[wap32]

Wired, ALSA supposedly supports the Audigy 2 ZS. Were all the correct channels and switches on the mixer open? Sometimes the mixer doesn't show them all by default.

PulseAudio is not responsible for drivers, it's only a sound server that runs on top of ALSA, so it shouldn't break hardware compatibility, but could be a configuration related issue.
Yes, I think OpenSUSE 11 uses PulseAudio for GNOME installs, KDE uses arts or Phonon instead.

 

[Jigglybootch]

All the channels and switches in the mixer are open. I have sound output, but it's extremely distorted. I'm running KDE, so I guess PulseAudio isn't to blame. But for whatever reason, my sound is f'd up.

 

[Zanth]

My suggestions for linux:

Userfriendliness and overall desktop functionality = Ubuntu
Rock solid stability and security = Debian Stable
Learning OS, not for the feint hearted = Gentoo
Full-out geekcore = Roll your own

 

[guyx1992]

For a beginner like me, what would you suggest? Kubunt? Ubuntu? openSUSE? Or should I just stick with Vista?

 

[Zanth]

Ubuntu for sure if you want to go linux. Anyone moving to a new OS though has to come at with a clear understanding of what will be involved:

This is not windows.
This is not windows.
This is not windows.

Those three points should pave the way clearly for what must occur:

1) for most things there will be a learning curve, some of those curves are nice a easy to trod, others are crazy steap. In most cases it will be worth while.

2) Linux works and acts in different ways, one must unlearn some things and learn no things for the most part, using Gnome or KDE3, it will "feel" much like a Windows environment with a few caveats.

3) One must not expect perfection, but one can expect control. This means if you have a crashing program, something that is completely borking your windows manager and it looks as if your screen has frozen, so long as your system hasn't completely crashed one can do something like:

Ctrl+F1 -> log in -> ps aux -> kill borking process

If that does not work, kill -9 borking process and then go back to your gui with ctrl + F7 in most cases. No rebooting!

Did that above seem complicated? If so, now you know the quick and dirty, you can do and off you go.

This control also means if something doesn't work right you go right into the configuration file and try to work it out via help online, or if you know a thing or two about programming you can edit the source, recompile and load the newly fixed app. Linux can be about stability and overall pc health (no malware, antivirus stuff) but it is mostly about flexibility and control. Freedom from people dictating how YOU must use your computer. That said, it also means (in most cases) a bunch of geeks have written programs with little understanding in contextual design and this makes life difficult for new users. Progress has been made, particularly in Ubuntu's packaging of things.

If you want a change from Windows but want to put little to no effort into your box...get a Mac and use 10.4.x If you want a change from Windows, want absolute control over your system and are willing to learn new things and deal with a few bugs here and there, go linux.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jigglybootch /img/forum/go_quote.gif All the channels and switches in the mixer are open. I have sound output, but it's extremely distorted. I'm running KDE, so I guess PulseAudio isn't to blame. But for whatever reason, my sound is f'd up.

If you're using aRts (the KDE sound daemon) then that's a possible culprit. I don't think I've ever been able to get clean sound through aRts. I'm using KDE too, but I just have my programs run the sound directly through ALSA.

 

[Jigglybootch]

I'll have to try that. I never thought to do that because I don't normally use KDE. I've always been a GNOME guy.

 

[MusicallySilent]

I had some issue with ASLA and Last.fm not playing because something else was using it, so I had to add a little file with some code it (I forget where, haven't been in linux for a week) and now it works flawlessly

Yea Ubuntu seems to be very Userfriendly
Ubuntu - Kubuntu - ___buntu - Mint - Ubuntu Studio etc are all quite friendly (Mint has nice multimedia settings and a green/black color scheme, Studio is Ubuntu with a bunch of patches that help with music and video and photo creation)

I also have used open suse 10.3 in the past, but I didn't like its applicatication menu, community or other apps as much as ubuntu (I cant remember if I used KDE or Gnome however)

My friend runs a sever on debian, another has a linux server, I am not sure on the distro and he has done a Linux from scratch build several years ago.

 

[wap32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you're using aRts (the KDE sound daemon) then that's a possible culprit. I don't think I've ever been able to get clean sound through aRts. I'm using KDE too, but I just have my programs run the sound directly through ALSA.

You could easily confirm this by running mpg321 -o alsa /pathtomp3file and see if you get clear sound.
(assuming mpg321 is installed, on fedora it's on the livna repos, dunno about openSUSE)

Then again, if you can easily configure your app to output directly to ALSA, that might be an easier way

 

[Gautama]

I was distro hopping for a while. Tried Ubuntu first, but that brown was just too drepressing. OpenSuSe next, liked it. Didn't really like Yast though.

Then I discovered Linux Mint.
IMO, Linux Mint is Ubuntu "fixed."

Wireless works out of the box on most chipsets, a feat to be proud of in Linux.
Black and green color scheme.
Compiz Fusion installed by default (Ubuntu might have had this, OpenSuSe didn't,)
Most multimedia codecs installed by default.
GUI for the bootloader
and more and more and more.

I love it. Only problem I've had is not being able to get my X-Fi to work. Right now I only have system sounds, had to install OSS and I think my apps are trying to use ALSA. 64-bit Mint is coming out in October or so, and there is a 64-bit ALSA X-Fi driver so I may be in luck. Linux Mint has gotten me to stop Distro-hopping

And on the topic of Linux in general:
Know your terminal.

You'd think that in most cases using a GUI would be faster, but its not. One thing I am simply enamored with is apt-get. Couple command words and the program name and the target program is downloaded and installed simple as that.

 

[Jigglybootch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gautama /img/forum/go_quote.gif 64-bit Mint is coming out in October or so, and there is a 64-bit ALSA X-Fi driver so I may be in luck.

I was under the impression that ALSA didn't support the X-fi. At all. When did this change?

 

[wap32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jigglybootch /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was under the impression that ALSA didn't support the X-fi. At all. When did this change?

It still doesn't, but there is a closed-source Creative driver.

 

[progo]

Doesn't sound good. I like my Alsa without any sauces. No dmix (craps the sound), no anything. Just a fine one-sound-at-time ALSA. I think it's bitperfect, but can't be sure.

By the way, does anybody know a soundcard or chip that supports the hardware mixing (so you could have multiple sound sources without dmix)?

 

[wap32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by progo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Doesn't sound good. I like my Alsa without any sauces. No dmix (craps the sound), no anything. Just a fine one-sound-at-time ALSA. I think it's bitperfect, but can't be sure. By the way, does anybody know a soundcard or chip that supports the hardware mixing (so you could have multiple sound sources without dmix)?

I actually like PulseAudio a lot, it really provides abstraction from the hardware, you can change streams from one sound card to another seamlessly, it's pretty cool.

As to hardware mixing capable cards, ALSA wiki is your friend, this should be what you want.

 

[psyllium]

Hmmm I'm going to have to try Mint I think.

I have Ubuntu 7.10 sitting relatively idle at the moment - somehow Vista has tempted me to the dark side... quite sad. I think it's due to the battery performance *sigh*