MacPro mid2010 (tower) Linux Mint KDE/Gnome 64Bit

[AlbertP]

Those cards are not Intel HD Audio based so setting the snd-hda-intel model does not make sense with them. I think Creative X-Fi should be working, I'm not sure about the Syba card.

Edit: the Syba card seems to be a VIA Envy sound chip connected to PCIe with an Asmedia PCIe-to-PCI bridge. Probably working as well. At least if your Mac accepts the card.

[MacPro]

So it would seem that both sound cards may work. Either way, What do I put in the alsabase to make it recognize?

[AlbertP]

You don't need to put anything there, just select the new card in the sound settings. They both don't use snd-hda-intel.

[MacPro]

Ok, so I deleted the "options snd-hda-intel model=macpro" line in alsabase config and to no avail.(still no sound) I may have to reboot or something I did wrong...
The KDE side sees it but no sound.

[MacPro]

The Syba card is seen but nogo. I'll wait for the Creative one.
Thank you for the info anyway. I think I know what to do with the other one...

[AlbertP]

With "The Syba card is seen" you mean it appears in lspci? Or do you mean that it appeared in Sound Settings?

[MacPro]

With "The Syba card is seen" you mean it appears in lspci? Or do you mean that it appeared in Sound Settings?

Sorry I was not specific,
I mean in sound settings, No sure what lspci is.

[MacPro]

Great news. I have sound. But not quite. The sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Audio. Model# SB1040EF. The problem is that when a song is played, (In all players) it plays for 1 second then quiet for 1 second then plays for 1 second then quiet. The result is the same with KDE and Gnome. Now when playing youtube vids, It plays like a skipping CD...
If I left any thing out, plz let me know what you need to know.

Thanks in advance and hope all was well with Easter.

[MacPro]

I downloaded drivers from creative labs and the readme file says to:

In terminal,

1) Goto source directory
2) Execute make command as root
make
make install

this is what I get.

Code: Select all

kde@kde-MacPro ~/Desktop/sb/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00 $ sudo make
make -C /lib/modules/3.0.0-16-generic/build M=/home/kde/Desktop/sb/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-3.0.0-16-generic'
  CC [M]  /home/kde/Desktop/sb/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00/xfi.o
/home/kde/Desktop/sb/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00/xfi.c:14:26: fatal error: sound/driver.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make[2]: *** [/home/kde/Desktop/sb/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00/xfi.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/kde/Desktop/sb/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-3.0.0-16-generic'
make: *** [all] Error 2


[AlbertP]

You should always run make as normal user, and make install as root. Also, for compiling drivers you need linux-source ffrom the repository.

[MacPro]

Went the repository and installed linux-source. Then went to terminal to do this...

gnome@gnome-MacPro ~/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00 $ make

make -C /lib/modules/3.0.0-12-generic/build M=/home/gnome/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-3.0.0-12-generic'
CC [M] /home/gnome/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00/xfi.o
/home/gnome/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00/xfi.c:14:26: fatal error: sound/driver.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make[2]: *** [/home/gnome/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00/xfi.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/gnome/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-3.0.0-12-generic'
make: *** [all] Error 2
gnome@gnome-MacPro ~/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00 $ sudo make install[sudo] password for gnome:
Copy module files...
cp: cannot stat `ctxfi.ko': No such file or directory
make: *** [install] Error 1
gnome@gnome-MacPro ~/Desktop/XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00 $

I still have the same problem. Still suprized that I have any sound at all. It seems that the onboard card is still being used and switches back and fourth between them.

Furthermore, when I look at alsamixer, the card that is displayed is the onboard card. I hit f6 to select the SB card and it shows. When I cose alsamixer and reopen it, the onboard card is BACK!!!. How do I "DELETE" or remove the ALC889A onboard card? Are there other options?


Thank you.

[AlbertP]

In alsa-base.conf or any other file in /etc/modprobe.d such as blacklist.conf, you can put: blacklist snd-hda-intel to get rid of onboard sound.

[MacPro]

I did just like you suggested. now no card is showing at all. No sound from anywhere. I put things back how they were. Works again but the same results. Just wish I could just hand you my tower and let you have at it.

I am grateful of all your help. I am starting to believe that sound is not in the cards for me. Could be wrong but I now have a headache. LOL.