I recently aquired a new motherboard (Jetway ATi Radeon Xpress 200) with onboard sound), new CPU (AMD64) and new graphics card (nVidia geForce). I previously preferred Knoppix because of its good hardware detection, but this time it let me down and I was without sound. Enter Debian... I installed from the "network installation ISO" Debian stable and everything works fine except for the sound.
PROBLEM STATEMENT: On Windows I installed the ALC880 driver that came with the motherboard and it works. Googled, found a linux driver at www.opendrivers.com. Tried to install it: It seems it is alsa-driver-1.0.4 . It won't compile... make[3]: *** [/usr/src/alsa-driver-1.0.4/kbuild/../pci/via82xx.o] Error 1 make[2]: *** [/usr/src/alsa-driver-1.0.4/kbuild/../pci] Error 2 make[1]: *** [_module_/usr/src/alsa-driver-1.0.4/kbuild] Error 2 make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.8-2-386' make: *** [compile] Error 2 Googled: apparently some ALC880 problems in alsa-driver-1.0.9 were only fixed in alsa-driver-1.0.10 (http://www.alsa-project.org/changes/v1-0-9--v1-0-10.txt). Moreover, there seems to be problems with the alsa-driver and kernels older than 2.6.15. But apt (&Synaptic) can't find a kernel 2.6.15! I would like not to break the current system, as I already installed most of the programs I want (games excluded because of the lack of sound). And the current kernel 2.6.8-2 is working just fine for everything else. I would like to stay with sarge, because of the stability. I added testing (and unstable) to sources.list and created /etc/apt/preferences with: Package: * Pin: release a=testing Pin-Priority: 50 Package: * Pin: release a=unstable Pin-Priority: 1 nobix:/etc/apt# Running the aadebug script, I get: ALSA Audio Debug v0.1.0 - Sat Jan 21 17:10:11 SAST 2006 http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php?page=aadebug http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt Kernel ---------------------------------------------------- Linux nobix 2.6.8-2-386 #1 Tue Aug 16 12:46:35 UTC 2005 i686 GNU/Linux Loaded Modules -------------------------------------------- snd_pcm_oss 48168 0 snd_mixer_oss 16640 1 snd_pcm_oss snd_pcm 85384 1 snd_pcm_oss snd_page_alloc 11144 1 snd_pcm snd_timer 23300 1 snd_pcm snd 50660 4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer Modprobe Conf --------------------------------------------- # snd module options options snd device_mode=0660 alias char-major-116 snd alias char-major-14 soundcore alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0 alias sound-slot-1 snd-card-1 alias sound-slot-2 snd-card-2 alias sound-slot-3 snd-card-3 alias sound-slot-4 snd-card-4 alias sound-slot-5 snd-card-5 alias sound-slot-6 snd-card-6 alias sound-slot-7 snd-card-7 above sound-slot-0 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-1 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-2 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-3 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-4 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-5 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-6 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss above sound-slot-7 snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss 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 above snd-pcm snd-pcm-oss above snd-mixer snd-mixer-oss above snd-seq snd-seq-oss snd-seq-midi # Cause a script to be run after snd-emu8000-synth module initialization post-install snd-emu8000-synth /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-emu8000-synth post-install snd-ad1816a /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ad1816a post-install snd-ad1848 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ad1848 post-install snd-ali5451 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ali5451 post-install snd-als100 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-als100 post-install snd-als4000 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-als4000 post-install snd-asihpi /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-asihpi post-install snd-atiixp /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-atiixp post-install snd-au8810 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-au8810 post-install snd-au8820 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-au8820 post-install snd-au8830 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-au8830 post-install snd-azt2320 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-azt2320 post-install snd-azt3328 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-azt3328 post-install snd-azx /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-azx post-install snd-ca0106 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ca0106 post-install snd-cmi8330 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cmi8330 post-install snd-cmipci /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cmipci post-install snd-cs4231 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cs4231 post-install snd-cs4232 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cs4232 post-install snd-cs4236 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cs4236 post-install snd-cs4281 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cs4281 post-install snd-cs46xx /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-cs46xx post-install snd-darla20 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-darla20 post-install snd-darla24 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-darla24 post-install snd-dt019x /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-dt019x post-install snd-emu10k1 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-emu10k1 post-install snd-emu10k1x /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-emu10k1x post-install snd-ens1370 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ens1370 post-install snd-ens1371 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ens1371 post-install snd-es1688 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-es1688 post-install snd-es18xx /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-es18xx post-install snd-es1938 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-es1938 post-install snd-es1968 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-es1968 post-install snd-es968 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-es968 post-install snd-fm801 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-fm801 post-install snd-gina20 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-gina20 post-install snd-gina24 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-gina24 post-install snd-gina3g /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-gina3g post-install snd-gusclassic /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-gusclassic post-install snd-gusextreme /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-gusextreme post-install snd-gusmax /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-gusmax post-install snd-harmony /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-harmony post-install snd-hdsp /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-hdsp post-install snd-hdspm /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-hdspm post-install snd-ice1712 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ice1712 post-install snd-ice1724 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ice1724 post-install snd-indigo /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-indigo post-install snd-indigodj /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-indigodj post-install snd-indigoio /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-indigoio post-install snd-intel8x0 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-intel8x0 post-install snd-interwave /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-interwave post-install snd-interwave-stb /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-interwave-stb post-install snd-korg1212 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-korg1212 post-install snd-layla20 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-layla20 post-install snd-layla24 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-layla24 post-install snd-layla3g /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-layla3g post-install snd-maestro3 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-maestro3 post-install snd-mia /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-mia post-install snd-mixart /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-mixart post-install snd-mona /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-mona post-install snd-mpu401 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-mpu401 post-install snd-msnd-pinnacle /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-msnd-pinnacle post-install snd-mtpav /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-mtpav post-install snd-nm256 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-nm256 post-install snd-opl3sa2 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-opl3sa2 post-install snd-opti92x-ad1848 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-opti92x-ad1848 post-install snd-opti92x-cs4231 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-opti92x-cs4231 post-install snd-opti93x /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-opti93x post-install snd-pc98-cs4232 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-pc98-cs4232 post-install snd-pcxhr /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-pcxhr post-install snd-pdaudiocf /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-pdaudiocf post-install snd-pdplus /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-pdplus post-install snd-portman2x4 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-portman2x4 post-install snd-powermac /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-powermac post-install snd-rme32 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-rme32 post-install snd-rme96 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-rme96 post-install snd-rme9652 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-rme9652 post-install snd-sa11xx-uda1341 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sa11xx-uda1341 post-install snd-sb16 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sb16 post-install snd-sb8 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sb8 post-install snd-sbawe /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sbawe post-install snd-serialmidi /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-serialmidi post-install snd-serial-u16550 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-serial-u16550 post-install snd-sgalaxy /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sgalaxy post-install snd-sonicvibes /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sonicvibes post-install snd-sscape /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sscape post-install snd-sun-amd7930 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sun-amd7930 post-install snd-sun-cs4231 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sun-cs4231 post-install snd-sun-dbri /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-sun-dbri post-install snd-trident /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-trident post-install snd-usb-audio /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-usb-audio post-install snd-usb-usx2y /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-usb-usx2y post-install snd-via82xx /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-via82xx post-install snd-vx222 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-vx222 post-install snd-vxp440 /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-vxp440 post-install snd-vxpocket /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-vxpocket post-install snd-wavefront /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-wavefront post-install snd-ymfpci /lib/alsa/modprobe-post-install snd-ymfpci options snd-atiixp-modem index=-2 options snd-bt87x index=-2 options snd-intel8x0m index=-2 options snd-via82xx-modem index=-2 # alias snd-atiixp-modem off # alias snd-intel8x0m off # alias snd-via82xx-modem off Proc Asound ----------------------------------------------- Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.4 (Mon May 17 14:31:44 2004 UTC). Compiled on Aug 16 2005 for kernel 2.6.8-2-386. --- no soundcards --- 33: : timer cat: /proc/asound/hwdep: No such file or directory cat: /proc/asound/seq/clients: No such file or directory Dev Snd --------------------------------------------------- controlC0 timer CPU ------------------------------------------------------- model name : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3500+ cpu MHz : 2200.491 RAM ------------------------------------------------------- MemTotal: 906736 kB SwapTotal: 1052216 kB Hardware -------------------------------------------------- 0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 5950 (rev 01) If I left out anything, just ask. QUESTIONS: 1. Is there any problems with the stability of the newer kernels? Why is it not included in sarge? 2. Do I need to compile a new kernel or is it possible to just apt-get install a new kernel version? Will doing this have any effect on the rest of the system? (I.e. will I still have a Debian stable version at the end of the day?) 3. I it possible to just add the new kernel and still keep the "official" current kernel as an option in GRUB? How? (Links to how-to's?) 4. Isn't there some kind of wrapper module that one can use to just wrap around the Windows drivers provided by the hardware manufacturers? Thank you! Koos van der Merwe
