hmm... alsa-checklist is 1) run alsaconf as root user 2) add your user to the 'audio' group (log out and log again in) 3) use alsamixer and make sure levels are up and it is unmuted 4) arts or esound stopped? 5) OSS modules unloaded? 6) speakers on? 7) modprobe snd-pcm-oss  8) does `cat /dev/urandom > /dev/dsp` work for root?