topic title: Soundcard not recognized on old Gateway PC
Posts: 16
rebbi2
Joined: 06 Apr 2009
#1
Hi, Gang,
I know that there is another, similar thread on the Luddite sub forum about a Yamaha-based sound card in an old PC not being recognized by the current AntiX release. Given that AntiX runs so nicely otherwise on this Gateway Solo 2500 laptop (256 MB RAM, 400 MHz Celeron, 6 GB HD) I want to try to get sound working, too.

Right now, AntiX doesn't recognize the presence of a sound card. And if I run alsactl init it tells me that there's no sound card present. If I try to configure the sound from the Control Centre or to do a sound test there, I get a brief flash of console text but nothing launches.

Under other distro's that probe the hardware during install, it seems the card is identified as a Yamaha OPL3SA2+ card, using the opl3sa2 driver module.

Is this absent from the AntiX kernel? And if so, what to do?

Thanks in advance!!
anticapitalista
Posts: 5,955
Site Admin
Joined: 11 Sep 2007
#2
There is snd-opl3-lib.ko in /sound/drivers/opl3

Don't know if this will be of use or not.
Posts: 16
rebbi2
Joined: 06 Apr 2009
#3
anticapitalista wrote:There is snd-opl3-lib.ko in /sound/drivers/opl3

Don't know if this will be of use or not.
Oh, that should be the one. So what would I actually do with that file?

Thanks.
Posts: 850
fatmac
Joined: 26 Jul 2012
#4

Code: Select all

sudo modprobe snd-opl3
should install it, then try a mixer to check if it is seen.
Posts: 16
rebbi2
Joined: 06 Apr 2009
#5
fatmac wrote:

Code: Select all

sudo modprobe snd-opl3
should install it, then try a mixer to check if it is seen.
Hmmmmm..... that just returns"Module snd-opl3 not found." Do I need a more explicit path or something?

Thank you!
Posts: 850
fatmac
Joined: 26 Jul 2012
#6
Sorry, just noticed the '-lib' on the module name, so it 'should' be

Code: Select all

sudo modprobe snd-opl3-lib
hopefully that will get it working.
Posts: 347
Silent Observer
Joined: 08 Aug 2013
#7
Just noticed this thread -- I've got a Solo 2500 also, a little older one (300 MHz Penium II Mobile, maxed at 288 MiB RAM). Mine has a NeoMagic sound chipset that has never had a Linux driver; if yours is the same, you can save some time by ordering a cheap USB sound dongle (mine was under $2 including shipping from Hong Kong). If yours gives a pre-boot splash about NeoMagic graphic adapter, chances are good it's got NeoMagic sound hardware as well (Google your exact part number -- on the label on the bottom -- and you'll get the Gateway spec page, even after all this time), and if that's the case, unless you find a way to use the Windows sound driver in Linux, you're pretty well stuck with adding USB sound (which takes
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to get going, but works well
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).

Edit to add: If you do find a way to use a Windows sound driver in Linux, please pass the word; I'd love to be able to use the internal speakers and microphone in mine when toting it.