I'm trying to get Slackware 12.2 Alsa sound system to recognize
my M-Audio sound card. To do this I must make text entries into
the /etc/modules.conf file. But there is NO such file.
There is no /etc/conf.modules file either, just something called
/etc/modprobe.conf that explains nothing.
/etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf -> ../modprobe.conf is useless
So what do I do?
I do not mind so much that unlike Ubuntu and Fedora, Slackware
did not recognize my M-Audio sound card and set up the sound
system properly. What bothers me is that the old useful
ways of doing things are eliminated leaving me to have to
ask questions on this forum and hope some bright person has an
answer. Meanwhile, I have no sound.
Any information or suggestions would be welcome !

modules.conf was for 2.2/2.4 kernels, modprobe.conf is for 2.6.
Did you try alsaconf?

On a slackware system, modules are loaded from /etc/rc.d/rc.modules, with the exception of the increasing number which are loaded by udev. /etc/modules.d or /etc/modules.conf are for setting options or aliases for modules.

To configure a sound card, use "alsaconf". You do not need to edit any files.

There is no Slackware 12.2 alsa, there is just alsa.

The "old ways" of doing things often no longer apply in the modern world. This has nothing to do with Slackware, it has to do with the evolution of the linux kernel and systems such as udev.

However, reading the documentation is still a useful thing to do.

Brian