Hello

After I compile kernel 2.4.22 to add ACPI support for my notebook, I found my AC97sound card stop working. Despite runing alsaconf the soundcard is not detected. In makemenuconfig I didn't make any change regarding sound setup. Any solution might help.

Check first to see if the soundcard driver is compiled into the kernel, or as a module.

The output of /sbin/lsmod will help to see if the driver is currently loaded.

I know that on my slack boxes, if I compile alsa drivers as modules, then alsaconf will pick them up.

Are you sure you did make modules and make modules_install ?

--Shade

Under kernel version 2.4.## and if you are using alsa you DO NOT compile the sound card into the kernel. All that is required is that you (y) SOUND SUPPORT all else as required should be (m).

Now here is what happened when you re-did your kernel and modules...
Alsa makes a sound directory in the /lib/modules/2.4.##/kernel directory. When you do a make of the kernel and make install the mods WITHOUT changeing yhe EXTRAVERSION option in the Makefile make modules_install wipes the /lib/modules/2.4.## out completely this includes the alsa sound directory.
You must re-install alsa from the cd, nfs or sources or whatever install medimum you may use.
Then follow the standard alsa setup...
alsaconf
alsamixer
alsactl store.

Kernel build tip....
When you have a working kernel and desire to make changes the safest way is to edit the /usr/src/linux/Makefile EXTRAVERSION=YOUR_UNIQUE_NAME_HERE
This way a bzImage-YOUR_UNIQUE_NAME can be cped to /boot/vmLinuz-YOUR_UNIQUE_NAME, System.map and .config both YOUR_UNIQUE_NAME
And when you make modules and make modules_install they will do so as /lib/modules/2.4.##-YOUR_UNIQUE_NAME leaving the former working kernel and related mods intact.
Once you have edited lilo.cont and added the new image= after your working setup and ran lilo you can reboot, test and configure any desired missing elements in the new kernel setup. i.e. alsa would require a re-install to install in the new mods directory. I have found copying them from a working mod source does not work even when it is the 'same' kernel version with only added mods. I consider this an extreme shortfall in the linux kernel as the docs state you can complie mods as needed and insert them on the fly. I does not work. I have found this to be true for mant 3rd party mods that I use.

Using the EXTRAVERSION= allows you to keep your working kernel in case you have an unseen issue with the new kernel build untill boot. This way you may reboot back to a working setup and 'fix' the new build.
Note; when building a kernel it is good to use nohup to have a readable output file for error checking..
syntax below...
nohup make bzImage &
tail -f nohup.out # if you like to watch
# for kernel version < 2.6 open another console and
nohup make modules 1>modules.out 2>modules.err &
# go take a nap
less nohup.out # check for kernel compile time error
less modules.err # check for errors
# if all is well
make modules_install
# and them the usual required kernel moves....

Yes I build lots of 2.4.## kernels as I have many-a-computers. LOL I don't even use xconfig, menuconfig, etc. I directly jed .config and make changes there then make oldconfig, make depends and then the above without problems.

thanks a lot. First I'll try reinstall Allsa from slackware CD first, I'll recompile and make sure all soundcards are compiled as module.

I made sure only "sound support" is selected (y) in sound section then re-compile and install the kernel. Then I install alsa-driver, alsa-lib for all the nessary sound modules. Despite all this, when reboot the init script shows a long list of faileurs in loading sound modules. Alsaconf run up fine and detect my sound card. I try use xmms to play some sound and got "sound not ready" warning dialogbox. And mixer programs won't start.

strange though in /lib/modules/2.4.22/sound the sound modules in there is in .gz format so I just gunzip them all, but this doesn't help at all. This is on a notebook with Via 82xx AC97 sound card. The sound related modules all fail to load. The only thing I made change to the original kernel is adding ACPI support

Are you running devfs?
From previous post I would assume you are not...
But it sounds like a /dev issue..

After testing devfs and
When I was having continueing sound problems with alsa I got the sources and did a direct build.
I am using 1.0.4. http://www.alsa-project.org/
You would need
alsa-drivers
alsa-lib
alsa-oss
alsa-utils
make install in that order... alsa-driver contains the docs.
There is a script with the alsa-drvers that you run once you have made and installed the alsa sources. (./snddevices) it rebuilds the /dev for sound...
This was my fix..
NOTE; The .gz in the sound directory are correct.

my sound works again !! :-) I collect the alsa package from Slackware9.1 CD then installed them by using tar from / . After some reboot it worked.