openSUSE 11.2 32 bit: Audigy 2 doesn't work anymore

English Hardware
#1

Yeeeehaaaaw! After installing openSUSE 11.2 to get rid of my suddenly dysfunctional 11.1, my Audigy 2 doesn’t produce a single sound anymore - neither via the regular nor the digital output. It used to work like a charm on 11.1.

Good work, suse team!

I cannot say how much I have come to hate Linux during the past 12 months after constant problems with system instabilities due to incompatible software component updates and stuff like my system still not working after ominously going out of service and “repairing” it with openSUSE’s repair function.

I decided to get into Linux because I found it cool when I started with a couple of years abo and thought it would be well worth getting into an OS that might become the successor of Windows. I also wanted an OS I felt secure with when doing online banking or shopping.

Well, I have to say that Windows 7 delivers on all the promises Linux has made (at least those that are important for me), and that Linux hasn’t advanced a micrometer in the time I have started using it.

The only thing in favor of Linux was that it worked well enough on my 6 year old hardware. I’d rather purchase some new hardware and Windows 7 on top of than tormenting myself more with this unspeakable PITA Linux has proven to me to be.

To hell with it.

Stay in your server corner, but stop telling people Linux was anywhere close to being a useful desktop operating system.

PS: Yes, I have tried other distros too.

#2

I recommend you take a look at this guide. While written for 11.0, in many respects its true for 11.2:
[Solution] Creative Audigy 1/2 + 11.0 + KDE/GNOME + ALSA - openSUSE Forums](http://forums.opensuse.org/get-help-here/hardware/386773-solution-creative-audigy-1-2-11-0-kde-gnome-alsa.html)

failing that, if you wish help, please provide the information recommended to be provided in the second half of the openSUSE forum multimedia stickie: Welcome to multimedia sub-area - openSUSE Forums

… please post … providing in your post the following information:

  • provide the URLs (of a summary webpage) that are created by running the diagnostic script noted here:
    SDB:AudioTroubleshooting - openSUSE - Script to run to obtain detailed information. On openSUSE-11.1 and newer that will ask you to run the script /usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh and after the script finishes it will give you a URL to pass to the support personnel. Please post here the output URL. Just the URL. You may need to run that script twice (the first time with root permissions to update in the /usr/sbin directory, and the second time to get the URL).
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -qa ‘alsa’ #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -qa ‘pulse’ #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -q libasound2 #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: uname -a #and post output here
    …
  • for openSUSE-11.2 or later, in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: cat /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf #and post output here
#3

Thanks, but the info given in the thread linked to doesn’t seem to work with 11.2.

I only get offered two “internal playback devices” or so (YaST however shows me my Audigy2 and the mobo’s built-in AC97). I cannot even select the Audigy 2 as output device (at least not under that label).

I am really done with this. How can it be that this works with 11.1 and not anymore with the subsequent minor version upgrade?

I was using Windows XP for over 7 years and never had any problems with it. It didn’t mess itself up, I never needed to look for working drivers for days, I never had a virus or otherwise corrupted system. As I said, I had my reasons to use Linux, but I am throroughly disappointed.

With openSUSE there are constant updates and upgrades, and some of them (particularly kernel upgrades) may break your system w/o you knowing they will, and no provisions have been made over the years to handle something like that and e.g. not install a kernel upgrade when there are kernel modules (e.g. fglrx) that wouldn’t work anymore afterwards, forcing me to use the console to fix (if I am aware of what has happened).

Oh my, I don’t want to constantly mend an OS, I want to work with it. I would be willing to pay for Linux if it stayed faithful to its premise of being open and an alternative to Windows and OS X while keeping me shielded from the constant hassle it offers - but I cannot see this ever going to happen.

It’s all over now, baby blue. I am so tired of this.

#4

Nobody has ever forced any user to update anything. It’s all a matter of choice.
I don’t see any request for help, just for explanation why this does not work on your system. That I don’t know, I have 2 Audigy2s and a Audigy2 ZS in 3 machines, working great with 11.2; I only had to set it to primary sound card on 2 systems with sound chips on the motherboard.

Be fair in your choice for Windows, and pay for every little piece of software you use.

#5

When it is all over, why spending more of your and our time. Stop posting, get a good sleep first and install the OS of your choice.

#6

… ok, as I noted, failing that, if you wish help, please provide the information recommended to be provided in the second half of the openSUSE forum multimedia stickie: Welcome to multimedia sub-area - openSUSE Forums

… please post … providing in your post the following information:

  • provide the URLs (of a summary webpage) that are created by running the diagnostic script noted here:
    SDB:AudioTroubleshooting - openSUSE - Script to run to obtain detailed information. On openSUSE-11.1 and newer that will ask you to run the script /usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh and after the script finishes it will give you a URL to pass to the support personnel. Please post here the output URL. Just the URL. You may need to run that script twice (the first time with root permissions to update in the /usr/sbin directory, and the second time to get the URL).
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -qa ‘alsa’ #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -qa ‘pulse’ #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -q libasound2 #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: uname -a #and post output here
    …
  • for openSUSE-11.2 or later, in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: cat /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf #and post output here
#7

If using KDE, its important under KDE Configure Desktop > Multimedia you set the order of devices in KDE to be the same as that in YaST. Also its best in YaST if you assign your audigy to be your 1st device and your motherboard built in audio your second. There is a selection under YaST > Hardware > Sound > “other” which allows that.

