AC'97 sound driver for linux

[llamosa]

Hello:
I am newbee in Linux.
Does anybody install linux drivers for AC'97 onboard soundcard???
I tried with RedHat 9.0 and Knoppix 3.4 and none recognize my soundcard.
Any idea about it

[jaboua]

Hmm, I have tried knoppix 3.6+ and fedora core 1+ and they both setup my AC'97 correctly, maybe try some newer versions of the distros... Otherwise, you could build the driver (Either OSS or ALSA probably if you upgrade your kernel) into the kernel if you recompile it.

[techieMoe]

Hello:
I am newbee in Linux.
Does anybody install linux drivers for AC'97 onboard soundcard???
I tried with RedHat 9.0 and Knoppix 3.4 and none recognize my soundcard.
Any idea about it

You shouldn't have to install any drivers for the AC'97 soundcard, however I've had issues with programs blocking sound output from my AC'97 card before. The first thing I'd try is opening up a console and logging in as root user (type su followed by your root password).

Then run alsaconf to see if your card is even detected. This should also configure it. If alsaconf says your card is detected and properly configured but you're still not getting sound, run a mixer program (such as right clicking on the little speaker icon on your taskbar for KDE or Gnome) and see if the volume for your device is muted. Finally, I'd see if anything is using your soundcard (thus not allowing other applications to use it) such as sound daemons like kartsd.

[jaboua]

I don't think it's ALSA on redhat9 by default, if I remember correctly I had to manually install the ALSA drivers from an RPM when I used fedora core 1, but the OSS drivers always worked perfectly thought.

[Red Jam]

I always have to run alsaconf on every distro to get sound working on my AC'97.

[jaboua]

I always have to run alsaconf on every distro to get sound working on my AC'97.

But as said, I think those distros are too old to include support for ALSA, it was for example redhat9, ALSA was'nt included in fedora core 1 if I remember correctly... To configure OSS on redhat, try running "sndconf" or something similar...

[techieMoe]

if I remember correctly... To configure OSS on redhat, try running "sndconf" or something similar...

Right, I seem to remember a utility called sndconfig that would configure your sound and let you hear a sound byte of Linus Torvalds saying "Hello, this is Linus Torvalds and I pronounce Linux as LEEnooks."