Installing alsa

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 11:48 AM

When following the instructions to install alsa, one of which is to run update-modules I get an error message saying "Unresolved symbols in /lib/modules/2.4.20-gaming-r3/kernel/drivers/net/starfire.o ". What does this mean? And is there a way to prevent this from happening, for example be excluding this driver (providing I can find it) from the kernel? I guess if I knew what/where it was that would be a start... As it happens this is a bit of a killer, as I can't proceed with the alsa install instructions until I fix this.

All help is therefore very welcome.

Thanks in advance...

Q

PS

I'm sorry, I didn't know if this belongs in hardware or software - as it kind of belongs in both; i.e. I am just trying to get my soundcard to work.

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 01:42 PM

It sounds as if kernel-sources isn't installed. What is your distro?

# Compiling/installing kernel modules
You will need to have installed:
1. The developmental packages (compiler)
2. The kernel source code that matches your running kernel
3. The module source or install code

Check out your system and look under the hood and see if you installed the stuff you need to do the job. Open an x terminal and type in this sequence of commands to see what kernel we are running and see if you have the kernel source installed:

Code:

[fancy@tinwhistle fancy]$ su -
Password: 
[root@tinwhistle root]# uname -r
2.4.18-3

I am running kernel version 2.4.18-3. Do I have the proper source code?

Code:

[root@tinwhistle root]# cd /usr/src
[root@tinwhistle src]# ls -alc
total 3
drwxr-xr-x    4 root     root          136 Jun 12 14:53 .
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          424 Jun  4 12:04 ..
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           14 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4 -> linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          584 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x    7 root     root          168 Jun  4 12:08 redhat
[root@tinwhistle src]#

I do have the same kernel version source code installed in the directory /usr/src/linux-2.4.18-3 and there is a symbolic link named linux-2.4 pointing to it.

If you don't see something similiar to this (but in color), you will need to install the kernel source.

NOTE: I noticed that Red Hat didn't make the symbolic link /usr/src/linux that all of the INSTALL files that I have read mentioned that I need, so I may as well make one now to save editing the files in the source code to install.So, I'll make it just now:

Code:

[root@tinwhistle src]# ln -s linux-2.4.18-3 linux         
[root@tinwhistle src]# ls -alc
total 3
drwxr-xr-x    4 root     root          160 Jun 12 15:46 .
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          424 Jun  4 12:04 ..
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           14 Jun 12 15:46 linux -> linux-2.4.18-3
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           14 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4 -> linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          584 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x    7 root     root          168 Jun  4 12:08 redhat
[root@tinwhistle src]#

Ah, there it is, so that's done.

Next, did I install the compiler?

Code:

[root@tinwhistle src]# gcc -v          
Reading specs from /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/2.96/specs
gcc version 2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.3 2.96-113)
[root@tinwhistle src]#

Yes, I have a compiler installed.

If you don't have those two things installed, you have to install them first off your install CD.

If they are installed, download the source and happy comiling.

Make sure you carefully read the README and INSTALL files after extracting and before compiling/installing.

# Guides to software management
LNAG - How do I install a program I downloaded from the Internet?
Rute Guide's software explanation
You might want to check out CheckInstall to manage source code installations/uninstallation

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 02:40 PM

Yeah I'm using Gentoo, different ball game kind of... All that stuff has to be there for it to work. Anyway I just removed the module, to cut a long story short.

Thanks all the same.

Q

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 03:03 PM

Aha! It's a kernel compile problem then.
Perhaps the Gentoo Linux ALSA Guide would be of help.

Try putting your distro(s) in your profile and that will help prevent misunderstandings.

After compiling the kernel, re-emerge the alsa (and nvidia if needed) drivers.

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 05:04 PM

Ok I've got what appears to be success. I loaded and compiled the alsa drivers and all seems to be fine. However I have a digital output on this card which I know for certain is supported, since it works flawlessly in Red Hat (well the fact that Red Hat dependency hell sucks is another issue but...) so I assume there must be a way to get it going under any other distro to? (In this case Gentoo?). I just tried some headphones and analogue works fine. Unfortunately though I don't have an analogue sound system - and headphones are only of limited use.

