Where can I get Linux Drivers for CL Audigy 2?

[Bad Dude]

Hi guys,
I am just trying out Linux and it seems that only Linspire supports the Audigy 2. Creative Lab sucks, they don't have the drivers for Linux.
I have tried Suse 9.3, Knoppix 4.0, Fedora 4, Debian 3.1, and Xandros. With the exception of Linspire, all the others see the card as SBLive and it won't work.
I wonder if anyone has any idea where I can get the Audigy 2.

Thanks.

 

[sourceninja]

I belive all the sound blaster cards use the emu10k1 alsa driver.

You can go here and give it a look. I dont use them myself. I use the onboard nforce4 sound.

http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/

 

[n0cmonkey]

Looks like it's supported according to the alsa page. Download the latest alsa stuff and try it out.

I guess they threw the emu10k2 suppport into the emu10k1 driver...

 

[silverpig]

Just compile the kernel module.

 

[Seeruk]

I have used SUSE 9.1/9.3, Ubuntu (Currently installed), FC4, Knoppix, and something else I am forgetting.... and ALL of them support the Audigy 2 out of the box

However a couple of things can make it seem like it isnt working.

1st if you also have onboard sound make sure its disabled in all distros except SUSE

2nd There is an analog/digital mix switch that is hidden away that needs to be switched on using 'alsamixer' at the command line, whilst you are in there adjust all your sliders up to 75% or so and you are set.

 

[drag]

Lots of times this sort of problem is caused by the fact that by default, most of the time, all the mixer channels are muted or at 0% volume.

That's the first thing you look at. Generally the fool-proof method to check mixer is to open up a x terminal and use alsamixer command to get a command line mixer control, then make sure things like PCM (that's ment to be something like 'sound input from software) is up around 80%. Make sure that volume is up, and some other ones. Most of the important mixers are on the left, the farther you go to the right they get more and more pointless, at least in alsamixer.

There maybe some driver-level GUI mixer aviable for Linspire, I don't know. I am not that familar with it. Most GUI mixers are higher up and only have the most basic volume controls that may or may not affect a specific mixer setting for a specific card.

I wouldn't bother with looking for drivers (called modules in Linux) because 95% of the time in any relatively recent system you'll have the drivers for these cards already aviable. So it's pointless.

If you can open alsamixer then your drivers are installed. It will give you a error if it can't detect a sound card.

Also make sure that you have the correct sound output. In emu10k*-based cards (audigy, sound blaster 5.1 (not audigy ls)) you have various sound outputs.

There is front L/R speakers, rear L/R speakers, and then a center channel and LFE (low frequency response, or subwoofer channel) that share the same output jack (one is 'left' the other is 'right').

For instance if you have the 2-way speakers plugged into Center/LFE output you'll get sort of muffled sound out of one speaker and good sound out of the other. If the center is muted only one speaker will work. So on and so forth.


It could be that your using a older version of Lindows.. make sure that your using the latest version aviable. Older versions may not have support for things like alsamixer or your sound card.

There is a older version of drivers called OSS (doesn't use things like alsamixer). Alsa is a newer driver model that has replaced it. I don't know if OSS drivers support Audigy2 well.. I know that they support Audigy 1.

 

[drag]

I noticed that in your system specs you have:
"SoundBlaster Audigy 2 modded to Audigy 4 Pro."

What does that mean, exactly?