Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ubuntu sound problems

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Ubuntu sound problems

    Okay, throwing this out here randomly, because other places I've checked were way too confusing for me at this point in time.

    This morning I installed Ubuntu using WUBI (but I'm currently in the process of partitioning my HDD to give me a 50GB partition to install Ubuntu on to regularly, but I don't think that'll make much difference). I discovered that Ubuntu (64 bit version) doesn't like my sound card, an X-Fi Xtremegamer from Creative. I downloaded the beta driver from the Creative site, and it was a tar.gz. Package manager wouldn't touch it. I extracted it, found a tar.bz2, package manager still wouldn't touch it. I tried using the terminal to run the install file in the tar.gz, and after some shuffling, managed to get it to ask me if I accept the licence agreement, etc and then got this:
    checking for gcc... gcc
    checking for C compiler default output file name... configure:error: C compiler cannot create executables

    Then it stopped and said installation failed. As I have no sound right now, it's rather depressing. So if anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, or a different way to do it, I'd be most grateful.
    Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

    http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

  • #2
    Assumption being made: You're unfamiliar with .tar.gz files. My apologies if you are.

    First, you need to get gcc installed. I'll give you command lines, because that's faster for me to type.

    sudo aptitude install gcc gcc-4.2 gcc-4.2-base

    Next, you need to know the normal way to extract the files:

    tar -xzvf filename.tar.gz

    If you get a .tar.bz2, use this instead:

    tar -xjvf filename.tar.bz2

    After that, you find the install script and run it. Sounds like you already got to this point, though, and should just need the compiler installed. So, that first "sudo aptitude" bit should work. If it doesn't, drop a line here, and I'll check it out tonight.

    Sorry this is so short, but about to head home, and wanted to give you some sort of hope that you could get sound shortly (which you can, just maybe not as easily as we'd both like).

    Will check tonight, and do better instructions if still needed.

    Comment


    • #3
      Okay, thanks. I'll give that a try tonight. It's taking hellas longer than I thought to partition my mostly empty drive, so it won't be until late that I get to try this.

      I will let you know either way though.
      Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

      http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

      Comment


      • #4
        Okay, ran the gcc command, that went fine. The unpackaging went fine. Unfortunately I got the same error when I ran the installer. I tried re-running the command, and reinstalling using the package manager. Neither made a difference on the outcome of the installer.
        Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

        http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

        Comment


        • #5
          I don't find anything on your particular card on the Ubuntu Forums, but this thread seems to be a good generic starting place for sound problems. The alsa drivers (generic open source linux drivers) should work with a creative card just fine. There might be something that needs to be tweaked thought.

          If nothing there works, try starting a thread there. Someone there will probably be able to help as well. You might try doing a few more searches too. I just copied and pasted your card name, so some permutation may turn something up.

          You may want to wait until you've installed a fresh copy of Ubuntu though. I've found that after messing with things for a while, trying to follow someone's instructions can only screw things up worse...



          Eric the Grey
          In memory of Dena - Don't Drink and Drive

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth Eric the Grey View Post
            You may want to wait until you've installed a fresh copy of Ubuntu though. I've found that after messing with things for a while, trying to follow someone's instructions can only screw things up worse...



            Eric the Grey
            Actually, it is a fresh copy. The only things I've done are install it, download all the recommended updates, the drivers for my NVidia card, and download my browser.

            I originally used WUBI to give it a try, then took that out, and used a live CD to partition my drive, then eventually install. That took a lot longer than it probably should have. *rolleyes*

            EDIT: Tried the directions at that site, Eric, and when I got to the "Check to see if your card is supported by ALSA," I discovered support's currently "in development" so I'm probably stuck with the beta drivers from creative.
            Last edited by Broomjockey; 09-19-2008, 02:22 PM.
            Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

            http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

            Comment


            • #7
              According to this article, apparently the Creative driver doesn't like gcc 4.0. It also mentions there's supposed to be support in OSS. I don't wanna mess anything up, so I'll wait for advice on what to do next.
              Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

              http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

              Comment


              • #8
                Gah, this is where things get distinctly hairy. Fixing this one will not be easy.

                Welcome to the deepest darkest underbelly of Linux. When you are dealing with a driver that is extremely new, you can find yourself doing things that you would never do at any other time just to make a hiccup come out of the system, never mind getting reliable functionality.

                So, here's the choices that are available:
                1. You become a Linux kernel developer, and fix the driver yourself. Hey, it is an option, just not a very good, or realistic, option.
                2. We collect some information from you about the Ubuntu installation, I try to compile the driver on a virtual machine here, and post a file for you to download/install. Probably the best option.
                3. We configure your machine to allow me to login via ssh remotely, I login and futz with it until you start to believe that nothing in life will ever go right ever again right before I manage to get a burp to come outta your speakers. Doable, but probably not the best choice. Was able to help out Mad Mike by way of ssh access, but that was due to it being a file server, and I could see when files were being served. I can't hear your speakers from here. No, not even when you turn them up to 11


                I'm amenable to any of the above. Somehow, though, I'm going to bet you're going for door number 2. To that end, I will need the following information:
                1. Which version of Ubuntu did you install?
                2. Have you applied all software updates as announced by the update manager?
                3. Open a terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal), and type "uname -a". Copy/paste everything that it prints into a reply (via PM or post here).
                4. Same terminal: Type "lspci". Copy/paste that as well.
                5. I also need the link to the exact driver you downloaded from Creative. A link to the page will be sufficient.


                All of that should let me set up a virtual machine that's identical enough to yours, and then produce an installable package for you.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Here's where the download link is.
                  Attached Files
                  Ba'al: I'm a god. Gods are all-knowing.

                  http://unrelatedcaptions.com/45147

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Ya know, I was going to make a post about much of an idiot I was, because the first steps were so much easier than I thought.

                    And then I tried to actually compile the drivers.

                    Wow. The devs at Creative need to share some of whatever it is that they are smoking. Maybe then I'll like this driver.

                    The one that Creative supplies is busted, and badly. From reports I read after I started the compilation troubleshooting, it turns out that even getting this to compile will only result in a system that hangs up when you try to play sound.

                    So, that having been said, I'd abandon this driver entirely. Go with instructions here. This will change out the sound subsystem on your Ubuntu installation to a variety called "OSS" or "Open Sound System". This system has support for the Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer already, so you should be able to make it work. Just be ready to have things run for a long time.

                    Also, feel free to tag me on any of the IM services, and I'll help out there, too (bit more immediate than the thread/pm route).

                    Man, if ever I needed a reason to not like Creative, this is it.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X