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Old 07-24-2003, 01:17 AM   #1
Caidence
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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: NJ, US
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 15

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Question Debian, ALSA, AC97 = no sound


I've given in. I don't like posting to forums, I feel bad asking people to do things that may have already been done.

I overwrote my kernel that had working sound, and I didn't save the configuration. In hunting for the right driver, while looking in the backlogs here on LQ, I was convinced into trying ALSA... but things aren't going too well. The setup:

I'm on Debian Woody with a 2.4.18 kernel

I have an ABIT VA6 with the VIA 82c686 southbridge, containing an AC97

lspci exerpt:
Code:
00.07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 1b)
...
00.07.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. AC97 Audio Controller (rev 21)
Being on Debian, everything was done with stable-version .deb files

alsa is v0.9+0beta12-3 as Debian installed them

Debian's debconf provided me with an option menu to arrange for the cards that would be specified under --with-cards= when
Code:
./configure --with-cards=card_name --with-sequencer=yes
was called

I specified "via686a", noting my southbridge. Seems the obvious choice. However, when I build using "make-kpkg modules_image", the process ends with
Code:
checking for which soundcards to compile for... Unknown soundcard via686a, exiting!
...
Module /usr/src/modules/alsa-driver failed.
Poking around for holes, I have found in /usr/src/modules/alsa-driver/:
pci/via686.c
alsa-kernel/pci/via686.c


but that's as far as I go. I don't know where this hole is, or how it works (or doesn't for that matter)

ALL I WANT IS FOR MY SOUND TO WORK LIKE BEFORE!!

I don't care if it involves ALSA, or the kernel. Please, just give me a direction to go in!

NOTE: Since I've kept everything prearranged by Debian stable standards, upgrading ALSA would be painful, so I want to choose other options over that if possible

I've almost grown out of newbie-hood, but I'm not there yet...

MANY THANKS TO THOSE THAT GOT THIS FAR!
 
Old 07-24-2003, 06:17 AM   #2
/su
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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Belgium
Distribution: Debian unstable (really?)
Posts: 43

Rep: Reputation: 15
I suppose you compile another kernel to satisfy your needs, am I right?

If yes, when you configure your kernel did you choose your sound card support?

if not: You have to recompile your kernel.

before effectively compiling it, do a make menuconfig in the kernel source directory, go to sound devices (or sound I can't remember) choose AC 97 by striking the space bar. you should have a * in front of the name of your soundcard, that means that your kernel will have built-in support for your sound card...

I hope it helps..

/su
 
Old 07-24-2003, 02:52 PM   #3
Caidence
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Jul 2003
Location: NJ, US
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 15

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
Hmm, I should've been more clear about the kernel...

The kernel (2.4.18) as it's set now has sound card support compiled as a module, and has the VIA 82C686 Audio Codec and the Creative SBLive! (EMU10K1) added in as modules.

When I didn't have sound at the very beginning of this installation, the solution involved adding some other sound driver into the kernel. I don't know what this driver is anymore, unfortunately, because I didn't save my configuration, and I can't find whatever information that told me to do again.

Thanks for reading.
 
  


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