Linux-Hardware Digest #467, Volume #14 Sun, 11 Mar 01 14:13:08 EST
Contents:
WD-7193 (Gerhard Etges)
Device # ("mpierce")
Intel 810 ("Marcel Gorjup")
Re: gigabyte lan adapter supported ? (A E Lawrence)
Re: Mustek 4800P almost works..help needed with xsane/xscanimage (Guglielmo Porte)
Re: Netgear FA311 ethernet card Not working (A E Lawrence)
Re: Netgear FA311 ethernet card Not working (A E Lawrence)
Re: Install help: Crusoe laptop with only a PCMCIA CD-ROM drive? - dosdrv.exe (0/1)
(nobody)
Re: optical mice? (Rod Smith)
Re: Sound: Problem with Intel motherboard, onboard sound (roel)
Calcom modem ("David")
Re: Ricoh mp7040a ("Gustav J Kramer")
How to find out if hardware is supported by Linux (Frank)
Re: a modem manual ("Dave Stanton")
CD-R for backups ("Johannes B. Ullrich")
Geforce 2mx and suse7.1 ("Thomas G.")
fax problem (Heiko Br�ning)
ati all-in-wonder ("The Webbs")
Recommend cheap CDRW that supports packet writing? (Foolproofing Lab Test Subject)
Re: HP Colorado 20GB HELP (Mark Bratcher)
Intel 810 ("Marcel Gorjup")
VIA82Cxxx Install Probs - MD 7.1 (Malcolm Bebb)
Re: a modem manual (Mark Bratcher)
Re: How to find out if hardware is supported by Linux (Mark Bratcher)
Re: laser printer for Linux (Scott Alfter)
Re: fax problem (Mark Bratcher)
RedHat7 and sane (Jarmo Uusi-Maahi)
Re: Recommend cheap CDRW that supports packet writing? (Dances With Crows)
Re: VIA82Cxxx Install Probs - MD 7.1 (Peter Christy)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gerhard Etges <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: WD-7193
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 12:45:32 +0000
Hallo,
wo gibts Software f=FCr Western Digital scsi Controller WD7193 f=FCr Linu=
x ?
-- =
Gerhard Etges
------------------------------
From: "mpierce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Device #
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 12:13:03 GMT
Can someone tell me what device is char-major 97?
Marvin
------------------------------
From: "Marcel Gorjup" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Intel 810
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 13:20:17 +0100
Hi i have an intel 810 Chip an bevor i can startx i have to write this
insmod /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/misc/agpgart.o
now i want to know if it is possible that it get automatic an i don�t have
to write this command every bott time new
can you hrla me please
------------------------------
From: A E Lawrence
Subject: Re: gigabyte lan adapter supported ?
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 01:12:31 +0000
sancelot wrote:
>
> hi,
> Which gigabyte adapter are supported in linux ?
If you expect an answer, you will have to tell us what you are talking
about. What sort of "adapter"? As you mention "lan" in the title,
perhaps you mean a NIC (network Interface Card) in which case try
looking at http://www.scyld.com/network/index.html
ael
--
A E Lawrence
------------------------------
From: Guglielmo Porte <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Mustek 4800P almost works..help needed with xsane/xscanimage
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 14:22:53 +0100
On Wed, 07 Mar 2001 07:32:32 -0300, Chris Harris
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>device `mustek_pp:SM-4800P' is a Mustek MFS-600IIIP flatbed scanner
>[mustek_pp] exit: (...)
It seems sane is working, and your scanner is recognized by the
mustek_pp backend, but until you configure net access and the saned
daemon you have to be root to run xscanimage and have access to the
scanner...... (man saned will help you).
Have a good time.
------------------------------
From: A E Lawrence
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.networking
Subject: Re: Netgear FA311 ethernet card Not working
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 01:28:41 +0000
Paul Whippey wrote:
>
> > > I also got a FA311. There is a new driver at
> > > http://www.netgear-support.com/ts/drivers.html (just enter fa311 ...)
> > > that compiles fine (you probably should remove the fa311.o first, and
> > > rename all the filenames to lowercase).
