Thread: HOWTO: Install and use a Creative X-Fi card with full 5.1 support

edit:

guide *should* work these cards... why you're still using 9.04 beyond me...
* creative sound blaster x-fi elite pro
* creative sound blaster x-fi platinum
* creative sound blaster x-fi fatal1ty®
* creative sound blaster x-fi xtremegamer
* creative sound blaster x-fi xtrememusic

edit: note: p.s.: whatever:

not follow guide if on later version 9.04, support included

---

hi,

installed ubuntu 9.04 today (edit: , linux mint 7 couple of days later)... , compile half-baked official creative x-fi drivers x-fi music pci card... drivers have kind of issue checked wikipedia news. seems s.u.s.e. developer has been working creative , alsa, , suffice 1.0.21 release of alsa came out few hours ago has worked great me 5.1 support these x-fi cards.

don't think it's going harm upgrade alsa way, might 9.10 come version in months time (it has 1.0.20 haven't tried) , override process below anyway.

step one
upgrade alsa version 1.0.21
run these commands root! work root, key in along password...

code:

sudo su

then proceed...

code:

apt-get -y install build-essential ncurses-dev gettext xmlto linux-headers-`uname -r` mkdir -p /usr/src/alsa cd /usr/src/alsa wget ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/driver/alsa-driver-1.0.21.tar.bz2 wget ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/lib/alsa-lib-1.0.21.tar.bz2 wget ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/utils/alsa-utils-1.0.21.tar.bz2 tar xjf alsa-driver* tar xjf alsa-lib* tar xjf alsa-utils* cd alsa-driver* ./configure make make install cd ../alsa-lib* ./configure make make install ln -s libpanelw.so.5 /usr/lib/libpanelw.so ln -s libformw.so.5 /usr/lib/libformw.so ln -s libmenuw.so.5 /usr/lib/libmenuw.so ln -s libncursesw.so.5 /lib/libncursesw.so cd ../alsa-utils* ./configure make make install

step two
reboot...
no really, go reboot... need to.
step three
check preferences...

• go system | preferences | sound
• change default mixer tracks device 'creative x-fi (alsa mixer)'.
• open volume control | preferences
• tick 'center/lfe', 'surround' , 'side', unmute each of them.

step four
up mix stereo 5.1...
if you've got program that's 5.1 aware it'll work should, doing step plays stereo (like irritating ubuntu system sounds) mixed 5.1 instead of coming out of front left , right!

• hit alt+f2 , run this...

code:

gedit .asoundrc

• paste in stuff below, save , quit gedit...

code:

pcm.!default { type plug slave.pcm "surround51" slave.channels 6 route_policy duplicate }

step five
not step, think 5 steps sound better 4...
remember in windows there snooty little women barks around in each speaker... back!

• hit alt+f2 , run this...

code:

speaker-test -dplug:surround51 -c6 -l1 -twav

you should hear come out of each of 5 speakers, , gagged version of mumblings out of sub woofer.

you'll notice in hardware drivers dialogue box, it'll x-fi drivers 1.03 activated... not sure why - happen result of doing this.

please let me know how on... can't promise i'll know when stuff goes wrong however!


yes that's right popcorn, why? why not!

note: finding if unmute 3 properties in volume control, muted again upon login again - know fix this?

amazing coincidence, yesterday installed ubuntu try , begin moving away microsoft, , late trying x-fi card working (and not having success). today , see ten hours ago, posted solution problems.

worked great, except when finished last step there no sound 2 rear speakers (center, front-right, front-left, , sub worked). went , fiddled controls bit, , got working. fix worked me follows . . .

went "volume control->preferences"
ticked "side playback"
un-muted "side"
ran "speaker-test -dplug:surround51 -c6 -l1 -twav" test again , received 5.1 surround goodness efforts.

much.

Forum The Ubuntu Forum Community Ubuntu Official Flavours Support Multimedia Software [SOLVED] HOWTO: Install and use a Creative X-Fi card with full 5.1 support

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