[sms@Serenity ~]$ aconnect -o
client 14: 'Midi Through' [type=kernel]
    0 'Midi Through Port-0'
client 16: 'SB Audigy 2 ZS [SB0350]' [type=kernel]
    0 'Audigy MPU-401 (UART)'
   32 'Audigy MPU-401 #2'
client 17: 'Emu10k1 WaveTable' [type=kernel]
    0 'Emu10k1 Port 0  '
    1 'Emu10k1 Port 1  '
    2 'Emu10k1 Port 2  '
    3 'Emu10k1 Port 3  '
[sms@Serenity ~]$

My Audigy 2 ZS is recognized.  I've used the 0-3 ports through 'arecord' with success.  (I disabled the motherboard sound chip through the BIOS.)

I'm using Fedora 12.  But the Audigy 2 should work with any distro.  Get everything related to AWE, Emu10k1, Sound Blaster, and whatever else that your package manager will show you.

Then get everything ALSA related, with the exception of the ALSA to PulseAudio backend.  In Fedora 12, PulseAudio wasn't playing nice with ALSA, or at least I always had trouble getting them to play nice.

Finally, and most critically, get ALSAMIXER installed.  Press the F5 key so that you see all the settings.  Make Absolutely Certain the Audigy Analog/Digital Output Jack setting is set to OFF.  If this setting is set ON, you will not hear any audio output through the Audigy 2.   I suspect this has been your problem with the Audigy 2.  It was also the critical setting for my prior SBLive! card.

The Audigy 2 does in fact work perfectly well with Linux.  I've been doing it since the Audigy 2 first came out, however many years that's been.

And if you have the time to learn them, use the Linux apps.  I run Gnome desktop with KDE also installed.

Good Luck,
Stephen.