> > > But I got a strange problem with it. It all works fine in text mode, but
> > > as soon as I do a startx or init 3 it stops working till I reboot the
> > > machine. btw. I'm using SuSE Linux.
> > > I just wonder has anyone a FA311 that works under Linux?
> > >
> > > Clemens
> >
>
> My Linux server (Mandrake 7.2) has an FA311 installed, once I used the new
> driver from Netgear I have had no problems. It works fine in text or X.
>
Have you measured the performance? I spent several weeks getting a set
of 3 FA311's limping along under linux, but eventually came to the
conclusion that there were design faults in the cards that I had. It was
possible to get them to "work", but when you measured their performance,
it was pathetic. The cards even failed to communicate with each other
(cross over cables) under Netgear's own dos test software. And
performance under Windoze was equally dire: one suspects that the doze
drivers were continuously and silently fixing the hardware problems.
I exchanged the FA311s for FA310s which are cheaper, based on tulip
chips, and are far superior.
All this was a fair time ago, so maybe the recent FA311s no longer have
these problems. But people still seem to report problems or pathetic
performance, so I suspect that they are best avoided.
But if anyone has FA311s performing well and delivering a substantial
fraction of the 100Mb/s bandwidth of which they should be capable, it
would be interesting to know. If only to be fair to Netgear if they (or
Nat Semi) have finally fixed the problems.
ael
--
Dr A E Lawrence (from home with apologies for spam enhanced reply
address)
------------------------------
From: A E Lawrence
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.networking
Subject: Re: Netgear FA311 ethernet card Not working
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 01:30:28 +0000
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> After following the instructions for compling driver for my new Netgear
> FA311 Ethernet card... and everything appeared to go smoothly, I went to
> test 'insmod fa311.o' and got this error text
>
> fa311.o : kernel-module version mismatch
> fa311.o was compiled for...
> while this kernel is version
> 2.2.17-2mdk
>
> After browsing the website no luck, I gave in and contacted tech support ( 1
> hour on hold ) latter. I'm told that they only have a version for Red Hat 7
> ...
Yes, that is typical of Netgear "technical" "support". What has the
distribution got to do with a device driver?
ael
--
Dr A E Lawrence (from home with apologies for spam enhanced reply
address)
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (nobody)
Subject: Re: Install help: Crusoe laptop with only a PCMCIA CD-ROM drive? -
dosdrv.exe (0/1)
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 14:30:54 GMT
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yes, u need pcmcia.img file boot CDROM
or try to using dos driver for installation.
(see attachment)
Actually, I plan to buy new slim book. u think that battery
running time is better than Sony C1VMT? But Sony using
crusoe TM5600 cpu.
On Wed, 07 Mar 2001 01:47:45 GMT, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Steven M. Casagrande <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> I've just bought a Fujitsu P1000 (Crusoe), with USB floppy and PCMCIA
>> CD-ROM drive. The P1000 won't boot from the CD-ROM, but I can get it
>> to boot the RH6.2 Linux install floppy. However, once there I can't
>> figure out how to get it to recognize the PCMCIA CD-ROM drive so I can
>> continue with the rest of the installation.
>
>Hmm... Sounds like you want to create a boot disk with PCMCIA support...
>I dont' know if that will work, but I guess it would be worth the
>try.
>
>In the images directory of the CD you should have a file called pcmcia.img,
>or something to that extent. Use rawrite (in the dosutils dir)to copy
>this file to a floppy. This floppy will be bootable, and should then see
>the PCMCIA bus, and hopefully then the CDROM...
>
>Good luck!
>
>Kris
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Rod Smith)
Subject: Re: optical mice?
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 15:07:03 -0000
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Posted and mailed]
In article <3aaa6093$0$18895$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Jim Weill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> does anyone know if i can use an optical mouse like a logitech mouseman
> wheel mouse? i'm getting a new mouse today and i wanted to get one of
> these optical style mice so i don't have to constantly clean it. any
> insight would be appreciated.
