diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b4647039..a9f2a645 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -134,9 +134,9 @@ client:
 build/client/%.o: %.c
 	@echo '===> CC $<'
 	${Q}mkdir -p $(@D)
-	${Q}$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(X11CFLAGS) $(SDLCFLAGS) $(INCLUDE) -o $@ $<
+	${Q}$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) $(X11CFLAGS) $(SDLCFLAGS) $(INCLUDE) -DUSE_OPENAL -DDEFAULT_OPENAL_DRIVER='"libopenal.so.1"' -o $@ $<
 
-release/quake2 : LDFLAGS += -lvorbis -lvorbisfile -logg -lz
+release/quake2 : LDFLAGS += -lvorbis -lvorbisfile -logg -lz -lopenal
 
 # ----------
 
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@ CLIENT_OBJS_ := \
 	src/client/menu/menu.o \
 	src/client/menu/qmenu.o \
 	src/client/menu/videomenu.o \
+	src/client/sound/qal_api.o \
+	src/client/sound/snd_al.o \
 	src/client/sound/snd_dma.o \
 	src/client/sound/snd_mem.o \
 	src/client/sound/snd_mix.o \
diff --git a/src/client/sound/qal_api.c b/src/client/sound/qal_api.c
index 0ff579b5..5844d587 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/qal_api.c
+++ b/src/client/sound/qal_api.c
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 
 */
 
-#include "common.h"
+#include "../../common/header/common.h"
 #include "header/qal_api.h"
 #include <AL/alc.h>
+#include <dlfcn.h>
 
 #define QALC_IMP \
     QAL( LPALCCREATECONTEXT, alcCreateContext ); \
@@ -77,23 +78,26 @@ QALC_IMP
 QAL_IMP
 #undef QAL
 
-    Sys_FreeLibrary( handle );
+    //Sys_FreeLibrary( handle );
+	dlclose(handle);
     handle = NULL;
 
-    al_driver->flags &= ~CVAR_SOUND;
-    al_device->flags &= ~CVAR_SOUND;
+    al_driver->flags &= ~CVAR_ARCHIVE;
+    al_device->flags &= ~CVAR_ARCHIVE;
 }
 
 qboolean QAL_Init( void ) {
-    al_driver = Cvar_Get( "al_driver", DEFAULT_OPENAL_DRIVER, CVAR_SOUND );
-    al_device = Cvar_Get( "al_device", "", CVAR_SOUND );
+	// DEFAULT_OPENAL_DRIVER is a define from the Makefile
+    al_driver = Cvar_Get( "al_driver", DEFAULT_OPENAL_DRIVER, CVAR_ARCHIVE );
+    al_device = Cvar_Get( "al_device", "", CVAR_ARCHIVE );
 
-    Sys_LoadLibrary( al_driver->string, NULL, &handle );
+    handle = dlopen( al_driver->string, RTLD_LAZY );
+    //Sys_LoadLibrary( al_driver->string, NULL, &handle );
     if( !handle ) {
         return false;
     }
 
-#define QAL(type,func)  q##func = Sys_GetProcAddress( handle, #func );
+#define QAL(type,func)  q##func = dlsym( handle, #func );
 QALC_IMP
 QAL_IMP
 #undef QAL
@@ -118,8 +122,8 @@ QAL_IMP
     }
     Com_DPrintf( "ok\n" );
 
-    al_driver->flags |= CVAR_SOUND;
-    al_device->flags |= CVAR_SOUND;
+    al_driver->flags |= CVAR_ARCHIVE;
+    al_device->flags |= CVAR_ARCHIVE;
 
     return true;
 
diff --git a/src/client/sound/snd_al.c b/src/client/sound/snd_al.c
index 8ba869a8..be5cae4e 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/snd_al.c
+++ b/src/client/sound/snd_al.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 
 #include "../header/client.h"
 #include "header/local.h"
-#include "qal_api.h"
+#include "header/qal_api.h"
 
