Hi,
is there any way how to compile new (possibly CVS) ALSA driver _INTO_ kernel (not as a module)? Or apply kernel patch only on ALSA part?
The thing is that I cannot use higher than 2.6.9 kernel, because of ACPI bug (in connection with ASUS M6R Notebooks). But ALSA sound driver in this kernel doesn't work properly. It works good in later kernels, but there's the ACPI problem. I've tried to compile new ALSA modules, but I always got errors when loading the modules. Finally, I discovered, that I got the error even when inserting module that works fine when compiled into kernel! I'm new to Slackware so it could be something system-dependent, I really don't know.
I appreciate any advice to get my sound driver work.

I don't think you can get them to compile directly into the kernel without some knowledge on build process, and if something changed between version it will be even more difficult.
The best way I think you can achieve this is by compiling Sound Support (don't select OSS or ALSA there) into the kernel, and then compile the ALSA modules.
I don't think it's something systemdependant but maybe you forgot some step in the compilation. I would suggest you to try again.

I finally compiled loadable ALSA modules , but I still experience the same ugly behaviour as before, so maybe there's nothing wrong with these drivers. But what makes the sound card perform better with newer kernel then?

Is ALSA compiled into the kernel? If so, the kernel (I'm not 100% sure, but will find out when I finish my tests) will use that instead of the modules you compiled.

No, it isn't. I've selected only Kernel sound support, nothing else in kernel configuration. The new ALSA modules seem to load. I'm not sure why it didn't work before because I think I've done everything like before. Maybe I'll just wait for new kernel without ACPI bug and with functional sound . However, the new driver is not perfect but better than the 2.6.9 one. It plays sound for regular apps, only Skype makes still problems.