#8

This is a dumb comment. The usual kind of dumb comment to posts like mine.

Of course you will update when the automatic updater tells you that it has found an important update!

This also is about something that worked fine on 11.1 not working on the next minor OS revision.

You don’t need to tell me what to pay for when you have no clue about what I am actually paying for.

Why don’t you read before you post.

I don’t care whether you like what I am writing. I just want you to know where Linux falls so short of what it should offer.

#9

(the edit time limit …)

oldcpu,

the Audigy is the 1st device in YaST, and I have made it the default device. I also have it both connected via digital and analog output. It just doesn’t work (yes, the sound system is powered on). And I am to tired to make another round with yet another Linux release to find out why something so basic doesn’t work and why I cannot even find out output settings in any control anymore (not in volume control, and not via YaST).

Thanks for your help and patience.

If you knew how many problems I’ve had had with Linux the past three years, you’d probably understand how sick and tired I am of it. I am well over 40, I know my way around hardware and software stuff, but this is just a waste of time for me. I had installed Linux for my brother too (who is not an IT professional, but wanted to try it). He really tried to learn to handle it, but it never worked too well (despite his using really good, up to date hardware). In the end he purchased Windows 7 and he is so happy with it, because he doesn’t have to mess around with software problems anymore. And I can tell that he tried real hard. It had cost him days and days to even get DVDs being played back properly - in the end he had to purchase a DVD player that worked half way well. So much for open source software. It is great that so much stuff is developed as open source, but in the end most of it either falls short of the mark when it comes down to being productive, or it is funded by big companies who draw some indirect profit from it (see Eclipse).

I have already ordered new hardware and Windows 7 for my secondary system. I did it with a crying and laughing eye. I just cannot bear even just the idea of running into severe problems with Linux again within the next 6 months; something that to my experience is going to happen with 100% probability.

I will definitely recommend in the places where I work to stay away from Linux on the desktop as a developer’s platform. Linux is great if it has good, professional administration, but not if you have to handle it own your own besides your daily tasks.

#10

Actually, no … blindly accepting updates? Thats what new users typically MISTAKENLY do, but any user who has been around for a while will not do that.

New users often even make it worse by adding many additional repositories (where the testing on these extra repositories are limited to non-existant) and then the updater tells them there are updates and they (the new users) gleefully update their system, and break it totally and absolutely.

I feel like a broken record many times when I urge new users over and over to limit their repositories to ONLY oss, non-oss, update and packman.

karx11erx, your frustration is obvious, but it beehoves you to calm down.

You do not have developers on this forum.

You do not have packagers on this forum.

You DO have volunteers on this forum who do not get paid, who give up of their own free time to try help users.

Your frustration is coming across as very insulting to those who just want to help.

If you provide the information I have asked for, I am confident your problem can be identified and fixed. But I’ve asked twice, and so there is no need for me ask a 3rd time. You can easily scroll up and see the information that I need to figure out what you have likely mis-configured wrong. I say that because I have probably helped 3 dozen or so audigy users over the past 9 years, and of those 3 dozen I dare say all except a couple, had their audigy configured wrong.

The help is here and available, freely given if you wish to receive the help.

#11

Ok, glad you checked that. What is your criteria for stating the sound does not work?

Some speaker tests are here:

speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav

speaker-test -Dplug:surround51 -c6 -twav

speaker-test -c2 -l5 -twav

aplay -vv somefile.wav

Typically only 1 or 2 (but not all) of those will work.

Sorry to read of your frustrations, but in truth, Linux, “under the hood” (ie apart from the gui) is VERY different from Windows, and typically experienced MS-Windows users can NOT lever their Windows knowledge and often not even their hardware knowledge, in Linux. And typically that will frustration some users to no end. The patience of job is really needed when one is a user coming from an experienced Windows background and trying Linux. I dare say experienced Windows users have a MUCH harder time with Linux than inexperienced Windows users.

#12

The updater tells me “Important update”, and you are telling me I should ignore it? Know what will happen next?

Q: “My system doesn’t work anymore!”
A: “Did you install the current kernel?”
Q: “No.”
A: “See - your system is so outdated.”

Test criteria: Using the “play test sound” feature in YaST’s audio device setup, plus playing back youtube videos (which worked perfectly with 11.1).

Well, whichever way you do it is wrong, and if you do it wrong, it isn’t right either.

Don’t tell me not to install updates the system tells me would be important. How should I tell then which updates to install and which not to? I don’t want to become a Linux engineer, I just want it to be kept safe and stable. I am probably wrong with openSUSE with that expectation though, but I am not gonna try some debian based distro anymore.

The only additional repo I have added is the ATI driver one.

These are the official openSUSE forums, right?

