Hi,
We recently had someone with that same sound card send us instructions 
on how they did it.  I was going to make it into a web page, but haven't 
had a chance yet.  But here is their instructions.

-------------
How to (Sound Card)
For Notebook DELL Inspiron E1505 with Scientific Linux Fermi v4.4

The sound card is Sound Blaster Advanced Audio for XPS M1710 and 
isrecognized by Linux like:
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High 
Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)

The Linux version 2.6. x, or newer, use ALSA, in our case the Alsa 
Version was 1.0.6 and recognize a sound card with the driver snd-azx, 
but Alsa has registered that this sound card works with snd–hda-intel 
driver (see 
http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/index.php?vendor=vendorIntel#matrix )
Then, I need to install a new Alsa version ( most actual and stable).

FIRST: Alsa - driver
for kernel 2.6.9-42.0.3.ELsmp

http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat/4/idpl/3424696/com/alsa-kmdl-2.6.9-42.0.3.ELsmp-1.0.13-56.el4.at.i686.rpm.html
$ rpm -Uvih alsa-kmdl-2.6.9-42.0.3.ELsmp-1.0.13-56.el4.at.i686.rpm

reboot the machine, in order to make sure that the installation is good:

$ cat /proc/asound/version

Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.13.
Compiled on Oct 22 2006 for kernel 2.6.942.0.3.ELsmp (SMP).
! So far, Linux does not detect sound card !

SECOND: Alsa-lib
(here is snd-hda-intel)
In: http://www.alsa-project.org/ (library 1.0.13)
$ tar jxvf alsa-lib-1.0.13.tar.bz2

THIRD: Alsa-utils
In: http://www.alsa-project.org/ (utilities 1.0.13)
$ tar jxvf alsa-utils-1.0.13.tar.bz2

FOURTH: modules dependencies
$ depmod -a
$ modprobe snd-hda-intel
$ modprobe snd-pcm-oss
$ modprobe snd-mixer-oss
$ modprobe snd-seq-oss

FIFTH:
Finally with the new version of alsa We have “alsaconfig” then:

$ alsaconfig (it appear a new window)

! In the new window choose driver snd-hda-intel !

(with this we obtain the new configuration parameters integrated 
automatically in /etc/modprobe.conf)

And the sound card will work !

-------------

Personally I would do the following for the above FIRST step

   yum --enablerepo=atrpms install alsa-kmdl-2.6.9-42.0.3.ELsmp

Since we have atrpm's mirrored as a repository.

Troy

Dmitry Hits wrote:
> Hi, I am trying to activate the sound card in my laptop. However linux is
> 
> still the dark forest to me. I saw the post before where somebody asked
> similar question and he was asked several questions about his system. Her
> e
> are the answer to those questions on my system:
> 
> 
> First here is my pci stuff:
> 
> [root@resnet-172 hits]# /sbin/lspci
> 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945
> GT
> Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
> 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940
> GML
> Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
> 00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML
> Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
> 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definit
> ion
> Audio Controller (rev 01)
> 00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Po
> rt
> 1 (rev 01)
> 00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Po
> rt
> 4 (rev 01)
> 00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #
> 1
> (rev 01)
> 00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #
> 2
> (rev 01)
> 00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #
> 3
> (rev 01)
> 00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #
> 4
> (rev 01)
> 00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI
> Controller (rev 01)
> 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e1)
> 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bri
> dge
> (rev 01)
> 00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) Seria
> l
> ATA Storage Controller IDE (rev 01)
> 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (r
> ev 01)
> 03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX (
> rev 02)
> 03:01.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd: Unknown device 0832
> 03:01.1 Class 0805: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter
> 
> (rev 19)
> 03:01.2 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd: Unknown device 0843 (rev 01)
> 03:01.3 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adap
> ter
> (rev 0a)
> 03:01.4 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller (rev 0
> 5)
> 0b:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Networ
> k
> Connection (rev 02)
> 
> 
> Next here is my modprobe.conf, 
> 
> [root@resnet-172 hits]# cat /etc/modprobe.conf
> alias eth0 b44
> alias scsi_hostadapter ata_piix
> alias snd-card-0 snd-azx
> options snd-card-0 index=0
> install snd-azx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-azx && /usr/s
> bin/alsactl
> restore >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
> remove snd-azx { /usr/sbin/alsactl store >/dev/null 2>&1 || : ; };
> /sbin/modprobe -r --ignore-remove snd-azx
> alias usb-controller ehci-hcd
> alias usb-controller1 uhci-hcd
> alias eth1 ipw3945
> 
> I don't understand what is going on in there. First it says install snd-a
> zx
> and then in the next line remove snd-azx. Can somebody explain me those t
> wo
> lines. 
> 
> Also I don't find modules.conf file. 
> [hits@resnet-172 ~]$ locate modules.conf
> /etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/ssl-modules.conf
> /etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/mapping-modules.conf
> /etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/default-modules.conf.with-menu-editing
> /etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/default-modules.conf
> 
> Does it mean I need a newer version of modutils. Which repository has it?
>  
> 
> Final question I want some recomendation on how to learn more about linux
> ,
> so far I am getting bits and pieces from all over, can somebody suggest s
> ome
> source where one can get a good foundation in linux. 
> 
> cheers,
> 
> Dmitry Hits.


-- 
__________________________________________________
Troy Dawson  [log in to unmask]  (630)840-6468
Fermilab  ComputingDivision/CSS  CSI Group
__________________________________________________