thanks very much.