I recompiled the kernel with only sound support selected as a module and soundcore is now working. I downloaded alsa-1.0.9rc4a drivers, libs and utilities, but still get errors when inserting the modules into the kernel. Any other ideas?

tried the alsa modules from alsa-project.org, no go. I loaded everything under the ALSA option in menuconfig, the modules load properly. I tried playing a music disk, no sound. Also get errors when bringing up the gnome mixer. The errors are:

"An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for gnome-volume-control. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly.

Details button brings up:

"Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/vol": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/pcm": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/speaker": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/mic": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/cd": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/igain": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/dig1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phin": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phout": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/video": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
" Any ideas?

I recompiled the kernel with ALSA built in as modules. Everything loads okay, but when bringing up the gnome mixer, I get the following errors:

"An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for gnome-volume-control. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly."

and:
"Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/vol": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/pcm": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/speaker": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/mic": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/cd": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/igain": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/dig1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phin": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phout": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/video": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
"

No sound comes out. I have a dual boot, ALSA works on my FC4 box okay.

I tried building ALSA as modules, everything seemed to go okay. The sound modules load, but when bringing up the gnome mixer, I get:

"An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for gnome-volume-control. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly."

and:
"Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/vol": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/pcm": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/speaker": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/mic": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/cd": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/igain": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/dig1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phin": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phout": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/video": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
"
errors.

Try running "alsaconf" as root, some of the aliases might not have been set correctly yet. Then you have to run "alsamixer" to set the sound volumes, then "alsamixer store". Then on each boot you should run "alsamixer restore" to bring the volume settings back.

You don't have to use alsamixer, there are other mixer programs - gnome probably has the capability of restoring audio settings on each restart as does KDE.

I ran alsaconf and tried running alsamixer, got "alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device or address
[root@localhost root]#" as an error.

Its not going to happen. I tried recompiling the kernel with sound support and without alsa. I downloaded alsa from the web, followed the directions, but still get the errors from the previous page of this thread when loading the modules. When I build alsa into the kernel, I get the errors posted on the second page of this thread.

Ok, one last suggestion - try running the "snddevices" script that's included with the alsa-driver package. This will create the proper device nodes in /dev which should already be there but evidently are not. If this doesn't help then I don't know what else to try without having access to your computer :)

Had to reinstall my harddrive. Tried installing ALSA from tar files again. Got

"make[4]: *** [/root/alsa-driver-1.0.9rc4a/usb/usbaudio.o] Error 1
make[3]: *** [/root/alsa-driver-1.0.9rc4a/usb] Error 2
make[2]: *** [_module_/root/alsa-driver-1.0.9rc4a] Error 2
make[1]: *** [modules] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.14'
make: *** [compile] Error 2
" errors when running the make.

Got

"ind /lib/modules/2.6.14/kernel/sound -name 'snd*.*o' | xargs rm -f
make[1]: Entering directory `/root/alsa-driver-1.0.9rc4a/acore'
mkdir -p /lib/modules/2.6.14/kernel/sound/acore
cp snd-hwdep.ko snd-page-alloc.ko snd-pcm.ko snd-rawmidi.ko snd-rtctimer.ko snd-timer.ko snd.ko /lib/modules/2.6.14/kernel/sound/acore
cp: cannot stat `snd-hwdep.ko': No such file or directory
make[1]: *** [modules_install] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/root/alsa-driver-1.0.9rc4a/acore'
make: *** [install-modules] Error 1
" when running the make install. Modinfo soundcore shows:

"filename: /lib/modules/2.6.14/kernel/sound/soundcore.ko
description: Core sound module
author: Alan Cox
license: GPL
alias: char-major-14-*
vermagic: 2.6.14 K7 gcc-3.2
depends:
". I have not got to the point where I run ./snddevices.

The messages just prior to the first ones you mentioned will have the information neccesary to see what went wrong. Usually it's a missing dependency - in this case it looks like it has something to do with USB support (maybe kernel headers). I'm not sure why USB support is required at all - when you ran the configure script did you restrict it to the ens1371?

If you're going with alsa independent of the kernel you might as well get the most recent release which is 1.0.11rc1. Maybe it will fix some of the other problems you've been having too.

I tried installing the latest drivers, (1.0.11rc1), did not get errors. I did use the --with-cards=ens1371 option. I ran alsaconf, rebooted and tried gnome mixer, got errors. Details as follows:

"Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/vol": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/pcm": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/speaker": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/mic": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/cd": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/igain": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/line1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/dig1": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phin": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/phout": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
Bad key or directory name:
"/apps/gnome-volume-control/OSS-SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-1/video": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
"