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Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Linux driver

sound blasterGood news for owners of Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi series as manufacturer’s binary Linux drivers are available for free downloading. The driver is compatible with ALSA. Bad news: it’s available only for x86_64 Linux.

Here is the list of supported cards:

  • Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro
  • Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
  • Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
  • Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
  • Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic

Driver is available here.

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi

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My name is Stefan, I'm the admin of LinuxScrew. I am a full-time Linux/Unix sysadmin, a hobby Python programmer, and a part-time blogger. I post useful guides, tips, and tutorials on common Linux and Programming issues. Feel free to reach out in the comment section.

12 thoughts on “Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Linux driver”

  1. Hey :-s

    I think we'll have to wait another 2 years before seeing any results …. for those linux 32 bit buggy closed source drivers

    they should instead release a OPEN SOURCE linux 32 or 64 bit driver and let the community take care of the bugs … at least we would have something to start.

    I have an X-fi since two years … still not even thinking of when they will release something for it on Linux 32 bits. I have parts of it working although …. on XP's buggy drivers and got tired of the BSOD's so I migrated to Linux

    Vive le Linux LIBRE!!!

    Reply
  2. Beginning of 2008,

    2 Months later from my previous comment … Nothing done so far 🙁

    ask me if I'm surprised.

    I've seen the comments about the 64 bit drivers … they are bad … some of them … not even able to compile !!!

    Drivers for the 32 bit version will be available when …

    Linux Core will be 2048 bits (in Early 2019)

    We'll be running on Pentium 12 at this time !!!

    And PCI / PCIE connectors won't exist any more

    … and these drivers will still be buggy and beta releases

    Wanna spend 250 bucks on a crappy card … this one is made for you

    Creative shall focus on the Hardware ONLY and leave Software to THIRD parties

    If by the End of December 2008 no driver is release …

    I will Blast my X-Fi in some way and post it on YOUTUBE.com

    for any suggestions about this BLAST … let me know

    I think this will get the best Crackling sound ever had from this Hardware

    Non-Proud Owner of a X-Fi Fatality

    Reply
  3. i installed ubuntu 64 bot on my athlon 64 bit based machine, downloaded the 64 bit beta drivers from creative and then driver installer said my OS was not 64 bit

    Reply
  4. michael bailey "i installed ubuntu 64 bot on my athlon 64 bit based machine, downloaded the 64 bit beta drivers from creative and then driver installer said my OS was not 64 bit"

    Hi Michael,

    In the ./installer script, in the beginning, it queries the system with uname -i to determine if your OS is 64 bit or not. Some Distros kernels don't state the architecture that way (debian 4.0 etch 2.6.18 for example says unknown). following along that script, just below there has an if statement that checks if the variable is not x86_64. within that, is "exit 1". Comment that line out, and the script should continue past that.

    Reply
  5. I`ve spent hours upon hours trying to get either of the two drivers, etc. (alsa 1.0.16 and the oss) installed and working in several flavors of linux on a usb flash drive without sucess.
    I finally found an entirely different and easy way to get around my SB XFi card and get sound with linux. I bought one of the cheap($5) usb 3D, plug-in sound cards and connect my speaker system thru this. You don`t get much amplification from this small device but if you have decent amplified speakers the sound is not bad at all. It is supposed to support 5.1 speaker systems but I don`t have those. All I know is that it sounds pretty good with my Klipsch 2.1 set up and all the linux distros I`ve tried have no probs configuring it.
    Hope this helps!

    Oh, and bye, bye, Creative!

    Reply
  6. I just spent the past two days installing debian. my first experience with linux.

    after getting all of the files loaded and in the right places i.e. c .. compilers , kernal roots and whatever other shit was needed to run creatives instilation. it installed just fine, even made sounds come out of my speakers, correct ones at that. after I rebooted…… NOTHING. I've re-installed coulntless times hoping to recreate the majik that let me use my sound card for a fleeting moment. but nope nothing. I think I'm going to dig out my ancient sound blaster and upgrade to a downgrade.

    good luck other x-fi owners

    Reply
  7. Nice, you actually managed to create a driver for linux, the one problem with this is that it doesn't work, !! who would have guessed, I mean you guys are only one of the biggest leaders in desktop sound right now, and you can't even hire a team of devs to make a simple driver? "sigh" maybe someday.

    Reply
  8. OMG … OMG… OMG

    Finally a 32bit X-Fi driver … lol

    I have this card since so long and unable to use it in Linux that I didn't expected the to have some kinda drivers released someday … this is why I only replied today

    Got the thing installed

    … and finally got some sound out of it

    Sound Quality … Really better than my onboard SC

    Only front speakers working so far,

    No features at all but …

    that's a start point anyway

    thx to Whom got involved to make this possible

    My PCI X-Fi Fatality is not dead YET 😐

    Reply
  9. I'm sorry for the previous comment …

    I said that I had the thing installed … I meant OSS 4

    that's why I have only front speakers workin

    Cause I've tried the Creative package and …

    .

    .

    .

    make: *** [all] Error 2

    make: *** [install] Error 2

    Installation Unsuccessful

    … lol kinda expected 😐

    Good luck Creative X-Fi Owners

    Reply

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