# Which Sound module

## waldosr

I can not figure out which option to select in my kernel to get my VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50) to work.  I am using gentoo-dev-sources ver.2.6  thank you

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## ep98

 *waldosr wrote:*   

> I can not figure out which option to select in my kernel to get my VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50) to work.  I am using gentoo-dev-sources ver.2.6  thank you

 

snd-via82xx

here is the changes in alsa.conf

```

# ALSA config

        alias char-major-116 snd

        alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx

        # module options should go here

        # OSS/Free portion

        alias char-major-14 soundcore

        alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

        

        # card #1

        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

```

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## waldosr

which emerge should i use alsa-drivers?  And will that configure into my bootup?

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## ep98

 *waldosr wrote:*   

> which emerge should i use alsa-drivers?  And will that configure into my bootup?

 

you dont need to emerge alsa-drivers

just build kernel (ALSA) portion as modules

than load the module thru /etc/modules.d/autoload/kernel-2.6

there is a Howto from Gentoo Docs section, how to install ALSA (specialy on VIA)

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/alsa-guide.xml

after this (very detailed) described steps, u will have sound WAV and MIDI  :Smile: 

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## waldosr

Ok will try

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## waldosr

Was doing alright until I got to this part:

```

bash-2.05b# modules-update

bash-2.05b# rc-update add alsasound boot

 * /sbin/rc-update: /etc/init.d/alsasound not found; aborting.

bash-2.05b#

```

Ideas?

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## waldosr

Ok got up to the amixer part but it is telling me this. (I am trying to unmute my card)  Can someone tell me how to use this program?

```

bash-2.05b# amixer

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

bash-2.05b#

```

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## waldosr

```

bash-2.05b# alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory

bash-2.05b#

```

This is what I get when I try to run alsamixer

----------

## ep98

U're not do it, as I said:

1st  u must recompile the kernel source with alsa part as modules - is it done allready

than:

```
emerge alsa-driver
```

if u want OSS compatibility

do and:

```
emerge alsa-oss
```

finaly install alsa-utils to have amixer and other tools

```
emerge alsa-utils
```

and configuration for ALSA is detailted described in Gentoo DOCS, better doccumentation u will not found everywhere, just read the following link:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/alsa-guide.xml#doc_chap3

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## waldosr

I managed to get through all the steps without a problem.  I still don't have sound.  Some basic questions.  Which module should I load in the kernel.  Should I build as a module or built into the kernel(* or M)?  What should I put in my alsa file?  I think the answers to these questions would really help me.

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## ep98

 *waldosr wrote:*   

> I managed to get through all the steps without a problem.  I still don't have sound.  Some basic questions.  Which module should I load in the kernel.  Should I build as a module or built into the kernel(* or M)?  What should I put in my alsa file?  I think the answers to these questions would really help me.

 

my suggestion is to built everything by modules

than

in /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.x (where X is your kernel version)

simply add 

snd-via82xx

than open /etc/modules.d/alsa

and add this lines

[code]

alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx

alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss

alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss

alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss

[code]

save the changes

and type /etc/init.d/alsasound restart

(some times is better first to stop than to start services)

check also in /etc/conf.d/alsa for the next line

SAVE_ON_STOP="yes" (this line is to save mixer levels)

[/code]

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## waldosr

On boot it failed to load the snd-via82xx module during auto load.  Suggestions?

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## ep98

in other way:

emerge hotplug

rc-update add hotplug default

than run it

/etc/init.d/hotplug start

it must load the driver for u

(this works only if case, if u build your kernel drivers as modules, not built in

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## waldosr

? Don't get this.  I didn't see an option for snd-via82xx.

```

bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/hotplug start

 * Starting input hotplugging...                                          [ ok ]

 * Starting pci hotplugging...

... can't load module snd-via82xx

missing kernel or user mode driver snd-via82xx                            [ ok ]

 * Starting usb hotplugging...                                            [ ok ]

bash-2.05b#

```

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## ep98

this is cos u're not built ALSA as modules in your kernel

go to /usr/src/linux

make menuconfig

and under Device...

                 Sound

                  ALSA

Built the core as built-in

everything else ISA, PCI, USB as modules (M)

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## waldosr

Still get the same error.

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## ep98

what do u have in /etc/make.conf

do u have emerged alsa-oss alsa-tools alsa-utils ?

