How to get sound on IBM TP 600E with SUSE 10
 

Like many of you with the IBM 600E, I struggled with sound. I've gone through many distributions without success. I followed the instructions found on Google and to no avail. This is how I got it to work based on the instructions but modified so it worked for me. This is the complete idiot's guide for Linux noobs like me.

First, make sure you disable Quick Boot in the Bios. To do this, press f1 on boot. Then mouse click over to quick boot. Now click disable. Click OK. DO NOT click Initialize. For some reason this resets it. Click Restart. Click Ok.

Next go to your menu bar > System > File Manager > File Manager Super User Mode. This needs to be done as root.

Next go to your modprobe.conf file (/etc/modprobe.conf). Add these lines. Just right click the file > open with > kwriteI added mine second to the last section right before "# end of i386 part for modprobe.conf" I think you can use the modprobe.conf.local too. Be sure to save your changes.

# Sound

alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-cs4236
options snd-cs4236 id=first port=0x530 cport=0x538 isapnp=0 mpu_port=-1 fm_port=0x338 irq=5 dma1=1 dma2=0

alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss

Last, we need it to load automatically. Edit your boot.local file (/etc/rc.d/boot.local) and enter this line at the end.

/sbin/modprobe snd-cs4236

Reboot and you will have sound with kmix working properly. You may have properly set kmix as it may be on mute. If kmix is not working you can go into the console (terminal). Type "alsamixer" to increase the volume on Master by clicking the up arrow. Be sure to unmute it by click "M".

Your next challenge is to get Mp3 to work. Search these archives or google it to find specifics. There are a number of missing libraries. Easiest way is to install XMMS from Yast granted you update the repository with an online location. You will need to to do this to get other codecs like divx etc. I'm to lazy right now to tell you how I got it to work. Good Luck

Very Good!
 

Its about time someone put an EASY, step-by-step on how to get the sound on a 600E working. It doesn't bother me one bit that these instructions are for my distro :)

The best news of all, of course, is that it debunks the wild myth that you have to recompile your kernel to make the sonofagun work. The stock kernel on most major distros will work fine.

I have to add some thoughts of my own... There actually is a slightly easier way to do it, and bluenevus didn't include all of the module parameters that you may need (there is also a teeny-weeny typo in his instructions that can flub you up).

Use the GUI! I have absolute respect for the command line and manually editing config files when it is necessary, but why drive myself crazy when there is a super-cool GUI tool to do the hard stuff for me?

In yast2>Hardware>sound the sound will be (predictably) incorrectly detected as a cs4610 instead of the cs4236.

If you click on the edit button, then (if prompted) select the advanced option, a window will pop up TELLING you that the sound card is often (read: always) detected improperly on a 600E and asking if it should try to use the 4236 driver. Tell it yes, then in the advanced options, you will have a GUI to set all of the required module parameters, which should be as follows:

You will notice that I have a different FM port address than bluenevus. The one I used is the correct one. Apparently he made a type-o, because every resource on the web that addresses this issue lists the FM port address as 0x388, not 0x338.

Then you may have to do some tinkering with kmix (or your mixer of choice) to get everything singing like it should.

As alluded to by bluenevus, the OSS version of SUSE is missing a lot of the libraries that you need for MP3 playback and a lot of the other fun stuff, but simply adding the typical repository collection to your yast sources and installing the missing parts will get you up and running fairly painlessly (that is a discussion for another thread).

Most major distros will have some type of GUI tool that you can use to set this up that is similar to the one I describe in Suse. If yours doesn't, just add the info to your modules.conf/modprobe.conf/whatever your distro calls it! Just be sure that you are not modifying a file that will be overwritten by your automated update system, like Suse is prone to do. If you opt to do all of this manually in Suse, be sure to put the lines in modprobe.conf.local and NOT modprobe.conf!!!

In fact, I think I will combine/smooth out these two posts a little bit and look into writing an article for those who need it. An article like that is LONG overdue!!!

Amen Brother
 

I'm with you, it is needed. It really needs to be simple. I read through many different articles trying to follow their instructions and it just didn't work. Taking the concepts from many different articles, I simple put them together for suse 10 and it finally worked for me. I was oh so close to going back to Windows. Your new simple guide is definitely long overdue.

Let's revive this old thread...
 

Just an FYI to get into search engine here:

I FINALLY wrote the howto we discussed in this thread, but it is not just for sound.

I have written what is probably the most comprehensive HOWTO for installing Linux on a 600E on the web. I have seen lots of them and they all seem to be lacking a few things and I wanted one to be out there that covers all of it.

As of this writing it is about 90%-95% done, but it includes all the info you need for getting the sound, as well as most of the hardware working. I still need to write sections for the irda and modem, then it will be done:

http://www.litljay.com/howtos/600e

I hope someone finds it useful!

J