Re: if I were a newbie how would I get sound?

[Douglas Tutty <dtutty@porchlight.ca>]

On Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 07:42:21PM -0500, Mark Grieveson wrote:
> >
> >This is all goblygook to me; my current box has a SB16....
> >
> >...Note that I don't run gnome.  I have been using icewm since my current
> >box has a 486.
> 
> Coming here is a good place to start when having issues getting sound.  
> Some suggestions:  try installing alsa-base, alsa-utils, and alsa-oss.  
> Then, as root, run the command "alsaconf".  Check the volumes with 
> alsamixer. 
> 
> If this still doesn't find your soundcard, then, as root, edit your 
> /etc/modules file to include the line "snd-sb16", and then restart your 
> computer.  Check the volumes with alsamixer.
> 
> Perhaps oss has a module that can be used.  Try, as root, the command 
> "modprobe sb16" and see.  If so, then try to add "sb16" to the 
> /etc/modules file.  Restart, and see.
> 
> Anyway, I've often had difficulties with sound, but sometimes I have 
> luck with the suggestions above.  Good luck.
> 

Thanks.

I got it to work.  I didn't doubt that I could by poking around the old
fashioned way, I was just wondering how we expected a newbie to do it.

I didn't need the oss module or the sb16.

Why isn't there a package alsa-setup that depends on the necessary
components and then runs alsaconf and gives a few hints if things don't
work.

Doug.