ALSA not working!!

Getting error like this all the time are so annoying

ALSA lib pcm.c:2211:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM dmix:NVidia

if you have compiled alsa from source and can see the volume control, etc, but still speaker-test is showing all of the weird errors about device not found, or unkown PCM then it is probably the ~/.asoundrc file

The file will have a line that points by default to ~/asoundrc.asoundconf comment this line, and you should have your speakers back to life :)

No sound from speakers, but headphone ok

I just upgraded ubuntu from 9.04 to 9.10. I hate upgrading, I like a clean install. In any case, the speakers sound stopped working, while headphones work!

After some investigation, left over pulse audio config files where causing problems, a fix is to remove them

cd
rm -rf .pulse*

tada! done works nicely

Good tutorial on how to add disks to linux

http://www.techotopia.com/index.php/Adding_a_New_Disk_Drive_to_an_Ubuntu_Linux_System