Where did my sound go?

[Aaron Konstam]

On Mon, 2007-03-26 at 00:07 -0700, Kam Leo wrote:
> On 3/26/07, Kam Leo <kam.leo at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 3/25/07, david walcroft <david_walcroft at yahoo.com.au> wrote:
> > > Aaron Konstam wrote:
> > > > On Sun, 2007-03-25 at 09:58 -0400, Jeffrey Ross wrote:
> > > >> first this is an x86_64 machine running FC6.
> > > >>
> > > >> I just updated the system with the latest updates with yum, two items I
> > > >> noticed that maybe of interest that were updated are ALSA and the
> > > >> Kernel.  Ever since these packages were updated I have lost the sound.
> > > >>
> > > >> However... If I go to the sound card detection it play fine, run vlc and
> > > >> the machine is silent.  The web browser is silent and so is the mail
> > > >> client's (thunderbird) new mail notification.
> > > >>
> > > >> The sound card in the machine is 06:02.0 Multimedia audio controller:
> > > >> Ensoniq 5880 AudioPCI (rev 02) per lspci and the sound card detection
> > > >> program says its module "snd-ens1371"
> > > >>
> > > >> Suggestions?
> > > >>
> > > >> TIA, Jeff
> > > >>
> > > > Yes, go to alsamixer and adjust the sound and raise the sound in the
> > > > sound channels as well as umute those with a MM at the base by typing m.
> > > > I just had to do that when the installation of firefox2 screwed up the
> > > > sound levels.
> > >
> > > I have the same problem except Alsamixer is set correctly and I can find
> > > "system-config-soundcard" at "/usr/bin/system-config-soundcard" but with
> > >   no result,it will not run.Any other way to test my sound card.
> > >
> >
> > In system-config-soundcard go to System tab, click  "Reload audio
> > drivers", click "Apply" button, then give sound test another go.
> 
> Forgot to mention that after performing the above on my system I get
> sound; however, Volume Control Applet says that it failed to detect a
> soundcard or gstreamer-plugin was not installed after I reboot.
Ok I said this before and a rant started so lets keep cool. Sound cards
and soundcard detection is one of the less robust features of FC6 and to
some extent in all Fedoras.
1. FC6 has yet to admit my sound card exists. That is not quite true the
boot messages recognized it but lspci does not. So the way to go in most
cases launch the driver manually . That seems not to be a problem in the
OP case.
2. Why is not the alsamixer display set correctly initially? Is there
anyone that does not want these channels (like CD) unmuted and set at
high volume. Only people with peculiar special needs should have to go
to alsamixer. And installing new rpms should not destroy the alsa
settings as firefox2 did. (Do you hear me remi and mozilla?). 
3. Certainly soundcard detection could be combined with alsa
configuration.
-- 
Aaron Konstam <akonstam at sbcglobal.net>