[kde-linux] How do I set the default sound card?

[Ronny Standtke]

Hi,

> you don't have to consider the permission of the symlink itself but the 
> permission of the device linked.

I am member of the group audio and this are the permissions of /dev/dsp:
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 14, 3 2007-01-07 14:13 /dev/dsp

> http://alsa.opensrc.org/MultipleCards
> So you can, at least, choose the order of your sound cards.

I read the whole page and some references. I removed my previously written 
udev rules file from the directory /etc/udev/rules.d/ and added the follwing 
lines to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base:
options snd-intel8x0 index=0
options snd-usb-audio index=1

... and rebootet the system. The result was (again) disappointing: My on-board 
soundcard was no longer available, only the headset and the webcam:
$ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [Headset        ]: USB-Audio - Logitech USB Headset
                      Logitech Logitech USB Headset at usb-0000:00:1d.0-2, 
full speed
 1 [U0x46d0x8ce    ]: USB-Audio - USB Device 0x46d:0x8ce
                      USB Device 0x46d:0x8ce at usb-0000:00:1d.7-4, high speed

I checked with dmesd and looked at /var/log/messages; there are no errors 
regarding the module "snd_intel8x0". It is loaded just normally:
$ lsmod | grep ^snd_intel8x0
snd_intel8x0           30332  0

Any other hint?

By the way... I just gave the "Evil Empire Operating System" a flying visit. I 
inserted the headset and the webcam. Everything was detected automatically 
and in the sound device system configuration I was presented a combobox with 
both the on-board soundcard and the headset. Notice that the webcam was 
(correctly) not included. I chose the headset as default device and rebootet. 
Everything worked like it should. I shut down, removed the headset, bootet 
again and, voila!, the onboard-soundcard was automatically used. Nice 
fallback strategy included. As a normal user I would like to have the same 
user-friendlyness in Linux... is there any chance?

Greetings and Thanks

Ronny