I know I'm narrowing my options here for help, but what is the chance that someone out there might be running Red Hat 9.0 with alsa and with a digital out put to an external AC3 reciever? Or maybe somebody runs Gentoo with this configuration? What have I got to do to get digital sound to work? Any ideas/suggestions?

Q

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 05:16 PM

I have to use alsa-cvs to get everything on my Turtle Beach Santa Cruz soundcard to work.

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 05:43 PM

How do I download the latest alsa cvs? I have no clue about cvs or how to use it.

I guess I never expected I would need to know how...

In any case how would that work in gentoo? Their package manager is called Portage and its supposed to download and take care of dependencies etc. Can I just install alsa the old fashioned way, or is there anything I need to consider?

What exactly do I need to do to install alsa cvs and to get digital out-put working?

Q

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 06:44 PM

Check out the Gentoo Linux CVS Tutorial.

Project: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture: CVS

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 08:07 PM

Lol forget that, the link on that page to download cvs doesn't work, and downloading cvs from the cvs main site is far from obvious. Do you have a working link to the latest cvs version I can use - and if you don't mind GUIs, what easy to undrestand front end would you recommed for it?

Thanks...

Q

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 08:26 PM

Of course, first you emerge cvs.

Don't pick Gentoo if you want to click-click your way through Linux. Gentoo teaches you the command line which means you may just have to

a little bit.

Go to the ALSA download page and scroll down and read the instructions for use or go through the Gentoo tutorial. It is simple enough if you can copy and paste. Don't overlook the dot at the end of the first command, or you will get an error.

Gentoo forum discussion

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fancypiper
Don't pick Gentoo if you want to click-click your way through Linux. Gentoo teaches you the command line which means you may just have to a little bit.

Go to the ALSA download page and scroll down and read the instructions for use or go through the Gentoo tutorial. It is simple enough if you can copy and paste.

Gentoo forum discussion

I appreciate the advice - although I'm not too sure about the part where you try to tell me what distro I should/should not use. I certainly didn't 'point and click' my way through the gentoo install, and if you know gentoo as well as you claim to, you would know that's not the case. But I am still a learner, so I don't think it's wrong to ask about things I don't yet understand. I will learn, indeed just installing Gentoo taught me a lot. But one thing at a time mate ok?

Anyway, as I said I really do appreciate the advice. I went to the Gentoo install page and there was a dead link to a cvs version, I tried to find a version of cvs (I'm talking about the actual cvs program here) but couldn't find the most recent version they were referring to. Hey maybe I'm blind or something - but I think after nearly 72 hours of installing gentoo I'm entitled.

Anyway, I have gentoo now - and after all that effort, I sure don't intend to change in any hurry. CL or no CL.

Just give me a chance is all I'm saying.

Q

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 09:07 PM

And anyway it would help if the install instructions made any sense:

Quote:

For compilation you can use these commands: libtoolize --force --copy --automake aclocal autoheader automake --foreign --copy --add-missing autoconf ./configure make The included cvscompile script does this job for you. Note: Some automake packages have missing aclocal program. Use newer version in the case

So what then? Do I do make install and then what? Is that the libs installed? It just cuts out there. If you've never done this sort of thing before it's impossible for you to guess, especially if the docs aren't complete.

Q

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 09:20 PM

I think you are trying to make it too hard. Try this and see what happens:

emerge cvs

That should download/install cvs.

Then, go to the ALSA CVS download page, copy the line needed to login (I tried posting it but the bbs has bugs and puts smiles in code and quote tags) and paste it into a terminal, etc.

Just follow the directions and you may have to make several tries because the servers are pretty busy.

raid517 · 08-27-2003, 09:32 PM

Lol, well maybe I am taking the docs a little too literally. It said download CVS via ftp, so I assumed there was no ebuild. Silly me.

Anyway thanks... Now we'll see whether I can finally get this working.

Q

fancypiper · 08-27-2003, 09:40 PM

The ebuilds keep on building, and building, and building.....

I need to submit a couple of my favorite app ebuilds to bugzilla if I can find time to write them up, but there are so many newbies signing up here..