2.6.x sound woes

[Net Llama!]

I've been playing with assorted 2.6.x kernels on different boxes for a
couple months now.  I've managed to get everything working except for
sound.  I know that 2.6.x uses ALSA instead of OSS, and i've installed the
assorted alsa userspace tools (alsa-lib & alsa-utils).  However, I still
can't get sound to work at all, and i've had it working without a hitch on
the same boxes under 2.4.

I've tried both with OSS emulation, and without pure ALSA.  I've tried
building as modules, and compiling the support into the kernel.  In all
cases, i end up with zilch.  The functional problem is that if i go to
play an MP3, i get the error:
Can't open /dev/dsp!

On this box /dev/dsp is a symlink to /dev/dsp0.  Keep in mind, that this
worked just fine under 2.4.x.
crwxrwxrwx    1 netllama root      14,   3 Jan 29 13:52 /dev/dsp0

The soundcard in question is  Ensoniq AudioPCI ENS1371, and is recognized
as such in dmesg:
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.2c (Thu Feb 05
15:41:49 2004 UTC).
PCI: Found IRQ 3 for device 0000:01:07.0
ALSA device list:
  #0: Ensoniq AudioPCI ENS1371 at 0xdf00, irq 3

I've already used alsamixer to kick up the volume to maximum, but i didn't
realisitically think that would help any when /dev/dsp can't be opened.
What am i missing here?  Surely this must be something stupid and obvious.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lonni J Friedman				netllama at linux-sxs.org
Linux Step-by-step & TyGeMo		     http://netllama.ipfox.com