HOWTO: Configure ALSA to handle a USB sound card
This guide is targeted towards people who have a USB sound card and want to use it as the default sound card.
First step is to figure out the Vendor id and product id of the sound card: Open the Konsole type su and then type the root password. Once you have become root type in the command (# should not be included! # means that you are root)
#lsusb
Mine gives the following result:
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 145f:0090 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 046d:c046 Logitech, Inc. Bus 001 Device 003: ID 050d:0237 Belkin Components
An example id is 145f:0090 The ID is made up of 2 part: the first (145f) is the Vendor ID (aka Manufacturer ID) and the second (0090) is the product ID. This is my sound card.
A good next step is to permit ALSA to build its own default configuration. As root, type the following command:
#sudo alsaconf
Just choose everything as it defaults, and let 'er go.
After alsaconf is done, there is a configuration file for us to edit. Type the following command being root:
#sudo kwrite /etc/modules.d/alsa
You should see the ALSA configuration file in the Kwrite editor. I changed mine to look like this:
alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss alias char-major-116 snd alias char-major-14 soundcore # Set this to the correct number of cards. I have 2 so options snd cards_limit=2 #Trust. #This is my USB card so I set it's index and parameters to 0 so that is becomes default. Do the same. alias snd-card-0 snd-usb-audio alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0 #Remember the IDs ? We use them here. Just put 0x in front. options snd-usb-audio index=0 vid=0x145f pid=0x0090 alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss alias /dev/dsp snd-usb-oss #Intel. This was already here because I had run alsaconf. Then I changed everything from 0 to 1. # --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. --- # --- ALSACONF version 1.0.14rc2 --- alias snd-card-1 snd-intel8x0 alias sound-slot-1 snd-card-1 options snd-intel8x0 index=1 alias sound-service-1-0 snd-mixer-oss alias sound-service-1-1 snd-seq-oss alias sound-service-1-3 snd-pcm-oss alias sound-service-1-8 snd-seq-oss alias sound-service-1-12 snd-pcm-oss alias /dev/dsp1 snd-intel8x0 # --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
Once you have saved the file alsa goto your Konsole and as root type the following:
#update-modules -f
That should reload modules.You should see the console returning OK for each module loaded. Reboot and your done! Don't forget to use Kmix or any other volume controller to set your volume levels.
There are some circumstances, especially after a full system update, in which the above is not quite sufficient. You can see evidence of it in Audacity; check the available playback devices, and you may see the one you don't want set at zero (possibly 0.0, 0.1, 0.2) and the one you do want as 1. So if it's still not working after the above is done, edit (or create anew, that's what I had to do) /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base. Here is mine:
# Prevent other drivers from grabbing index 0 options snd-card-1 index=-2 options sound-slot-1 index=-2 # Set internal soundcard as index 0 options snd-usb-audio index=0
Index zero is the default sound device, always. You'll then want to type the following again:
#update-modules -f
and reboot again.
