have you looked at the file: /usr/src/linux-`uname -r`/Documentation/sound/Soundblaster ?
You might have to watch the boot up lines and grab the io, irq, and port stuff.
see file "/usr/src/`uname -r`/Documentation/sound/README.modules"
quote:
Then, [after a kenel compile]
< snip>
If you are not yet using the very cool kerneld, [kernel autoloads device drivers as needed] you will have to "modprobe
-k sb" yourself to get things going. Eventually things may be fixed so
that this kludgery is not necessary; for the time being, it seems to work
well.
Replace 'sb' with the driver for your card, and give it the right
options. To find the filename of the driver, look in
/lib/modules/<kernel-version>/misc. Mine looks like:
adlib_card.o # This is the generic OPLx driver
opl3.o # The OPL3 driver
sb.o # <<The SoundBlaster driver. Yours may differ.>>
sound.o # The sound driver
uart401.o # Used by sb, maybe other cards
< snip>
Note that at present there is no way to configure the io, irq and other
parameters for the modular drivers as one does for the wired drivers.. One
needs to pass the modules the necessary parameters as arguments, either
with /etc/modules.conf or with command-line args to modprobe, e.g.
modprobe -k sb io=0x220 irq=7 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330
modprobe -k adlib_card io=0x388
Just a shot in the dark.
btw, check you current kernel config file (should be symlinked to /boot/config for most distrobutions); if you have a line like:
then you will have to compile the kernel with soundblaster support.
if on the otherhand it says "CONFIG_SOUND_SB=y" then it should be loaded into the kernel by default.; use "modprobe -k sb etc etc". If the line is "CONFIG_SOUND_SB=m" and you don't have the kerneld autoloader compiled in (another line in the config file: "CONFIG_KMOD=y" real close to the top), you will have to "modprobe sb etc etc". Appearently, sound blaster cards won't work without that stuff set. You can also try "modprobe -v sound*" and see what device driver it is trying to load for sound. my success with modprobe is ... off and on so you might have to play with that modprobe command a bit. once you find the command that works, add it to "/etc/rc.d/rc.modules" or equivelent. I think it is "/etc/rc.d/modules.conf" in red hat, but don't quote me on that.
i hope any of this has been helpful; maybe it'll give you an idea about where to go from here if none of the above works....
also, if you do have the current config file for your kernel, re-compiling shoud be fairly straight forward.
as long as you edit <Makefile: EXTRAVERSION=xxx>, make modules_install will not obliterate your current module set; if the above line is not present in the Makefile (for some really weird reason), append a string to "SUBLEVEL".
well, i have rambled on for far too long;
hope any of this helps...