Ok Here is a good one for some one who knows. I use Mandrake 8.0 , I config my sound card in sndconfig. its a sound blaster live. Ok now I could play the sound of the test wave and test midi in sndconfig. But when in a GUI like KDE or Gome I have no sound for the desk top or CD player ....but I have sound in 3 of the games Maelstorm, Astroids, and one other. Yes I turn off sound server in KDE to config sound card then turn it back on after config. Try the same in Gome. And yes I was in su when I config.