How to configure Old Azt2320 soundcard ?
 

I am configuring an old Pentium 1 and I want to get sound from it. I has Aztech 2320 ISA PnP soundcard. I don't know much about Linux and sound and I'm not sure how to install drivers for the soundcard. I've heared about ALSA so I visited the alsa project web site and the database said my soundcard is supported. I downloaded the alsa-driver, alsa-libs and the alsa-utils packages and installed them, but the instructions said i must start .config with some parameters in order to configure alsa and then to install the driver module with modprobe. The problem is that there is no config script anywhere in any dir, so i can't start it. Also the modprobe command can't locate the module snd-azt2320 module. I know it is in the alsa-driver package but i don't know if it must be added in some file to be visible for the modprobe command.

Please be so kind to explain me what i must do.

./configure

In the directory you untarred in.
not .configure

Yeah I know, it is a writing mistake. And I've installed the packages from the a slackware mirror, so I haven't untared them, just used the command installpkg. And I'm sure there is not any "config" file, so I can't execute it with ./

./configure

Is independant of a package, configure is done by automake, and uses the Makefile or scripts included with a tarball.

Please read below.
http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc...module=azt2320

Ok, but "modprobe snd-azt2320" returns "Can't locate module snd-azt2320". Where does it expect to locate it ?

I tried alsaconf but it can't detect any sound card and exits. I was reading the var/log/messages to see what does the kernel know about my sound card. It always detects my sound card but after careful reading I realized it detects azt 1008 sound card, not azt 2320 and i'm sure my sound card is azt 2320.
I know I must add a kernel module for my sound card but modprobe doesn't work. maybe it needs some additional info in one or more files but i'm not familiar with kernel modules or config files, so please help me.

Any suggestions ?

I had your same problem, in fact I tried to use my 'old' Mandrake 9.0 install disk on an old PC with the same sound card.

I just found this installation information:
http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc...module=azt2320

Just edit your modules.conf file, after you 'modprobe' the sound modules make sure it works properly (after adjusting the mixer settings).

If everything is Ok, I think next time you start up the /etc/init.d/alsa, /et/init.d/sound (at least that's my distros script) will 'modprobe' the drivers for you.

regards.

The modprobe can't do the job. Seems that it has no idea about any sound modules. Can you tell me what should I write in my modules.conf file? It is empty in the moment.

From the Quick install:
#=== start to copy here ==========
# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-azt2320
# module options should go here

# OSS/Free portion
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

# card #1
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss
#==== end copy here ============

This worked for me, now I have another problem: 'No sound at all'!.

My card is detected as azt1008, when I opened my PC I found the AZT2320 chip, that's why I was searching for AZT2320 information. Neither module works form me, I can't even load properly the azt1008.

Hope this works for you (completly).

Thank you ! Now I'm listening to an mp3 on this old machine! This was your first posts here and you was ready to help other people! Once again thank you!

You helped me to realise something important. I was downloaded the compiled modules from slackware-current, but they're for kernel 2.4.26 and mine is 2.4.22. After I copied the above as you adviced me, I modprobed the driver and it complained about wrong dependancies in "/lib/modules/2.4.26". After this I realised that I'm using the wrong drivers. I uninstalled the packages from current and installed the modules for 9.1 and then modprobe snd-azt2320 worked just fine. Than I used "alsaconf", it detected my soundcard and configured it. in the final stage I used alsamixer to unmute my soundcard. Now the sound works and the quality is good.

My kernel also detects the card as azt1008 at boot time. However on the chip is written 2320. What exactly is the problem with your sound? Is it configured but not working or not working because not configured?

Good to know!,

My kernel is mandrake 2.4.19, I even applied a patch to improve 'azt1008' detection, I even re-compile my kernel.

I had no time to install the newest alsa drivers, this will be my next 'task'.
Maybe before I install a newest distro, mmh, still I don't decide.

Anyway, I didn't give up, I have more ideas.

Regards.

Rene

How do you install the alsa drivers? Do you compile them or do you use compiled packages like me? And azt1008 is the plug&play ID of the card. The driver you need is probably the same as me (snd-azt2320). I browsed the source code for this driver and the pnpid azt1008 was supported. You should use driver modules which are compatible with your kernel. What happens when type "modprobe snd-azt2320". Is there a correct info for the soundcard in modules.dep ? And have you had this card working in Linux before? I believe that your problem isn't very complicated, just like mine.

Hope you'll have it working soon.

Actually,

I'm kind of dissapointed with that card, I just paid $35 for the whole PC (Pentium II 350Mhz, 128Mhz RAM), and my intention was to use it first to 'play' with Linux, then make something productive with it (some useful hardware project).

From the first place when I used my Knoppix disk I nottice some problems with the sound, this was no surprise for me.

Then, I wanted to install Gentoo, indeed I did, but I had so much troubles with the packages (because I don't have any network connection on that machine), that I gave up.

So, I used my 'old Mandrake 9.0 disks', with the same sound problem. As I told you before, the sound seems to be fixed, the snd-azt2320 module does not complain about anything, and dmesg does not show even any warning at all. The snd-azt1008 seems just impossible to use (even when this is the autodetected driver always, for any kernel for any distro).

I downloaded the latest alsa source, I'll try later to compile and setup, or just go some some $5 more common audio card junk (sb, ess, ...).

But I have a personal challenge to make this sound card work as it is.

I'll post the solution if I succeed (I mean if I don't give up).

My card simply works. The sound is ok in both Windows and Linux (with your help). I've even speaked with friends in the LAN using the microphone input. However I don't know what kind of software should make use of the microphone in Linux. Is it possible to be a software but not driver issue? I don't know but with Slackware you need only to install compiled packages and to run alsaconfig(and to be smarter than me and use the correct packages) and the next time you boot the machine the scripts will insert the apropriate module. And this is Slackware - it is known as a difficult and not user-friendly distro, so with Mandrake it should be even more easy.
I don't know about such a module "snd-azt1008" neither in the drivers package nor in the alsa sources. And the thing which is detected is just the card identity not the driver.
Good luck!

Offtopic: Can you tell me how to make the sound unmuted by default? I don't want to run alsamixer every time I start my PC. Something like saving the settings will be very satisfying.