Check the Linux software section of the forum. That is the place to look for Linux answers.

Dell doesnt directly support Linux or provide Linux training for home users.

The chipset and AC97 codec will work but this is not the spoon fed linux install forum.


Type: Desktop/Server System
Manufacturer: Dell
Model: Dimension 8400
CPU Type: Intel Pentium 4 3.20GHz
Num CPUs: 1
Chipset: Intel 925X/XE
BIOS:
Firmware Maker and Version Dell A05


Bus/Device/Function ID (Subsys ID) Device name
Class code: Class/Subclass
----------------------------------------------------------
0/0x0/0 8086,2584 (1028,177) Intel Corp. Workstation Memory Controller Hub
Class 0x60000: Bridge/Host bridge

0/0x1/0 8086,2585 Intel Corp. Workstation Memory Controller Hub PCI Express Port
Class 0x60400: Bridge/PCI bridge

1/0x0/0 1002,5b60 (1002,302) ATI Technologies Inc
Class 0x30000: Display controller/VGA compatible controller

1/0x0/1 1002,5b70 (1002,303) ATI Technologies Inc
Class 0x38000: Display controller/Display controller

0/0x1c/0 8086,2660 Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub PCI Express Port 0
Class 0x60400: Bridge/PCI bridge

2/0x0/0 14e4,1677 (1028,177) Broadcom Corporation
Class 0x20000: Network controller/Ethernet controller

0/0x1c/1 8086,2662 Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub PCI Express Port 1
Class 0x60400: Bridge/PCI bridge

0/0x1d/0 8086,2658 (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB
Class 0xc0300: Serial bus controller/USB Controller

0/0x1d/1 8086,2659 (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB
Class 0xc0300: Serial bus controller/USB Controller

0/0x1d/2 8086,265a (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB
Class 0xc0300: Serial bus controller/USB Controller

0/0x1d/3 8086,265b (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB
Class 0xc0300: Serial bus controller/USB Controller

0/0x1d/7 8086,265c (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB2
Class 0xc0320: Serial bus controller/USB Controller

0/0x1e/0 8086,244e Intel Corp. 82801BA/CA/DB/EB/ER Hub interface to PCI Bridge
Class 0x60401: Bridge/PCI bridge

0/0x1e/2 8086,266e (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub Audio
Class 0x40100: Multimedia controller/Multimedia audio controller

0/0x1f/0 8086,2640 Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub LPC
Class 0x60100: Bridge/ISA bridge

0/0x1f/1 8086,266f (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub PATA
Class 0x1018a: Mass storage controller/IDE interface

0/0x1f/2 8086,2652 (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub SATA cc=raid
Class 0x1018f: Mass storage controller/IDE interface

0/0x1f/3 8086,266a (1028,177) Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub SMBus
Class 0xc0500: Serial bus controller/SMBus


http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/linux/

Linux Operating System Requirements
XFree86 3.3.5
Kernel version 2.2.X
Glibc 2.1
gcc

http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-010510.htm

AC'97
AC'97 audio for Intel motherboards using ICH (82801AA), ICH0 (82801AB), or ICH2 (82801BA), ICH3M (82801CAM), ICH4/M (82801DB/M), or ICH5/R (82801EB/ER) should be automatically detected in kernel 2.4.22 or later as "i810 audio."

0000:00:1e.2 0401: 8086:266e (rev 04)
0000:00:1e.2 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 04)

For the soundcard, Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller, you must enable the CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL in the kernel. With Alsa it works without problems. Uses the "intel8x0" driver, and can only support one open connection at a time, so "esd" or "artsd" is a must.

For best results, always use the latest production, stable kernel.

If you are attempting to use AC'97 on a new chipset, it is highly likely that you will not get sound and you will have to compile your own kernel when the appropriate patches have been released.

I wasn't asking for "spoon fed" anything, thanks.

The intel8x0 driver is what I'm currently using. It works, but the sound quality is subpar. Since Dell does list several flavors of Red Hat in the download section, I thought they might have a newer driver specifically written and supported. Apparently that is not the case. Thank you for the replies.