more on my evil computer

my computer does not generate sound. as in, i dont even know if it has a sound card. don't get me wrong here, i am a linux user,, not an admin. to be an admin requires knowledge, and more than that, courage. i lack the first for sure, and i make up for the second in sheer foolhardiness at times. why can my computer not generate sound? it behaves like an obstinate child who won't talk. i mean, are you really autistic, or do you just like giving me a hard time? in the meantime, i do have an ancient SGI (i mean ancient.. look SGIs are really cool and all that, but these days any decent PC or a mac can generate the same level of graphics at much less the cost. so these hulking brutes just stand around with a footprint like Godzilla and the performance of Stuart Little. as far as i am concerned. this contraption exists only to play me sound. now there snazzy things like iTunes and Winamp out there. you have 10 band equalisers, shuffle, crossfade and the rest. SGIs play SOME formats, do not recognise may respectable mp3s, and play stuff in single queue. they suck!!!!!!!!)