Alsa sound configuration

[Elsipkitch9809]

Hi

Among the many things I've been trying to learn how to do in gentoo today , I'm trying to get sound working through alsa like in the gentoo desktop guide.

I have a Soundblaster Live X-Gamer audiocard, and I compiled both sound support and the soundblaster driver into the kernel proper instead of as modules (seeing as though I doubt very much I'll be switching soundcards soon). After I got past the installation page, I noticed that the desktop guide was written towards the sound driver being installed as a module. I followed the guide as best I could, looking at /etc/modules.d/alsa, adding alsa to the boot runlevel, installing alsa-utils, and adding my user to the audio group. Now, when I run (or try to run) amixer, I get this output:

amixer: Mixer attach default error: No such file or directory

Was it a bad idea to compile sound into the kernel? I would think it wouldn't matter from what I've seen so far (my realtek driver is compiled into the kernel as well, and works fine). Anyway, any tips someone could offer would be great I can include the output from dmesg pertaining to alsa or something if that's more useful in diagnosing what's wrong.

Thanks

[pilla]

If you wanna use ALSA, you should not compile sound support into the kernel AFAIK.

Check also your /etc/devfs.conf if you are using devfs

[zuigzoen]

I made the same mistake to compile my soundcard in my kernel, and it would not work. So i recompiled the kernel with sounblaster live support as a module and it works like a charm. (not yet with xine )
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minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open

[pilla]

But the xine stuff is subject for another thread

[Reformist]

I have this exact same problem, and I compiled sound support into my kernel and my sound chipset (which is onboard sound, NEVER going to change) into the kernal as well. Been messing for 2 hours trying to get it work with alsa, but I guess I'll just have to do it as a module. I try to avoid modules because I'm ignorant of how the kernel works and would like "Everything there" when I boot up. But, if alsa is going to take care of this module loadation for me, thats fine. I'm going to recompile kernel, see if this fixes my problem. Will post back.
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-Phil Crosby

[Reformist]

Worked fine, except for some weird error. Even after unmerging alsa and then re-emerging, alsa would load at boottime and try and load an outdated snd-module (I inputted it wrong, cmpci instead of cmipci) and even upon changing the /etc/modules.d/alsa file and then running update-modules, and removing/adding alsasound to the boot level, it continued to use my "outdated" settings. So I remoeved /etc/modules.d/alsa, removed it from boot level, then umerged, then remerged (a few times) and it recognized my new config file, which loaded the correct module.

I think I'll have to do the above process again, because even tho I have the correct driver, running amixer gives the dreaded mixer attach default error: no such device, and when I start alsa via /etc/init.d/alsasound restart, it says I have no sound cards.

Oi... how I hate alsa's config.
Gentoo need's mandrake's (or someone's) sound setup utility.
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-Phil Crosby

[SQLBoy]

You can compile sound support itself as either a module or in the kernel proper and you should not compile any sound chipset drivers at all, module or otherwise, if you plan on using ALSA.