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Title: Sound: Configuring soundcards with Kernel 2.2

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Sound: Configuring soundcards with Kernel 2.2

Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions since 6.1
Kernel: Versions since 2.2

Request:

You want to use your sound card with SuSE Linux, which has a kernel 2.2.x.

Procedure:

This is much easier to accomplish than with 2.0.x kernels, please rejoice with us:

You do not have to recompile the kernel!!!

You do not have to recompile the kernel!!!

You do not have to recompile the kernel!!!

The necessary modules are already included in the kernmod package and are installed by default. If you have already compiled your own kernel, please reinstall the kernmod package and one of the original kernels from the installation CDROM with YaST.

Complete the following steps:

  1. Take the manual for your sound card and and determine the following settings:

  2. Open as root open the file /etc/conf.modules with your favorite text editor.

  3. You will find the following lines (if you scroll a little):
    alias char-major-14 off
    alias sound off
    alias midi off               
    
    and place the comment symbol "#" in front of each one, for example:
    #alias char-major-14 off
    #alias sound off
    #alias midi off
    

  4. Look through the following lines for the section which describes you particular card, or at a minimum, the card that is compatible with yours.

    An example section for a Soundblaster compatible card is, for example:

    #*****************************************************************************
    #    module : sb.o               Soundblaster 16, SB Pro + Clones
    #                                Also needed for AWE32/64 
    #
    #    Documentation available in /usr/src/linux/Documentation/sound/Soundblaster
    #    and in /usr/src/linux/drivers/sound/sb.c .
    #
    #    Possible configuration :
    #
    # alias char-major-14 sb
    # post-install sb /sbin/modprobe "-k" "adlib_card"
    # options sb io=0x220 irq=7 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330
    # options adlib_card io=0x388
    

  5. Remove the comment symbol "#" from the beginning of those lines related to the module configuration, such as:
    alias char-major-14 sb
    post-install sb /sbin/modprobe "-k" "adlib_card"
    options sb io=0x220 irq=7 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330
    options adlib_card io=0x388
    

  6. Modify these lines in accordance with the values needed for you sound card. Pay particular attention to the port address ("io=") and the IRQs ("irq=").

  7. Save the file and exit the editor.

  8. Type the following line:
    cat /dev/sndstat
    
    You should recieve an output SIMILAR to this:
    OSS/Free:3.8s2++-971130
    Load type: Driver loaded as a module
    Kernel: Linux Heron 2.2.5 #3 Fri Apr 2 17:04:34 MEST 1999 i686
    Config options: 0
    
    Installed drivers: 
    
    Card config: 
    
    Audio devices:
    0: AD1816 audio driver (DUPLEX)
    
    Synth devices:
    0: Yamaha OPL3
    
    Midi devices:
    
    Timers:
    0: System clock
    
    Mixers:
    0: AD1816 audio driver
    

  9. If you received such an output, than everything is OK. You can use kmix (Pakage kmulti, Series kde) or xmix (Pakage xmix, Series snd) to test the speakers. A description of how to do this is included in section 12.3 of the SuSE 6.1 manual.

  10. If you did not receive any output, you should verify that the modules were loaded, by typing the command:
    lsmod
    
    You should receive an output on your screen such as:
    Module                  Size  Used by
    opl3                   10728   0 (autoclean)
    ad1816                  7760   0 (autoclean)
    sound                  55460   0 (autoclean) [opl3 ad1816]
    soundlow                 208   0 (autoclean) [sound]
    soundcore               2084   5 (autoclean) [sound]
    serial                 41940   0 (autoclean)
    memstat                 1352   0 (unused)
    
    Most important is that the modules sound, soundlow and soundcore were loaded.

  11. If they were not, you could try to load them by hand:
    modprobe soundcore
    modprobe soundlow
    modprobe sound
    modprobe opl3
    modprobe 
    

  12. If so, you may also need to modify the file /etc/conf.modules accordingly. Please read the Manpage:
    man conf.modules
    
    in addition to section 13.2 of the 6.1 SuSE Linux manual.

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Keywords: 2.2, SOUNDCARD, MODULE, AUDIO, /DEV/SNDSTAT, CONF.MODULES, KERNEL

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Categories: Sound

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SDB-maddin_sound61, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version: 05. May 1999
SuSE GmbH - Last generated: 07. Oct 1999 17:05:24 by maddin with sdb_gen 1.00.0