I am currently running Slackware 9.1 on an IBM Thinkpad 2373GEU (T41p), and I installed the 2.6-test11 kernel with some success.

I compiled in the 8x0 drivers for alsa, everything as a module. I modprobe the soundcore and the driver, and I check lsmod. Here's what I get:

snd_intel8x0
snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm
snd_timer
snd_page_alloc
snd_mpu401_uart
snd_rawmidi
snd_seq_device
snd
soundcore

Anyway, I can use alsamixer and set my volume, then use alsactl store to make sure it doesn't go poof. When I use aplay to play something, it finishes without error, but I don't hear anything either.

does anyone know what's going on?

Also, what do I do to make the modules load on boot? Add them to rc.modules?

This should configure your soundcard and add all neccessary stuff to make your sound modules to load on boot.

It tells me I don't have a compatible soundcard, which is blatantly wrong.

I'm also having problems with Alsa and a Zoltrix sound card (which stands as being Linux compatible in the box) in Slackware 9.1. All older versions of Slack were fine, and so was Redhat, Mandrake, Debian, Jamd and a hole lot of distros I've tried .
The only thing that fixed my sound was to reinstall Slack and make sure that everything related to sound was installed :S.
Slack is my favorite distro, but they(Slack team) should learn that if something is not broken, don't try to fix it... There're many peoples angry with Alsa drivers and Slack right now (take a look on google)

Good luck!

the kernel 2.6 have alsa support in it, and you must to check that you system have at last this versions installed:

Gnu C Compiler 2.95.3 gcc --version
Gnu Make 3.78 make --version
binutils 2.12 ld -v
util-linux 2.10o fdformat --version
module-init-tools 0.9.9 depmod -V
procps 2.0.9 ps --version
[procps 2.x] [procps 3.x]

The following utilities are filesystem specific. If you're running ext2 or ext3, be sure to update your e2fsprogs, if you're running jfs, be sure to update jfsutils, etc...

Name: Minimum version: How to find version:
e2fsprogs 1.29 tune2fs
jfsutils 1.0.14 fsck.jfs -V
reiserfsprogs 3.6.3 reiserfsck -V 2>&1 | grep reiserfsprogs
xfsprogs 2.1.0 xfs_db -V
nfs-utils 1.0.5 showmount --version

And a handful of other utilities that you'll want to update if you use them:

Name: Minimum version: How to find version:
pcmcia-cs 3.1.21 cardmgr -V
quota-tools 3.09 quota -V
PPP 2.4.0 ppd --version
isdn4k-utils 3.1pre1 isdnctrl 2>&1 | grep version
oprofile 0.5.3 oprofiled --version

That's from the 2.6 howto, no?

Yes, I have all those (newer actually....)

Well, I tried to do a 2.6 install on top of Slacware 9.0, and it now gives me QM_MODULES: function not implemented under 2.6-test11...

I have modutils 2.4.26, as well as versions of all the above software that is equal to or newer than what is listed.

Now I'm a little lost.

This site gave me the solution:
http://thomer.com/linux/migrate-to-2.6.html

I use alsamixer, unmute the lines I want, turn up the volume, and I can hear things when I play them. All is good.

I use alsactl store to store my settings, all is good.

I reboot, and note that my volumes are reset. All is NOT good.

What is going on?

Also, I get a lot of "modprobe: FATAL: Module snd_intel8x0 already in kernel" errors on boot. I did run alsaconf to add the appropriate lines to modules.conf (I checked, there's only one set)

Any clues?

I use c-media 8737 (Zoltrix) with Slackware 9.1. I use alsa but have only got it working via oss-emulation.

It is not Slackware that changed to alsa, it's the kernel. Oss is deprecated in the kernel. I believe that when/if you get alsa working it's far superior oss, i mean look at all the options and configurations you can do. To bad it's to damn hard to get it working

Mine works, it just resets my settings and gives me that error every time. :/

Are your ALSA drivers compiled as modules or as part of the kernel?

neither. I took alsa out of the kernel completely. This is with the downloaded alsa from their site..... so they are modules compiled outside of the kernel compile.

anyone?

No idea.
I have same setup as you and everything works.