Weird Sound Problem PLEASE HELP IT'S SO ANNOYING!

[tonynaia]

I am using the live version of Knoppix (Newest Version) and when starting where i is supposed to say initalizing... it gets stuck on initalizing and plays it OVER and OVER and OVER again. I am using a SoundBlaster 16 PCI card. No drivers available off the Creative site for Linux. May I have to use my intergrated sound on my motherboard when using Knoppix? Thanks.

P.S.: I cant open the music playing program (Yes, i'm a n00b to linux)

[fingers99]

May I have to use my intergrated sound on my motherboard when using Knoppix? Thanks.

Depending on your board, you may well find it better to use the integrated sound.

First try setting the bios to "non Plug and Play OS". If that doesn't get you anywhere, leave it at that, pull the soundcard, enable the onboard sound and boot with:

knoppix alsa

and you should be OK.

[tonynaia]

do you think i'll have a problem if i install it to HDD? I'm planing on doing taht later tonight or tomorrow.

[fingers99]

I'd get it running from the live CD first, then try a HD install. Depending on which script you use, you're likely to have to do some configuring-by-hand, but my last HD install was a good few months ago: do check the documents.

http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/HdInstallHowTo

http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/HdInstallHowTo

and, if you want to get sound running (at least -- almost certainly -- with the built in sound) you'll need to run alsa-autoconfig on the HD install once it's on as root.

But have fun: Knoppix is still my favourite HD install of Linux. :-)

[tonynaia]

Do you think I would have to install motherboard drivers? I had to for windows. I have a ECS L4VXA2. I can't get any sound at all with the motherboard sound enabled. And I can't install drivers on the live CD version.

[fingers99]

I doubt it: usually sound in Linux is governed by a sort of generic driver which is on the CD. But to get it to run, you need to:

for the live CD

at the boot prompt (the screen says "boot:") type "knoppix alsa" (without the quotation marks)

for the HD install

after installation, open up a console, type "su" <return> (you'll be asked for the root password, which you should enter and hit <return> ) then type alsa-autoconfig.

I did a brief google for your board. Some people say the freezing can be sorted by downloading a bios patch (do follow the instructions carefully and make sure you back up the original bios) from here:

http://www.ecs.com.tw/download/dw_spec.asp?product_id=343

and/or selecting "load optimize settings" in the bios itself.

But the sound codec appears to be an AC97, which alsa should handle with no problems.

[tonynaia]

Thank you very much. I would have never thought to upgrade the bios. I'll try that later on just in case something catstrophic happens.