I am still seeing this bug.  I have just installed maverick (10.10) with the following kernel...

# uname -a
Linux cerebellum 2.6.35-25-generic #44-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 21 17:40:44 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux

When I run the "Sound Preferences" applet, the hardware profiles available do not list "Digital 5.1 output" or something to that effect.  My motherboard is Asus P5E3 which does have the ADI® AD1988B 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC.  Here is the output from "lspci -vnn"...


00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:293e] (rev 02)
	Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:8277]
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
	Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
	Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 46
	Region 0: Memory at fe7f8000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
	Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
		Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
		Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
	Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
		Address: 00000000fee0100c  Data: 41a1
	Capabilities: [70] Express (v1) Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
		DevCap:	MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
			ExtTag- RBE- FLReset+
		DevCtl:	Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
			RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
			MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
		DevSta:	CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+ TransPend-
		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Latency L0 <64ns, L1 <1us
			ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
			ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
		LnkSta:	Speed unknown, Width x0, TrErr- Train- SlotClk- DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
	Capabilities: [100 v1] Virtual Channel
		Caps:	LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
		Arb:	Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
		Ctrl:	ArbSelect=Fixed
		Status:	InProgress-
		VC0:	Caps:	PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
			Arb:	Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
			Ctrl:	Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=01
			Status:	NegoPending- InProgress-
		VC1:	Caps:	PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
			Arb:	Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
			Ctrl:	Enable+ ID=1 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=80
			Status:	NegoPending- InProgress-
	Capabilities: [130 v1] Root Complex Link
		Desc:	PortNumber=0f ComponentID=00 EltType=Config
		Link0:	Desc:	TargetPort=00 TargetComponent=00 AssocRCRB- LinkType=MemMapped LinkValid+
			Addr:	00000000fed1c000
	Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
	Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

As this is my HTPC for my living room that I have brought down to rebuild into a Linux box, my family isn't happy with me right now.  I am going to try and rebuild a new kernel and see if there is a config variable or another module I can load.  But I hope I'm not stuck rebuilding this back into a Windows box.

I noticed a request to make this a new bug was last posted if another instance came up.  First my intent is to see if I need to do something different before doing that.  Any ideas?