How-To: Creative X-Fi

[borlosky]

After playing around with my Creative Soundblaster X-Fi (Subsystem: Creative Labs Device 0024) for more than a year - ever since NullHead started the previous thread - I've finally managed to get reliable (? - have to remember to re-install the driver every time I update the kernel !) sound from my 64-bit Intrepid boot by converting back to ALSA from OSS and then following NullHead's instructions on the page 1 of this thread. Fantastic ! No longer do I need to boot into Windows to listen to music on my box ! Many, many thanks to NullHead and others who have contributed to both this and the previous thread - and, let it be said, to Creative, who finally got 'round to releasing a driver that works !...

Henri

actually i think we should be thanking creative for finally giving up on the driver, releasing something that *mostly* works (no external/internal i/o device support with this driver release, hence no toslink/optical connections to my receiver), and for FINALLY making the driver open source. That alone is prolly the BEST thing they could have done for the the x-fi series on linux, since they obviously were having *issues* to say the least. (x-fi line out for 2+ years, and only JUST released a working driver...seems to be a trend with creative these days...google search x-fi + vista for example of what i mean.)

[Indecision]

I have the exact same problem as Mikey-D. When I try to test my OSS driver in the sound menu, it works perfectly, but I have horribly distorted sound in rhythmbox. If i click 'test' on my ALSA drive (labelled Creative ALSA Driver X-Fi WaveOut/WaveIn (ALSA), I get the error

audiotestsrc wave=sine freq=512 ! audioconvert ! audioresample ! gconfaudiosink: Could not open audio device for playback.

just as above.

CptHook, how do I disable my Realtek onboard in Ubuntu (I think I've stoppped it in BIOS, but I'm not sure) and how do I get to the ALSA mixer?

yeah this is where my post comes in, I have exctly the same problem, but i found the sound works great on totem, and for firefox (this link
but not for things like mplayer (also works for amarok under oss settings)

[lewisskinner]

yeah, but I know people have SB X-Fi working on ALSA, and that what I want (OSS is only in stereo, where ALSA supports full 5.1 surround).

I'm sure that I'm close! I can hear the drum sound when Ubuntu first boots, but no sound after I log in. If I go to system -> sound and test my Driver, it works under OSS, but ALSA gives the error message (see above). However, the actual usage under OSS is terrible - crackly, distorted sound in players, and no system sounds.

I'm sure I'm close though like I said!

[Indecision]

yeah, but I know people have SB X-Fi working on ALSA, and that what I want (OSS is only in stereo, where ALSA supports full 5.1 surround).

I'm sure that I'm close! I can hear the drum sound when Ubuntu first boots, but no sound after I log in. If I go to system -> sound and test my Driver, it works under OSS, but ALSA gives the error message (see above). However, the actual usage under OSS is terrible - crackly, distorted sound in players, and no system sounds.

I'm sure I'm close though like I said!

well i got my end working, not alsa like you want ( i'm looking for mplayer support (ssa/*** subs)) by disabling onboard sound in the bios


though i had a hint for your problem from another forum post that the dev/dsp might be pointing in the wrong direction, sorry if that doesn't help

[NullHead]

yeah, but I know people have SB X-Fi working on ALSA, and that what I want (OSS is only in stereo, where ALSA supports full 5.1 surround).

I'm sure that I'm close! I can hear the drum sound when Ubuntu first boots, but no sound after I log in. If I go to system -> sound and test my Driver, it works under OSS, but ALSA gives the error message (see above). However, the actual usage under OSS is terrible - crackly, distorted sound in players, and no system sounds.

I'm sure I'm close though like I said!

I've also noticed the same thing. Just use the OSS setting for now. That's as good as it's going to get for the time being.

[lewisskinner]

I've also noticed the same thing. Just use the OSS setting for now. That's as good as it's going to get for the time being.

I'd love to, but since the main reason I still use ******* is so I can listen to my music whilst browsing the web, not being able to listen to music in decent quality in Ubuntu is the only thing that's stopping me transfering and uninstalling ******* completely right now.

[mhenriday]

I have the exact same problem as Mikey-D. When I try to test my OSS driver in the sound menu, it works perfectly, but I have horribly distorted sound in rhythmbox. If i click 'test' on my ALSA drive (labelled Creative ALSA Driver X-Fi WaveOut/WaveIn (ALSA), I get the error

audiotestsrc wave=sine freq=512 ! audioconvert ! audioresample ! gconfaudiosink: Could not open audio device for playback.

just as above.

CptHook, how do I disable my Realtek onboard in Ubuntu (I think I've stoppped it in BIOS, but I'm not sure) and how do I get to the ALSA mixer?

Lewis, what happens if you uninstall all your OSS files in Synaptic and then try to run ALSA ? This works for me on a setup very similar to yours - same processor, a Logitech 5.1 sound surround system, etc....

Henri

[mhenriday]

After finally getting my Creative Soundblaster X-Fi to work with my 64-bit Intrepid setup as described above, I decided to return to my eternal (?) problem with Skype on Ubuntu and proceeded to install the 2.0.0.72-0medibuntu4 version via Medibuntu and Synaptic. When first I attempted to ring others via Skype, I received a notice to the effect that there was a problem with Audio Playback. To remedy this problem I reconfigured my sound devices («Options» → «Sound Devices»). With the configuration shown in the screenclip below, I discovered that I was now able to ring up the Skype Test Call and hear what the operator had to say, but not my own response. None of the other settings available to me worked as well. In the midst of these trials, a friend, who had noticed that I was registered as being online, rang me up, but alas, we were unable to converse - I could hear him perfectly well, but he couldn't hear me. I have similar problems with sound in Ekiga. My headset and microphone work quite well in the Skype 4.0 beta on Windows, so that particular piece of hardware is unlikely to be responsible for the problem. Has anyone on this thread with a 64-bit box who has managed to get sound working with a Creative Soundblaster X-Fi card by following NullHead's tutorial also succeeded in getting Skype to work on his or her setup ? In that event, any suggestions on how I might be able to do the same ? I'm presently running ALSA....

Henri

[NullHead]

After finally getting my Creative Soundblaster X-Fi to work with my 64-bit Intrepid setup as described above, I decided to return to my eternal (?) problem with Skype on Ubuntu and proceeded to install the 2.0.0.72-0medibuntu4 version via Medibuntu and Synaptic. When first I attempted to ring others via Skype, I received a notice to the effect that there was a problem with Audio Playback. To remedy this problem I reconfigured my sound devices («Options» → «Sound Devices»). With the configuration shown in the screenclip below, I discovered that I was now able to ring up the Skype Test Call and hear what the operator had to say, but not my own response. None of the other settings available to me worked as well. In the midst of these trials, a friend, who had noticed that I was registered as being online, rang me up, but alas, we were unable to converse - I could hear him perfectly well, but he couldn't hear me. I have similar problems with sound in Ekiga. My headset and microphone work quite well in the Skype 4.0 beta on Windows, so that particular piece of hardware is unlikely to be responsible for the problem. Has anyone on this thread with a 64-bit box who has managed to get sound working with a Creative Soundblaster X-Fi card by following NullHead's tutorial also succeeded in getting Skype to work on his or her setup ? In that event, any suggestions on how I might be able to do the same ? I'm presently running ALSA....

Henri

I have skype working on my machine. I'll be able to post a screenshot later. It does work; at least with the skype test call.

[mhenriday]

Thanks, NullHead ; I'm very much looking forward to seeing your screenshot(s) ! What I think would be helpful here is seeing both how you've configured «Sound Devices» in Skype and your sound-system configurations in Synaptic. My latter can be seen in the screenshot below....

Henri