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I'm trying to get alsa to work but I can't get my head around the docs.
I'm trying to install alsa-driver but it keeps complaining about alsa
already being in the kernel. All the alsa and sound drivers in my kernel
are compiled as modules. Should I compile my kernel with nothing at all to
do with sound or alsa or as modules? I wanted to use the latest alsa
drivers available which I believe from what I've read is better than
compiling alsa into the kernel.
Am I correct in my assumptions or deluding myself?

Andrew Walker wrote:
>
> I'm trying to install alsa-driver but it keeps complaining about alsa
> already being in the kernel.
>
> I wanted to use the latest alsa
> drivers available which I believe from what I've read is better than
> compiling alsa into the kernel.
> Am I correct in my assumptions or deluding myself?

You should only use alsa-driver if the 2.6 kernel doesn't support your
soundcard, the reason being that the drivers available in the (stock)
kernel are fairly mature and hence have few revisions.

However, if you're still determined to use alsa-driver, try selecting only:

Device Drivers --->
Sound --->
<M> Sound card support

and deselect anything found in:

Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
and
Open Sound System --->

Hth,
--
Ben M.

"Andrew Walker" <fred@athlonxp.frednet> wrote in message
newsan.2005.02.09.14.27.36.836735@athlonxp.fredn et...
> I'm trying to get alsa to work but I can't get my head around
> the docs.
> I'm trying to install alsa-driver but it keeps complaining about
> alsa
> already being in the kernel. All the alsa and sound drivers in
> my kernel
> are compiled as modules. Should I compile my kernel with nothing
> at all to
> do with sound or alsa or as modules? I wanted to use the latest
> alsa
> drivers available which I believe from what I've read is better
> than
> compiling alsa into the kernel.
> Am I correct in my assumptions or deluding myself?

I found this to be helpful, maybe you already found it though.
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_ALSA_sound_mixer_aka_dmix

--
Ian

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 15:00:03 +0000, Ben Measures wrote:

> Andrew Walker wrote:
>>
>> I'm trying to install alsa-driver but it keeps complaining about alsa
>> already being in the kernel.
>>
>> I wanted to use the latest alsa
>> drivers available which I believe from what I've read is better than
>> compiling alsa into the kernel.
>> Am I correct in my assumptions or deluding myself?
>
> You should only use alsa-driver if the 2.6 kernel doesn't support your
> soundcard, the reason being that the drivers available in the (stock)
> kernel are fairly mature and hence have few revisions.
>
> However, if you're still determined to use alsa-driver, try selecting only:
>
> Device Drivers --->
> Sound --->
> <M> Sound card support
>
> and deselect anything found in:
>
> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
> and
> Open Sound System --->
>
> Hth,

Many thanks, just one more related question if you don't mind! As the alsa
module also does gameport support, should I also deselect the gameport
joystick and analog modules in the kernel, and if I do, will installing
alsa recreate them?

Andrew Walker wrote:
>
> Many thanks, just one more related question if you don't mind! As the alsa
> module also does gameport support, should I also deselect the gameport
> joystick and analog modules in the kernel, and if I do, will installing
> alsa recreate them?

IIRC, yes - alsa-driver will compile and install the modules for
gameport support.

--
Ben M.

Andrew Walker wrote:
> I'm trying to get alsa to work but I can't get my head around the docs.
> I'm trying to install alsa-driver but it keeps complaining about alsa
> already being in the kernel. All the alsa and sound drivers in my kernel
> are compiled as modules. Should I compile my kernel with nothing at all to
> do with sound or alsa or as modules? I wanted to use the latest alsa
> drivers available which I believe from what I've read is better than
> compiling alsa into the kernel.
> Am I correct in my assumptions or deluding myself?

You select

Device Drivers --->
Sound --->
<M> Sound card support

Deselect all other sound related. Compile your kernel.

You need to add a line to your /etc/make.conf

ALSA_CARDS="emu10k1"

Change the emu10k1 to the driver you need. If you want to compile more than
one soundcard driver, just use space as seperator.

Boot into your new kernel and emerge the alsa-driver

emerge -oneshot media-sound/alsa-driver


Reason why to use the ebuild for alsa driver instead of the onces in kernel
2.6 can be that the ebuild is usually faster updated than what the kernel
source is, which leads you to get later drivers in general than using the kernel.

The -oneshot option makes that the driver won't be included in your "world",
as you may have an older kernel in case and you don't want it to loose it's
drivers when you compile drivers for a new kernel.
Never uninstall an old kernel before you are sure the new one fully works and
it's good to always have a spare kernel, just in case.


//Aho

J.O. Aho wrote:
> Reason why to use the ebuild for alsa driver instead of the onces in
kernel
> 2.6 can be that the ebuild is usually faster updated than what the
kernel
> source is, which leads you to get later drivers in general than using
the kernel.

Specific to your emu10k1 example, the alsa-driver is capable of
operating at lower latencies than the one in the kernel tree. It can
handle JACK capture sizes down to 128 samples (as opposed to 512 in the
kernel tree). This is a considerable advantage for low-latency
applications.