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## waldosr

Ok.  I unmerged all of those. remerged them.  Checked my files. And now I get this:

```

bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound stop

 * ERROR:  "alsasound" has not yet been started.

bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound start

 * ALSA Detected...

 * Restoring Mixer Levels

/usr/sbin/alsactl: set_controls:986: snd_ctl_open error: No such file or directory                                                                        [ ok ]

bash-2.05b#

```

Here is my make.conf like you asked:

```

# These settings were set by the catalyst build script that automatically built this stage

# Please consult /etc/make.conf.example for a more detailed example

CFLAGS="-O2 -march=i686 -fomit-frame-pointer"

CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"

CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"

#Netselect is currently unable to handle ipv6, changing to Deep Test

#GENTOO_MIRRORS="ftp:///ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/gentoo/ http://gentoo.mirrors.pair.com/ http://128.213.5.34/gentoo/ http://mirror.datapipe.net/gentoo"

USE="kde"

USE="alsa"

USE="oss"

ALSA_CARDS="via82xx"

```

And I can't get amixer to work again.

```

bash-2.05b# amixer

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

bash-2.05b#

```

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## graybeard

 *waldosr wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Here is my make.conf like you asked:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

To the best of my very limited knowledge, you should put all of your USE variables on one line in make.conf.  Otherwise the sequential statements will just replace each other and only the last one will have any effect.  Better yet, use ufed to set your USE variables.  

```

emerge -p ufed

emerge ufed

```

Hope that helps.

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## ep98

 *graybeard wrote:*   

>  *waldosr wrote:*   
> 
> Here is my make.conf like you asked:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

for the first time i see USE declaration like yours, and why u suggest ufed to other and not use it for yourslef   :Twisted Evil: 

instead of this scared USEs

USE="declaration1"

USE="declaration2"

USE="-declaration3"

use this one

USE="-declaration3 declratation2 declaration1"

always put -declars first, ex -kde -qt gtk gtk2 gnome

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## graybeard

I do.  

 I don't understand what you are saying.

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## waldosr

Ok.  I looked all over in ufed for something that has to do with my sound card.  No luck.  So I went ahead and use it.

make.conf:

```

# These settings were set by the catalyst build script that automatically built this stage

# Please consult /etc/make.conf.example for a more detailed example

CFLAGS="-O2 -march=i686 -fomit-frame-pointer"

CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"

CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"

#Netselect is currently unable to handle ipv6, changing to Deep Test

#GENTOO_MIRRORS="ftp:///ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/gentoo/ http://gentoo.mirrors.pair.com/ http://128.213.5.34/gentoo/ http://mirror.datapipe.net/gentoo"

USE="3dfx amd audiofile c cdr cdrom codecs dillo divx4linux dvd sndfile \

     -apm -gnome"

```

Then I remerged exactly the way the gentoo alsa guide says to. Everything worked out well.

Then:

```

bash-2.05b# modules-update

bash-2.05b# rc-update add alsasound boot

 * alsasound added to runlevel boot

 * Caching service dependencies...

 * rc-update complete.

bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound start

 * ALSA Detected...

 * Restoring Mixer Levels

/usr/sbin/alsactl: set_controls:986: snd_ctl_open error: No such file or directory                                                                        [ ok ]

bash-2.05b# amixer

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

bash-2.05b#bash-2.05b# modules-update

bash-2.05b# rc-update add alsasound boot

 * alsasound added to runlevel boot

 * Caching service dependencies...

 * rc-update complete.

bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound start

 * ALSA Detected...

 * Restoring Mixer Levels

/usr/sbin/alsactl: set_controls:986: snd_ctl_open error: No such file or directory                                                                        [ ok ]

bash-2.05b# amixer

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

bash-2.05b#

```

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## ep98

What about kernel configuration ?

Are u built the kernel manual, or with Genkernel ?

if u're genkernel fan, just re-built it with --menuconfig all

than go to devices/sound/ALSA and be sure, to have the ALSA core Built-in, and all others ISA, PCI, Generic, USB to be built as modules [M]

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## waldosr

No I am manually building my kernel(gentoo-dev-sources 2.6).  I there a step that I am missing in the alsa guide.  It tells me to skip over the middle section if I have the 2.6 kernel.  Am I not doing some step that is required?

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## tcbounce

I have the same problem.

The answer is so simple. The error message about amixer not being able to run happens in all applications linked to the alsa-lib - including my xine DVD player program, where I first saw this message.

To fix - create the alsa device nodes. I'm installing UDEV to do it, but it shouldn't be too hard to do it. Why doesn't gentoo have a post-install script to create the device nodes?

Oh and i'm not using devfsd - because I'm running selinux. Why? That's what the doco's reconmend. Why's that? I don't know.

Luke

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## drysidecarl

I solved this problem by running the snddevices script, which I found on sourceforge (I think), but I have heard is also in the alsa-devices package (which is otherwise not needed for 2.6 kernels).  I am running SELinux in enforcing mode, listening to streaming audio.

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