Computer Adventures
3 Getting the Sound Back
Well, two months is a long time to be without any sound on your computer ...
In between all the other things there are to do, like making a living, surfingthe web, and playing with all the other goodies that come with SuSE Linux 8.2 --and don't get me wrong, there are a lot of them -- I spent not a few hours trying to find out why the sound wasn't working, and how to put it right. Lots of emails to Linux Questions, and also subscribing to the alsa-users mailinglist. There are lots of good, generouspeople out there, giving their time andenergy to trying to help fellow Linux users with their problems.
But after a bit it became clear that the helpers were running out of ideas, and that more and more people everywhere were having similar problems with built-in soundchips, like the VIA8233. Most of the suggestions were about downloading and recompiling the latest version of alsa (which stands for Advanced Linux Sound Architecture, by the way), and editing your /etc/modules.conf file, because that's supposed to be how the sound drivers are configured with the kernel etc. I learned a lot about how the insides of the box work. But not why the sound wasn't working in my box, or how to get it to work.
In the end I decided life was just too short for all this. I logged on to the CCL Computers website -- they're the people Ibought the kit from, to build my present box -- and shelled out £25 on asoundcard: Soundblaster Live Player 5.10EM. Ordered Friday 6th, delivered Monday8th, installed in about an hour (most of which is disconnecting all the computerleads, and re-connecting everything again afterwards). Works like a dream!
It brings tears of joy to the old eyes. I hadn't really realised how much I missed music, and being able to get it out of the computer. It felt very like the years that passed when I didn't own a CD player but didn't want to buy vinyl because it was a dying medium, and then eventually managed to afford one.
No sound with alsa, from the inbuilt sound in your motherboard? My best tip now is, buy a new soundcard.