I finally got my sound working with great help from you guys (thanks) and RHL update agent tells me I need to update the kernel to 2.4.18-27.8.0 so I do it and now have no sound again. Is this something normal everything you update the kernel or do I have a problem ? I find it hard to believe that every time I update something it affects the whole system.

Thanks,
Larry

Well, the kernel is that little `something' that basically is the whole system. Actually the only thing that's broken is the sound, right?

How did you enable sound? Using the stock sound drivers? Or something else, i.e., ALSA? I'm guessing that you're running the ALSA drivers and the answer is ``yes'', you need to build the drivers again. The modules that you built for the previous version of the kernel are sitting out in a subdirectory under /lib/modules that corresponds to the old kernel (2.4.18-26 ??) . You need to boot the new kernel and go through the

./configure <options> && make && make install

process again. Of course, if you're using the sound drivers as supplied on the RH CDs then you've got a different problem.

If you're using a video card for which the vendor's supplied any device drivers you'd have to reinstall those as well.

Hey (thanks)

Yes I downloaded the ALSA driver from my embedded sound card manafactures web site RealTek. Went through the whole ./configure, make install, ./snddevices and added the text to my modules.conf. and it all worked with kernel 2.4.18-26.8.0 then I got that wonderful email stating I need to update the kernel.

So what your telling me is every time I update the kernel I have to do this? geeesh seems to me last time I updated W2K to SP3 I didn't have to reload all the device drivers.

What gives?

Larry

For now I'm afraid that's the case. (Aside: I do recall hearing the Windows admins at work grumbling a few years ago about having to reload a bunch of stuff -- maybe even several times -- during the course of a particularly nasty NT patch kit installation.) The ALSA drivers aren't (obviously) part of the kernel so you have to rebuild them if you change the kernel. They are being incorporated into the 2.5/2.6 kernel so this need to rebuild separately will go away when the 2.6 kernels come out. As I think I mentioned earlier, the need to rebuild is to recreate those drivers in the kernel-specific modules subdirectory. I'm not currently aware of a way to share modules amongst different kernels on the system.

You don't normally get emails telling you about problems like the one that this latest kernel release was going to fix (this was the ptrace flaw I think) so you may not have to switch to each and every kernel that's pushed out the door. So I wouldn't worry about this being something that you'll be doing frequently. If it gets to where you're not getting any work done because of all the updates, turn it off. Escape the tyranny of the flashing exclamation point! :-)

Hey thanks again

I did have to recompile again, but it would not work till trashed the ALSA directory. Then I unzipped it again and did the ./configure, make install, and ./snddevices again and got the sound back.

The modules.conf I didn't have to add again, the update seemed to add the correct text from my old modules.conf go figure anyway the sound is working again, just one question why so many kernels on my grub bootloader?

Thanks,
Larry

Every time you add a new kernel the Grub Boot Loader for Redhat will add it to the menu, this way if there is a problem you can always go back. To get rid of these you will have to edit /boot/grub.conf.

Be Careful not to delete the wrong kernel however!!!!!!

Good Idea to back up the file and ensure you have a boot floppy just in case.

This will get rid of the Kernels being listed.

On another point if you check the /lib/modules directory you will see that you have every kernel there you have ever updated or installed.

Thanks I kinda figured thats what the other listings where for. If all is working with the new kernels is there a way to remove tthe old kernels from the system as well as the bootloader?

Larry

Well, that's one way to do it. If memory serves, ALSA can be cleaned out with ``make clean'' but clobbering the directory tree and untarring works too.

Have you been compiling the kernel a lot and creating new variations on the kernel names (using the EXTRAVERSION variable in the kernel Makefile)? I'm using lilo (so I can't help out too much in the grub area... sorry) and I had numerous entries added to the boot menu when I was experimenting with some kernel features.

Do you see a lot of subdirectories under /lib/modules as well?

When I get home tonight after work, I will try to remove one of the old kernel directories and see what happens, my curiosity has been peaked, I'll let you know what happens !! : )

Well so far there have been no problems, however to be on the safe side I moved the kernel directory to the trash, makes it easier to put back if something goes wrong.

If I'm understanding everyone as long as I use "stock" drivers that came with RH 8, I can continue to up date the kernel without having to reinstall anything. I've been using the RH Network to update the Kernel, and various other things like KDE, GNOME, etc. The RHN does everything, but I'm not sure if it deletes the old stuff. I just click update and it download and installs the items. It tell me that everything was successfully installed.

Those kernel upgrades should contain all the ``stock'' drivers (look in /usr/src/linux-*/drivers) so yes, you should be okay. As long as all of those drivers work for your particular hardware setup, that is.

Got it, Thanks!