[linux-help] Re: setting up sound

[Nate Bargmann <n0nb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, Sep 08, 2001 at 05:02:49AM -0500, Bruce Bales wrote:
> 
> I am trying to set up sound on my RH 6.2 box.  It worked before I updated my
> kernel to 2.2.18.  Sndconfig gives me lots of unresolved symbols for sb.o and
> awe_wave.o, so I decided to try alsa, as was suggested on the ACLUG list 
> several
> months ago.

Perhaps the obvious question is, did you build your sound support as
modules?  I haven't used Red Hat, so I am just guessing that sndconfig
might be tied to the specific kernel and modules in RH 6.2.

> Downloaded the tar files (alsa, lib, and utils) and untarred them.
.
.
.
> leaving directory' /usr/src/alsa-driver-0.4.1e/kernel'

0.4.1 seems quite old and the latest programs written for ALSA will not
work with this version.  I built and installed ALSA 0.9.0beta7 last week
and it is working very well for me with kernel 2.2.19 (I am using Debian
Woody (Testing)).

Per the docs, to use ALSA, compile the kernel with sound support as a
module, but don't select any sound cards.  Otherwise, I do know you'll
want to feed the configure script some options as the default without
any options builds all the sound modules and will install everything in
/usr/* (I like to install locally compiled stuff in /usr/local/*).  It
will install the necessary modules in /lib/modules/2.2.1[8|9]/misc for
the kernel.  I've also had excellent success with the kernel module
loader installing everything automatically on demand.

The correct order for building and installing ALSA is driver, library,
and utils.  Also, you want to be sure that OSS support is include in the
driver as there are still many programs that do not yet use the ALSA
API.  There is a great player program called Alsaplayer that has a
number of display scopes that works very well.  I am using Xmms and it
uses the OSS API without problem.

I bought a new Creative Sound Blaster PCI512 that I am thrilled with.
It, X4, and ALSA have turned this box into a nice multimedia station.

GL,

- Nate >>

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