Linux Insists on Soundblaster 16 or Nothing

[BrainySmurf]

I upgraded my scrapyard computer's motherboard which now comes with onboard AC'97, but the SL6.2 refuses to use it. It is listed in "sound preferences" as an ouput device and selected but no sound ever comes out of it. I tried putting in the original scrapyard Soundblaster16 and sure enough I get sound. Both are listed in sound preferences. Then, I found a Creative Audigy 2 at the scrapyard which is again recognized in sound preferences but no sound comes out when I want to use it. Here's my lspci with the Soundblaster 16.

CODE

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82865G/PE/P DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface (rev 02) 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82865G Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02) 00:06.0 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82865G/PE/P Processor to I/O Memory Interface (rev 02) 00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02) 00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02) 00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02) 00:1d.3 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 02) 00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02) 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev c2) 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02) 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) IDE Controller (rev 02) 00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801EB (ICH5) SATA Controller (rev 02) 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller (rev 02) 00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02) 01:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet Controller (rev 02) 01:09.0 Ethernet controller: Standard Microsystems Corp [SMC] 83c170 EPIC/100 Fast Ethernet Adapter (rev 08) 01:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Accton Technology Corporation EN-1216 Ethernet Adapter (rev 11) 01:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq 5880B [AudioPCI] (rev 02)

Why is SL6.2 hanging on to the Soundblaster16 like it's a lifesaver?

[redman]

Couldn't find anything specific on internet about the soundchip exept an article from someone on Ubuntu who killed the sound with an update.

You might want to have a look here.
I had a problem with an Intel soundchip not giving any sound (although it was recognised) after upgrading the kernel.

[BrainySmurf]

I'll try the modprobe suggestion Sunday night. I already upgraded the kernel to kernel-ml-3.3. You may have explained why the ac97 is listed but not playing sound but why does the creative audigy2 also show up but give no sound? Also tried a VIA 7.1 card with the problem.

[redman]

On the system I encountered the problem the audio worked flawless until the 2.6.32-222.x kernel was released.
So, it all comes down to drivers being added, removed or damaged during development.

[BrainySmurf]

QUOTE (redman @ Apr 1 2012, 05:30 AM)

On the system I encountered the problem the audio worked flawless until the 2.6.32-222.x kernel was released. So, it all comes down to drivers being added, removed or damaged during development.

Actually, the fix was much simpler I didn't even consider it. Alsamixer had PCM wave near the bottom so when I maxed out the volume, it was barely playing anything. After changing alsamixer, the sound comes loud and clear... or so I thought. I tried on both the SL6.1 cd kernel and kernel-ml3.3 and now whenever I play mp3 files it always gets transposed up or down a bit (and all subsequent sound too). This doesn't happen when I play a video file. The second I play a sound file though, everything is transposed up or down a bit.