Sure. The tracking technology (optical, opto-mechanical, pure
mechanical; or even non-mouse technologies like touchpads or
trackpoints) is irrelevant. It's the interface technology (serial, USB,
PS/2, etc.) and protocols (Microsoft, Logitech, PS/2, etc.) that are
important. (AFAIK, all mice that use the PS/2 or USB physical
interfaces use the same basic PS/2 protocols. There are variants for
stuff like wheels, but these are minor changes, and the devices that
use the extra stuff still work with the more basic drivers.) AFAIK,
Linux supports all currently-available interface technologies and
protocols, although for USB devices, you'll need to use a fairly recent
kernel or a backport of USB support to an older kernel.
--
Rod Smith, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.rodsbooks.com
Author of books on Linux & multi-OS configuration
------------------------------
From: roel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Sound: Problem with Intel motherboard, onboard sound
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 16:13:22 +0100
Hello
Kernel 2.4 does support the AC97 soundchip, it's running here just
fine.No sndconfig needed here.
Roel
The Snow Moose wrote:
> Running redhat linux 2.2.14-5.0
>
> I tried to do a sndconfig but it came up with the not supported problem, ie
> Model: Intel Corporation|82801AA 82810 AC'97 Audio is not
> supported.
>
> I tried other cards with the noprobe option but to no avail.
> This led me to download alsa sound driver and it appeared to install ok, but
> no sound
> is coming out when i play sound files...
>
> Can I use a later linux version that may have support ?
> Is there any other alsa drivers or rpm for sound drivers out there ?
>
> Thanks,
> Nick
------------------------------
From: "David" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Calcom modem
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 10:48:09 -0600
It is made by Best Data.
Calcom 28.8 Data Fax 2842i
Is this modem ok with Linux?
--
David Poston
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: "Gustav J Kramer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Ricoh mp7040a
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 16:10:44 GMT
FWIW the default install on Mandrake 7.2, and 7.1 for that matter, picked up
my 7040A and did all the configuration necessary. It works fine with
cdrecord and the installed GUI frontend. I believe it used "hdc=ide-scsi" in
one of the startup scripts.
- gustav
"The Webbs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> I need to know if there are any linux drivers for linux-mandrake with the
> ricoh mp7040a cd-burner
>
>
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Frank)
Subject: How to find out if hardware is supported by Linux
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 16:26:12 GMT
How and where can I find out wich motherboards, cd-burners,
DVD-players are really supported by Linux?
As an example: MSI KT7 Pro.
Frank van Dam
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: "Dave Stanton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: a modem manual
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 17:01:01 -0000
"ali farhad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> hi all,
> I looking for a modem manual in linux ( how to install , test, run a
> modem ) .
> THX
> alfa
I believe a HOWTO exists !
Dave
------------------------------
From: "Johannes B. Ullrich" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: CD-R for backups
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 12:14:31 -0500
Hi.
I am looking for good linux backup software that supports CD-R drives.
Any recommendations?
------------------------------
From: "Thomas G." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Geforce 2mx and suse7.1
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:19:09 +0100
Hi,
has anybody who has a GeForce 2MX got this blasted thing working properly? I
am over it for weeks now and when the first problem is solved, the second
one occurs.
Drivers for the card are the newest. I downloaded them yesterday at the site
of NVidia. I now the following problem:
When the X-server is started, and I try to switch runlevels with the init
command, or kill the x-server with ctrl-alt-f1 or ctrl-alt-backsp, or logout
and select "console mode" at shutdown, my display hangs. I don't get to see
anything of the console, and I don't know if this is working properly either
(sometimes I manage to fill in my username and pwd blindly and then restart
the pc, but most of the times it seems like a complete crash) . My screen
just freezes when I try to do these things, and when I try to reconfigure it
with Sax2 the screen goes black (no signal to minotor) most of the time,
when I am ready to test my config.
I have tried varying the hsync en vsync rate of my monitor but nothing
helps, and I know everything at that area has been configured correctly.
I also tried configuring with xf86config, but then I can't select the right
driver for my videocard, and the screen is proportionally too big. I can
even scroll over it.
Do these problems sound familiar to anybody (I hope so, because this Geforce
card is really getting to me by now.)
HEEEEEEEELP!!!
Thanks in advance,
Daniel
------------------------------
From: Heiko Br�ning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: fax problem
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:59:24 +0100
Hi!
