Sound problem fixed - alles in ordnung

OK, this evening I really wanted to use the laptop soundcard, and I couldn't stand it not functioning properly...so I tried again to fix.

NO THIS METHOD DID NOT WORK FOR ME (or lots of others...based on evidence of Ubuntu Forums)
Laptop Testing Team
Here's how I did it...and it was surprisingly simple - BUT...read on...

1. Went to ALSA website - downloaded latest Alsa driver: alsa-driver-1.0.17, as well as latest utils and tools.
BTW I have to credit user MIRIAD on the Ubuntu Forums for pointing me in this direction...
Forum
2. 3 X./configure make and sudo make installs later...a reboot, and bang! Sound no longer coming out of speakers when I wanted it to come out of headphones...

3. Happy about that - BUT...for some reason (which I am not geeky enough to know) - the new ALSA driver killed my wireless!!!! NO! This is the second time this precarious connection was killed...

4. No longer panicking - I simply reinstalled the madwifi package again and crossed my fingers...

5. BOTH SOUND and Wireless working! Hooray!

6. Painful, but necessity forces one to learn.

Ubuntu on Compaq Presario C700

I recently purchased a Compaq Presario C700 at a major Sydney retailer, which was part of the HP cashback scheme...
It basically cost $480 after cashback which is super cheap for a new laptop (barely even worth buying them second hand as I had done in the past).
Got it home, scrubbed Vista Home Basic (I have really yet to use Vista - and the way things are going I probably never will)
Installed Ubuntu 8.04 - at first I thought it was a smooth install (Wireless excepted here...as too many Linux users are aware)
Anyway, it was pretty painless now that I have been through Ndiswrapper/Mad Wifi compiling over several installs and years...
Compiled Madwifi - Worked! Started to configure Ubuntu to my liking over the next few hours...
BANG! Lose the wireless...
No, I didn't install a new kernel. No, I have no idea why.
VERY pissed off...
Damn, I say, no wonder people get the shits with Linux. There was Vista, working perfectly with my laptop I say, and I HAVE to mess around...
OK. I have installed all this stuff on the new 8.04 Installation...so I don't want to go through it all again...

I decide to create a new partition - install Ubuntu 7.10 instead.
I did so - installed Madwifi...
It worked. It continues to work to this day...its been weeks now...

If you look around online you will find so many people trying to get Madwifi to work on various Presario models...well, all I can say is - install 7.10 - compile Madwifi - alles in ordnung.
(I will post the page that I found the instructions on shortly)

BUT! The fun is not over...
For I still to this day suffer the "sound comes out of speakers even when you put headphones in" problem.
No, I have not been able to fix it.
Does it really bother me? Well, so far I have been so busy that I haven't used the laptop for much other than work...but really, this problem should not occur.

I have tried every fix I could find online - but to no avail.
If anyone can help then I'd be much obliged.

So - the moral of this tale...

Can I buy a cheap Compaq and run Ubuntu happily...
The answer is yes...but with caveats...
1. Wireless may pose a problem (but it can be fixed)
2. Sound coming out of speakers simultaneously with headphones - quite a problem (have not been able to fix)

Ubuntu Musings

I have long promised myself that I would document my experiments with Linux, as it is the community aspect and continual documentation that enables open source to grow. I have made some posts on the Ubuntu forums from time to time and I will continue to do this. However, sometimes I just come across stuff, have random rants, and other Linux matters that may not be suited to forum discussion.
This will be a scratchpad for ideas based around my use of Linux. I hope that I can put up some useful info, to help people, like I myself have been helped over the past few years.