I tried everything mentioned here, but my sound is still super low, and now it sound worse than before, like if the speakers are at there max (but they aren't, since the sound is super low).

I tried :

sudo apt-get install module-assistant
sudo m-a a-i alsa-source
sudo alsa force-unload; sudo modprobe snd-hda-intel

and still the same problem, then adding "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack" to my "/etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base"
and then running "sudo alsa force-unload; sudo modprobe snd-hda-intel" but I still have the same problem, I also tried these :

options snd-hda-intel model=3stack-dig
options snd-hda-intel model=auto

I also tried reinstalling all of my alsa related packages :

sudo aptitude reinstall alsa-base alsa-source alsa-utils libesd-alsa0 libpt-1.10.10-plugins-alsa libsox-fmt-alsa alsa-oss

but that didn't work either. Here is my info :

uname -a : Linux desktop-01 2.6.24-16-generic #1 SMP Thu Apr 10 13:23:42 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux


aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC861 Analog [ALC861 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC861 Digital [ALC861 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

(with "options snd-hda-intel model=auto" or "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack-dig" or without the option)


 aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC861 Analog [ALC861 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

(with "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack")


lspci | grep Audio
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)


cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#*|grep Codec
Codec: Realtek ALC861


ls /var/cache/apt/archives/ | grep alsa
alsa-base_1.0.16-0ubuntu4_all.deb
alsa-oss_1.0.15-1_i386.deb
alsa-source_1.0.16-0ubuntu4_all.deb
alsa-utils_1.0.15-3ubuntu2_i386.deb
libesd-alsa0_0.2.38-0ubuntu9_i386.deb
libpt-1.10.10-plugins-alsa_1.10.10-1ubuntu6_i386.deb
libsox-fmt-alsa_14.0.0-5_i386.deb


oh, and I no longer have "Master" after all of this, only "PCM" in my gnome volume applet, but if I do :

amixer I see it :

amixer 
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 200 [78%] [-11.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 200 [78%] [-11.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pswitch cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Capture [off]
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 23
  Mono: Capture [off]
  Front Left: Playback 8 [35%] [-12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 8 [35%] [-12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 23
  Mono: Capture [off]
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-36.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-36.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 23
  Mono: Capture [on]
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-36.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-36.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 13
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-6.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-6.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mixer',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Channel Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: '2ch' '6ch'
  Item0: '6ch'


I also noticed that I have "Channel Mode", it was set to "2ch", if I set it to "6ch", the sound is clearer (I no longer have the 
problem where the speakers sound like they are at their max). This setting only exists when I use "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack".
The sound sounds louder, but if I set PCM to 100% it's as loud as my laptop's sound at around 50%.

Thanks,
Gabriel