And who did I insult? Knurpht? He insulted me first just as well with his thoughtless remarks. Apart from that all I did was rant about the state of Linux. I didn’t get any personal.

Yes, I am frustrated. Heck, more than that. I am deeply disappointed. I am idealistic person and I really try to work into stuff I find interesting and not give up easily. I spent well 3 years (or more) on Linux.

Oh well.

Sure, Linux is free, but it comes with a promise. A promise it doesn’t really keep. That is bound to upset people no matter whether it was free gift or not.

Actually I probably suffered from the misconception that the Linux community wanted to go mainstream and would change their product accordingly. I don’t think that this is the case anymore. It wants to stay what it was: A small, tightly knit, elitist community of “specialists” (a.k.a. known as geeks).

I am offering some software for free myself. Most of the users making unreasonable demands while completely ignoring that my efforts were given for free in my spare time were … Linux users.

Maybe just because they were young, had limited hardware and finances plus enough time to fiddle around with Linux.

Maybe.

#13

No. Your system will still work.

Why would it stop working ?? Something stops working when something is changed. That makes no sense that it would stop working if nothing is changed … Think about it. Why, if nothing is changed, would something stop working??? Why??

It is typically a change that breaks something. It was that way 12 years ago when I started using Linux. And it is that way today.

Updates are far riskier. Average/experienced users know that. New users do not.

No, thats also not the case. When an update comes, wait a bit before updating. Ask around about what other’s think of an update BEFORE updating.

Anyone who flames you for doing that is lacking some serious common sense and social graces.

Well, there is a saying, … you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. I can provide suggestions as to what works, but it is up to the users to follow them.

Thats good. BUT note ATI is NOT an official SuSE repository. Its maintained by ATI and its KNOWN to have problems at times. So you take a risk there, albeit it is small. Me? I have never enabled the ATI repository, and I do not think I ever will. There are other ways to get the ATI driver installed at less risk IMHO.

Official in that Novell pay for the hosting of the software. The moderators and admins are volunteers. No one pays us to do this.

We do not get paid to listen to insults.

I recommend you just mellow out on this. Go watch a movie on the TV , or simply leave this for a few days if you have the luxury of a dual boot where you can get sound from another source …

… or provide the information I asked for and maybe I can point out what is wrong.

Good luck.

#14

Try those as a regular user. Also try it with root permissions. And try it with headphones NOT plugged in and try it WITH headphones plugged in. The idea is to see if we can localize what might be misconfigured.

#15

Dude,

there is no way to tell other than for a Linux expert whether to install a (kernel) update or not! Whatever I say, you always take the other turn here. Whatever I do, I will end up taking the blame for it. That just can’t be.

You didn’t get the point of my comment. I’ll repeat it for you:

There is no way to tell other than for a Linux expert whether to install a (kernel) update or not! Whatever I say, you always take the other turn here. Whatever I do, I will end up taking the blame for it. That just can’t be.

Sure did a change break a system, but it was a change recommended by the maintainers of the system in the end! How could I have told in advance?

Regarding the repo: You complained that newbies were always adding tons of repos, to which I replied that I only added one (implying that I didn’t install a plethora of useless libs and updates).

Your next turn? Oh see, ATI can cause problems.

We had resolved the ATI problem already, remember? The 9.3 driver doesn’t work with the latest kernel, so I was told. There are guidelines in this very place that people should use the ATI repo and not the manual install (which I had tried too).

I thought I already told you what really is wrong. It is that a minor OS upgrade breaks something that worked fine before. That is wrong. It is wrong that I have to waste my (and your) time digging around in the innards of the OS’s settings trying to find out what the OS makers/distro builders broke. That is what’s really wrong.

Telling me I should mellow out sounds like mockery. And what is this fuss about being insulted about? I cannot remember having insulted you (other than pointing out flaws in your arguments … now if that insults you, I am probably not the problem).

Yeah, I will mellow out - not in front of the TV, but when I have installed Win7.

I will not leave unheard though. Not after all the big claims Linux people have made over the years. You people need to start to accept reality. The Windows, OS X and Linux desktop market “share” is there a for reason. A dang good one.

(Oh my, even “d*mn” gets censored here - how ridiculous is that sort of bigotry).

#16

karx11erx, I think you misinterpreted practically everything in my post.

Anyway, the help is here if you want it.

… best wishes in what ever computer system you end up with. Most of my friends are MS-Windows users, and my friends are smart people. Many of the Linux engineers at work (who know more about Linux than I will ever know) are actually big MacIntosh fans !

And of course I also have friends who (like me) are big Linux fans.

A thing I like about computers today is one has many choices.

Good luck where ever you end up.

#17

Did I?

Thanks again for your help.

#18

oldcpu,

in case it helps somebody here: I determined the root of the problem. Despite my having turned off AC97 sound in the BIOS (I double checked this), it still got detected and installed by Linux. Despite my selecting the Audigy2 soundcard as primary sound device, there was no sound. When I removed the AC97 device via YaST, I suddenly had sound.

Maybe some SUSE Linux engineer finds this helpful, too.

#19

Congratulations on sorting this, and thank you for sharing your solution.