 // translates from AL coordinate system to quake
 #define AL_UnpackVector(v)  -v[1],v[2],-v[0]
@@ -49,13 +49,13 @@ qboolean AL_Init( void ) {
     int i;
 
     if( !QAL_Init() ) {
-        Com_EPrintf( "OpenAL failed to initialize.\n" );
+        Com_Printf( "ERROR: OpenAL failed to initialize.\n" );
         return false;
     }
 
     // check for linear distance extension
     if( !qalIsExtensionPresent( "AL_EXT_LINEAR_DISTANCE" ) ) {
-        Com_EPrintf( "Required AL_EXT_LINEAR_DISTANCE extension is missing.\n" );
+        Com_Printf( "ERROR: Required AL_EXT_LINEAR_DISTANCE extension is missing.\n" );
         goto fail;
     }
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ qboolean AL_Init( void ) {
     }
 
     if( i < MIN_CHANNELS ) {
-        Com_EPrintf( "Required at least %d sources, but got %d.\n", MIN_CHANNELS, i );
+        Com_Printf( "ERROR: Required at least %d sources, but got %d.\n", MIN_CHANNELS, i );
         goto fail;
     }
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ sfxcache_t *AL_UploadSfx( sfx_t *s, wavinfo_t *s_info, byte *data ) {
     }
 
     // allocate placeholder sfxcache
-    sc = s->cache = S_Malloc( sizeof( *sc ) );
+    sc = s->cache = Z_TagMalloc(sizeof(*sc), 0); // FIXME: TAG_SOUND instead of 0 - this possibly leaks!
     sc->length = s_info->samples * 1000 / s_info->rate; // in msec
     sc->loopstart = s_info->loopstart;
     sc->width = s_info->width;
@@ -235,25 +235,25 @@ static void AL_AddLoopSounds( void ) {
     int         num;
     entity_state_t  *ent;
 
-    if( cls.state != ca_active || sv_paused->value || !s_ambient->value ) {
+    if( cls.state != ca_active || !s_ambient->value ) { // FIXME: sv_paused->value ||
         return;
     }
 
     S_BuildSoundList( sounds );
 
-    for( i = 0; i < cl.frame.numEntities; i++ ) {
+    for( i = 0; i < cl.frame.num_entities; i++ ) {
         if (!sounds[i])
             continue;
 
-        sfx = S_SfxForHandle( cl.sound_precache[sounds[i]] );
+        sfx = cl.sound_precache[sounds[i]];
         if (!sfx)
             continue;       // bad sound effect
         sc = sfx->cache;
         if (!sc)
             continue;
 
-        num = ( cl.frame.firstEntity + i ) & (MAX_PARSE_ENTITIES-1);
-        ent = &cl.entityStates[num];
+        num = ( cl.frame.parse_entities + i ) & ( MAX_PARSE_ENTITIES - 1 );
+		ent = &cl_parse_entities [ num ];
 
         ch = AL_FindLoopingSound( ent->number, sfx );
         if( ch ) {
@@ -291,6 +291,34 @@ static void AL_IssuePlaysounds( void ) {
             break;
         S_IssuePlaysound (ps);
     }
+    // TODO: streaming sounds from s_rawsamples, equivalent to code below - see also ioq3's code
+
+#if 0
+    /* clear the paint buffer */
+	if ( s_rawend < paintedtime )
+	{
+		memset( paintbuffer, 0, ( end - paintedtime ) * sizeof ( portable_samplepair_t ) );
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		/* copy from the streaming sound source */
+		int s;
+		int stop;
+
+		stop = ( end < s_rawend ) ? end : s_rawend;
+
+		for ( i = paintedtime; i < stop; i++ )
+		{
+			s = i & ( MAX_RAW_SAMPLES - 1 );
+			paintbuffer [ i - paintedtime ] = s_rawsamples [ s ];
+		}
+
+		for ( ; i < end; i++ )
+		{
+			paintbuffer [ i - paintedtime ].left = paintbuffer [ i - paintedtime ].right = 0;
+		}
+	}
+#endif
 }
 
