[linux-audio-user] Re Digital Audio Out on kernel 2.6

Hi, can anyone please tell me exactly what I have to do to get alsa digital audio sound output working on kernel 2.6? As you might know kernel 2.6 versions come with their own version of alsa supplied, but I have tried everything imaginable to try to get digital out sound working and have had no luck at all. My soundcard is an onboard via8233 sound chip. (Which is extremely common - and as far as I understand it very well supported too). I have compiled in alsa support into the kernel and have selected my specific sound card in PCI devices, I have emerged (gentoo speak for installed) alsa-utils and alsa-OSS. I aked for advice on several forums, but no one seems to have a clue how to get digital out going on this card. One piece of advice I was given was that I should tell amixer to set IEC958 unmute and amixer set "IEC958 Playback AC97-SPSA" 0. However when I do that I get a message saying amixer: "Unable to find simple control 'IEC958',0" and amixer: Unable to find simple control "IEC958 Playback AC97-SPSA" 0 What does this mean? I also have three mixer channels which I have no idea what they are. They are all called "Via DXS". Can anyone exlplain what they do? If All I want is digital audio output and nothing else, what mixer controls should I mute and which should I unmute? I have been going at this trying to get digital out sound working in alsa for 4 weeks now and it's really starting to get me down. Surely there must be a way? All input is appreciated. Q