So I've finally decided to try adding sound to my Slack 10.2 machine. It is no big deal to me to buy a different sound card, but it defies logic that I have this simple Sound Blaster 16 PCI and I can't get it to work.

My kernel is 2.4.32, SMP enabled. Reinstalled all ALSA packages after kernel compile.

I ran alsaconf, it properly detects the Sound Blaster 16 PCI and asks me to use the ens1371 driver for "Creative Labs Ectiva EV1938."

I say yes to everything, a bunch of segmentation faults flash on my screen, then it says "Have a lot of fun!"

Trying to run alsamixer immediately after results in a segmentation fault.

I've tried compiling the kernel with specific drivers in as modules, or into the kernel itself, reinstalling ALSA each time, all yeilding the same result.

I figured maybe my SMP kernel is messing it up somehow, so I stuck the 2.4.32 precompiled kernel in lilo and booted with it. Reinstalled ALSA, process seems to work. Except now, alsamixer reports "no such device."


So, a few questions. Assuming the SB 16 *can* work with Slack 10.2, what should I attempt from here? If it is not possible to get this card to work with my setup (specifically the SMP setup), can anyone recommend a sound card that does work [with a working SMP kernel]?

For brevity, I'm leaving machine output out of this post, but I will post any requested system output upon request.

I had problems with a sb16 on 10.1, finally fixed it with this: http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc...hp?module=sb16

Later found that some progs (Real, Unreal Tournament) had problems with it and refused to work with the software mixer (sb16 does not have hardware mixing).

Finally fixed all problems by buying an Audigy 4

That was more or less what I was afraid of. I only hope that since my problems seem to be more serious than unmuting the channels or reinstalling the driver that getting a more expensive card will do the trick. I'd hate to blow $100 on a sound card when I'm still going to have to experience segmentation faults.

Audigy 4 works but isn't quite recognised correctly by kernel (at least my 2.6.12 doesn't) - sees it as audigy 2 value (unknown). Kmix works fine for it though with all controls and switches. If you go for one you will need to put some commands in one of the startup files to unmute the Audigy A switch or you won't hear any sounds, and the same for tone if you want to set bass/treble.

But still creative cards aren't the best in the world and it's worth checking the hardware compatability list to see which are proven to work: http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php