ALSA for FC2T2
 

I am totally lost. (so what else is new?)

I wanted to get the ALSA sound system running on my nVidia nForce2 motherboard
with builit in sound (MCP). It's a Abit NF7S.
I am running Fedora Core 2 Test 2.

I thought that Core 2, based as it is on kernel 2.6 was supposed to use the ALSA
sound system by default, or at least support it. (my kernel-2.6.1-1.65)

I can only find alsa-utils, alsa-lib, and alsa-lib-devel.

Checking the www.alsa-project.org, there are other parts to the system:
alsa-driver; alsa-firmware; alsa-oss; and alsa-tools.
This leads me to believe that the distribution has not provided a complete ALSA
solution. I jump to that conclusion because my sound is not working.

Looking in dmesg, I get the following:

request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- char-major-116-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- sound-slot-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- sound-slot-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- sound-slot-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- sound-slot-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- char-major-116-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- char-major-116-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- sound-slot-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- sound-slot-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- char-major-116-0. error = 256
request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- char-major-116-0. error = 256

Which brings up another question: why is is calling for "sound-slot-0" ? Is that
nomenclature relevant to ALSA?

Doing an "lsmod", I get:
soundcore 10720 0
There is nothing in there about loading the
Intel i8x0 . . .NForce Audio . . . module listed.

When I try running the control panel's graphical "Soundcard Detection" app, it comes
up with:
VENDOR: nVidia Corporation
MODEL: nForce2 AC97 Audio Controller (MCP)
MODULE: snd-intel8x0

Then when I try clicking the Test Sound button, I get the following two errors:
"The snd-intel8x0 driver could not be loaded. This soundcard may not be compatible
with Red Hat Linux."
"Automatic detection of the sound card did not work. Audio will not be available on the
system." (DUH - my comment, sorry)

In my /etc/modprobe.conf I have the following:

alias sound-slot-0 snd-intel8x0
install sound-slot-0 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install sound-slot-0 && /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -L >/dev/null 2>&1 || :

When I try running /bin/aumix, I get the following error:
aumix: error opening mixer

Also, why does Fedora provide aumix-minimal in /bin and the ALSA project
provides aumix and places it in /usr//bin ? Why two different mixers?

It's all very confusing to a newbie. What led to the Fedora project guru's to
make what they distributed in their packages different from what comes
from the ALSA Project itself?

Bottom line though, what must I do to get ALSA sound working with my motherboard's
sound chip?


:confused:

You might take a look at a tread I posted a while back. It basically documents my journey to get ALSA to work with kernel 2.6.x on FC1, but it should related to FC2 as well. Hope it helps.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=156404

I am trying to get Alsa installed on FC2T2
which has kernel-2.6-1.65.
I am needing to install the
kernel-source-2.6.1-1.65.i386.rpm .
But the install blows up complaining of a missing
file:
/usr/src/linux-2.6.1-1.65/include/linux/version.h
I checked, and sure enough it isn't there.

What to do about it. I read somewhere that the new
Make clean now wipes out version.h
Is this maybe what happened when the Fedora
distribution
folks put out the kernel-source RPM?

Whatever the case, now how do I get a valid version.h
file to stick in where it belongs so that I can
install
the kernel-source and get on with the installation of
Alsa?

I did find a version.h file located at
/lib/modules/2.6.1-1.65/build/include/linux/version.h

But I have no earthly idea if that contains the same
information that would exist in the kernel build
needed for the RPM script to complete.

This is what is in that file:
#define UTS_RELEASE "2.6.1-1.65"
#define LINUX_VERSION_CODE 132609
#define KERNEL_VERSION(a,b,c) (((a) << 16) + ((b) <<
8) + (c))


Any help would be much appreciated.

Doug

ALSA *is* part of the 2.6 kernel. Submit a bug report to the Fedora project; maybe other people have this same issue as well.

Alsa not complete on iso's
 

Alsa may indeed be a "part" of Fedora 2, but in the iso downloads
and standard anaconda install, it is not all there.
At least not from the iso's I got from dulug. I'm referring to FC2T2.
I can't use T3 because of the 4K stack issue which is really torquing
me off !!!!!! Neither my wireless ethernet driver, my nVidia graphic
driver, nor nVidia MCP audio is workable with the latest FC2 offerings.
I'm pretty upset about all this.

Only alsa-libs and alsa-utils are present.
The other and important bits are missing, like alsa-drivers and
alsa-mixer and alsa-oss and something else (I'm in windoze
right now, I can't remember all)

I don't believe that Alsa has had the attention it deserves to
provide everyone with a workable sound card from installation
onward. It just shouldn't be this hard. (Ok, flame me for whining,
but I am not a minority in this, by any stretch):mad:

alsa-driver : the device files are included in the "dev" and "MAKEDEV" packages

alsaconf : not needed. system-config-soundcard is used

alsa-oss : is not included because it is just a compatibility library and helper tool which can be used to make OSS-specific programs use ALSA instead. this is not needed if programs are configured for native ALSA support

alsamixer : is part of alsa-utils and included. so is amixer

aumix : is the old OSS mixer and not relevant for ALSA

alsa-tools + firmware : you are not affected by the stuff included in those missing packages. they are probably not supported

You should have tried Fedora Core 1.92 (aka Test 3) which contains a variety of ALSA related fixes.

T3 NOT an option
 

The 'powers that be' in their wisdom of trying to make the kernel
more effecient with its use of stacks, peremptorily broke a host of drivers for a great variety of hardware. The infamous 4K stack issue.
It affected me on two counts: nVidia graphic driver and a Linksys
wireless ethernet driver (Linuxant).

Well, if all of ALSA that I'm supposed to need is already in FC2T2,
then the Inteli8x0 driver code is not working !!! Something is
definitely hosed up.

I went the test kernel route with FC2 because I wanted the
forcedeth driver for my onboard ethernet on my Abit NF7-S
motherboard. I'm caught in driverless purgatory for a complete
compliment of working drivers for all the functions of this motherboard !!!

The sound 'card' function for me is also an on-board nVidia solution,
namely the nVidia MCP chip, which is 'supposed' to be supported by
the intel-8x0 driver. Why an nVidia sound chip should have a driver
with the name "intel" in it is quite a mystery to me.

If Fedora's implementation of ALSA is somehow unique or tailored
for it's distro, then they should provide comprehensive documentation
of its parts and how to configure it.

The system-config-soundcard does NOT work for this nVidia MCP sound
system.

Anybody else with some advice?

Linux kernel 2.6.6: At present 4k stacks are selectable in config. When the feature has settled in we should remove the 8k option.


About your troubles with ALSA, submit a bug report at http://bugzilla.redhat.com -- it is too late for Fedora Core 2, however.

Yeah their devel freeze was on the 7th..but if it's severe enough, it might be fixed in this week's last bit of bugtesting before the release friday

cdrobsonjr,

I don't know how to fix your "version.h" problem, but once you find a solution to that, take a look at the link I posted in a previous message. I pulled my hair out on the ALSA issue when I upgraded my kernel to 2.6 in FC1, but I documented how I was able to get it to work in that link. Even though your using FC2, my post should relate to your dilema.

I'm also a little miffed about the stack problem with the Nvidia driver myself. Not looking forward dealing with it, but I'm sure there will be many posts regarding it once FC2 is released.

Good luck man!