Sorry if this has been asked already,

I am a completey new to linux and I can't seem to get my sound to work correctly. I can play cds through totem but there is absolutely no sound through kcd or grip or xmms. I know very little about linux so far, and I would really appreciatte any help.

Thanks,

Welocome to LQ

XMMS, im assuming your using ALSA for your sound system, as it installs by default.
Default install of xmms uses OSS sound system. So generally it just shuts down as soon as you try to play it. What you want to do is install the ALSA plugin for XMMS.

On your start menu goto System>>Configuration>>Configure Your Computer(type root pass)>>Software Management>>Install>> Then search for xmms it should bring back a couple of results and one of them should be something like this "xmms-alsa....etc. Install that module.

Next start XMMS by clicking on it in the start menu (dont play a song to start it else it will probably shut down straight away). Left click in the top left corner of the main window and goto Options>>Preferences then where it says "output plugin" choose ALSA instead of OSS.

I could be wrong but this will probably be the issue hope it helps


EDIT: after doing this close then restart xmmz just to make sure the option saves right.

Maybe it's different on Mandrake, but on Slackware I use the CD Audio Player input plugin and the OSS output plugin to play CDs just like in the other OS.