 void AL_Update( void ) {
diff --git a/src/client/sound/snd_dma.c b/src/client/sound/snd_dma.c
index 12b83edc..2c09927a 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/snd_dma.c
+++ b/src/client/sound/snd_dma.c
@@ -216,7 +216,6 @@ S_Shutdown ( void )
 	memset( known_sfx, 0, sizeof ( known_sfx ) );
 
 	num_sfx = 0;
-	sound_started = SS_NOT;
 
 	OGG_Shutdown();
 
@@ -228,6 +227,7 @@ S_Shutdown ( void )
 #endif
 		SNDDMA_Shutdown();
 
+	sound_started = SS_NOT;
 	s_numchannels = 0;
 
 	Cmd_RemoveCommand( "soundlist" );
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ S_AddLoopSounds ( void )
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if ( !cl.sound_prepped || !s_ambient->value || sv_paused->value )
+	if ( !cl.sound_prepped || !s_ambient->value ) // FIXME: || sv_paused->value )
 	{
 		return;
 	}
@@ -1101,12 +1101,16 @@ S_RawSamples ( int samples, int rate, int width, int channels, byte *data, float
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// FIXME!!
+	if( sound_started == SS_OAL )
+		return;
+
 	if ( s_rawend < paintedtime )
 	{
 		s_rawend = paintedtime;
 	}
 
-	scale = (float) rate / dma.speed;
+	scale = (float) rate / dma.speed; // FIXME: dma.speed is not available (0) when using openal
 	intVolume = (int) (256 * volume);
 
 	if ( ( channels == 2 ) && ( width == 2 ) )
diff --git a/src/client/sound/snd_mem.c b/src/client/sound/snd_mem.c
index 97848c10..81a2d19f 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/snd_mem.c
+++ b/src/client/sound/snd_mem.c
@@ -170,32 +170,33 @@ S_LoadSound ( sfx_t *s )
 		FS_FreeFile( data );
 		return ( NULL );
 	}
+	if (sound_started != SS_OAL) {
+		stepscale = (float) info.rate / dma.speed;
+		len = (int) ( info.samples / stepscale );
 
-	stepscale = (float) info.rate / dma.speed;
-	len = (int) ( info.samples / stepscale );
+		if ( ( info.samples == 0 ) || ( len == 0 ) )
+		{
+			Com_Printf( "WARNING: Zero length sound encountered: %s\n", s->name );
+			FS_FreeFile( data );
+			return ( NULL );
+		}
 
-	if ( ( info.samples == 0 ) || ( len == 0 ) )
-	{
-		Com_Printf( "WARNING: Zero length sound encountered: %s\n", s->name );
-		FS_FreeFile( data );
-		return ( NULL );
+		len = len * info.width * info.channels;
+		sc = s->cache = Z_Malloc( len + sizeof ( sfxcache_t ) );
+
+		if ( !sc )
+		{
+			FS_FreeFile( data );
+			return ( NULL );
+		}
+
+		sc->length = info.samples;
+		sc->loopstart = info.loopstart;
+		sc->speed = info.rate;
+		sc->width = info.width;
+		sc->stereo = info.channels;
 	}
 
-	len = len * info.width * info.channels;
-	sc = s->cache = Z_Malloc( len + sizeof ( sfxcache_t ) );
-
-	if ( !sc )
-	{
-		FS_FreeFile( data );
-		return ( NULL );
-	}
-
-	sc->length = info.samples;
-	sc->loopstart = info.loopstart;
-	sc->speed = info.rate;
-	sc->width = info.width;
-	sc->stereo = info.channels;
-
 #if USE_OPENAL
 	if (sound_started == SS_OAL)
 		sc = AL_UploadSfx(s, &info, data + info.dataofs);