Thread: No Linux support for Soundblaster?

Originally Posted by ecolner

I was at Fry's today looking at all the colorful boxes. I happened across the sound card that I need... Soundblaster Audigy 2 zs. It looks like a killer card plus it comes with a bunch of games that I could kill time with. I look at the box and there is no drivers for Linux. What's up with that? No wonder MS rules the world, we let them.

Anyone suggest an alternate card for Linux based carputer?

Actually, many flavors of Linux already include drivers to run a Creative Labs sound card. Some of the higher functions may not be available by default, but you can bet someone has either finalized or at least started development full-compatibility drivers.

As it is, just because Creative doesn't officially support Linux OSes doesn't mean Linux doesn't support THEM! Why do you think every other sound card manufacturer is required to have a Soundblaster compatability mode? It's the most popular and widely recognize PC audio device out there today. Almost every Creative card, from the Value 16 to the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum, uses a base driver set that is universal to all of them. Linux fully supports this, so you should have no problem using one. However, certain specialized features, such as the "Live Drive" 5.25" bay front panel unit found with the Audigy Platinums, may not be fully supported yet. Otherwise, have at it!

Originally Posted by ecolner

Oh... I know absolutely nothing about linux as you can tell. All I know is that it's open source and free, and that it can be customized to something like 8mb!! I feel confident to go drop the hundred now. Thanks for clearing that up and hey if it doesn't fly then I'll just pop it in my xp desktop sys.

If you know nothing about linux, then you are in for a trip if you are trying
to set up a carputer running it.


On another note, about the 8mb thing, just because you CAN do something,
doesn't always mean you SHOULD do it.

http://guides.printf.dk/audigy2.htm

i don't think the audigy is supported right out of the box in the 2.4.x kernel. If you recompile the 2.6 series it should be included but you are a newbie and that would be tough to do

Aint nuttin wrong with that approach either! It saves power too! The only downside is that the quality of sound is a little bit lower, but that won't matter if you aren't an audiophile, or if you don't have a high-end audio system installed in the car. The only other possible problem I have ever had with onboard audio devices is that they can be more difficult for the OS to run efficiently, but my experiences with Linux (Debian and Mandrake) using onboard sound have all been pretty painless and, on the whole, satisfactory!