Re: [Hampshire] another sound question

On Thu, Mar 22, 2007 at 08:38:16PM -0500, Mike Burrows wrote:
> > >
> > > How do I get everything to use the pci card please?
> >
> > Disable the on-board card in the BIOS.
> >
> > Tony
> >
> Didn't work I'm afraid. Got this informational message on starting kde:
>
> Sound server informational message:
> Error while initializing the sound driver:
> device: default can't be opened for playback (No such file or directory)
> The sound server will continue, using the null output device.

That's to be expected. You've just disabled the sound card that all the KDE
devices were using for playback. Now you need to configure your system to use
the PCI card.

At the risk of sounding a bit "you don't want to start from here", if you'd
disabled the onboard card in the BIOS before you installed the OS, it would
(should) have detected and used the PCI one.

> and of course real player has gone silent. I guess there isn't a module
> for this card in the 2.6 kernel. Though I can't understand why it isn't
> working because the system seems to have all the right modules
> installed.

There's an inherent contradiction there. Either there isn't a module (and
therefore one can't be loaded) *OR* all the correct modules are loaded and you
have some other problem.

I don't know KDE particularly, but I'd look in the control panel-alike for
audio device configuration options. Having taken away the default audio
device, you need to tell your programs to use the PCI card.

> I suppose it isn't surprising that the cd drive is working
> as that is hard wired to the card.

Which implies that the card is supported and working, as if it weren't you
wouldn't get any audio out of it. This further supports the theory above.

> The card is referred to in the Creative drivers web site but it isn't a
> new card and I would think the kernel should support it.

Assumptions are always risky.

Tony