A Year Later, X-Fi Drivers Still Horrific

[phoronix]

Phoronix: A Year Later, X-Fi Drivers Still Horrific

After Creative Labs Duped Linux For Vista, it was just a year ago that they had released their X-Fi Linux driver. That initial driver in 2007 had only supported 64-bit Linux, wasn't targeted at newer versions of GCC, and had a whole host of other problems...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=Njc3Mg

[conholster]

But you get sound with the binary blob, right?

[oyvind]

Don't buy newer generation Creative sound cards if you're planning on using Linux. Just don't. There are other high-end options that I'm sure are better supported by ALSA. For casual/simple audio needs, the integrated HD audio chipsets on today's motherboards are getting pretty good, and they usually work fairly well with ALSA.

[conholster]

I got a Audigy4 ATM its pretty good...but I'd really like a x-fi xtremegamer, which is supposed to be great for gaming on windows. My only worry is if I dont get any sound on linux with it...

EDIT: If anyone wants to trade I'm all for it

[oyvind]

I got a Audigy4 ATM its pretty good...but I'd really like a x-fi xtremegamer, which is supposed to be great for gaming on windows. My only worry is if I dont get any sound on linux with it...

EDIT: If anyone wants to trade I'm all for it

Put in both sound cards if you've got an available slot .

[conholster]

Put in both sound cards if you've got an available slot .

OMG!!! Will that work? If so I could connect my 5.1 on one card and headset into the other!

[oyvind]

OMG!!! Will that work? If so I could connect my 5.1 on one card and headset into the other!

Yes you can. Multiple sound cards should work just fine. Since the X-FI doesn't have a proper driver on Linux, ALSA will only pick up your Audigy card there, the X-FI will probably be ignored, and should do no harm otherwise. On the Windows-side, you'll see both, but of course, you can choose which one to use ..

So, plug your headset into the Audigy and use that on Linux, and hook your surround-stuff up to the X-Fi and use that on Windows.

[conholster]

OK, thanks oyvind!

[RealNC]

Open Sound System 4 should have proper X-Fi drivers.

[ethana2]

Well, now that Atheros went open, nVidia released a new driver, and Dell got broadcom to get on it... Does this make Creative The Most Troublesome Holdout?