I've got a class2 faxmodem and want to send faxes, but sendfax tells me my
modem isn't a class2 /2.0. But my manual tells me it is. Does nybody know
what's wrong?
Thanx heiko.
------------------------------
From: "The Webbs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: ati all-in-wonder
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 10:20:19 -0800
i have an all-in-wonder card, but I need some software that will make it so
I can use my tv tuner. Does anyone know where some software is?
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Foolproofing Lab Test Subject)
Subject: Recommend cheap CDRW that supports packet writing?
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:18:43 GMT
According to http://packet-cd.sourceforge.net, "not all cd writers
support packet writing", but I haven't been able to locate a list
of any that are known to do so, on that site or elsewhere.
If there are many drives known to be suitable, I'd appreciate
recommendations for models that are cheap, robust and easily
available in the US.
Is the 2.4.x kernel required for packet writing (because
UDF support is needed?)?
-D
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mark Bratcher)
Subject: Re: HP Colorado 20GB HELP
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:26:32 GMT
In article <w9wq6.20946$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Bango Rivers wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I have RedHat 6.2 and can't configure my internal HP Colorado 20GB tape
>drive. The hardware is recognized at boot but I can't find/mount the tape.
>
>Please help! You can e-mail directly to me if you'd like at: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
You don't mount a tape drive. You mount file systems, and it does not have a
file system on it.
Read man pages for tar, mt, dump, and restore.
--
Mark Bratcher
To reply direct, remove both underscores (_) from my email name
===============================================================
Escape from Microsoft's proprietary tentacles: use Linux!
------------------------------
From: "Marcel Gorjup" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Intel 810
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 19:26:23 +0100
Hi i have an intel 810 Chip an bevor i can startx i have to write this
insmod /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/misc/agpgart.o
now i want to know if it is possible that it get automatic an i don�t have
to write this command every bott time new
can you hrla me please
------------------------------
From: Malcolm Bebb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: VIA82Cxxx Install Probs - MD 7.1
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:29:40 +0000
Hi,
I've just installed Mandrake 7.1 on a generic PCI PC. The PC has VIA
82cxxx (AC97) integrated sound, which doesn't work.
The HardDrake utility keeps loading an on ISA SB config file, and I
don't know how to either find/get rid of this file or force it to look
for the VIA chip.
A driver for the VIA does exist on the system, but an attempt to use
instmod said the device was busy.
Any advice on how to proceed would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Malcolm
--
Malcolm Bebb [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel/Fax (44) 01202 772162
Test Solutions ATE User Documentation Mobile 0468 377456
Sponsor, POWYS-L mail list: http://www.embetech.demon.co.uk/powys/index.htm
Bebb family home page : http://www.embetech.demon.co.uk/gene/bebb.htm
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mark Bratcher)
Subject: Re: a modem manual
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:32:36 GMT
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, ali farhad wrote:
>hi all,
>I looking for a modem manual in linux ( how to install , test, run a
>modem ) .
>THX
>alfa
Try PPP-HOWTO.
--
Mark Bratcher
To reply direct, remove both underscores (_) from my email name
===============================================================
Escape from Microsoft's proprietary tentacles: use Linux!
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mark Bratcher)
Subject: Re: How to find out if hardware is supported by Linux
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:33:06 GMT
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Frank wrote:
>How and where can I find out wich motherboards, cd-burners,
>DVD-players are really supported by Linux?
>As an example: MSI KT7 Pro.
>
>Frank van Dam
>
Try www.linhardware.com
--
Mark Bratcher
To reply direct, remove both underscores (_) from my email name
===============================================================
Escape from Microsoft's proprietary tentacles: use Linux!
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Scott Alfter)
Subject: Re: laser printer for Linux
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:39:48 -0000
=====BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE=====
Hash: SHA1
In article <98cbjc$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Jonathan Abbey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
>Mark Bratcher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>| In article <98avvf$9kq$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Jon Abbey wrote:
>|
>| >The only thing is, the 2100TN doesn't have the physical console that
>| >the 4050 has, so you'll need a Windows (or Mac?) box on your local
>| >network to run the software needed to assign 2100TN an I.P. address.
>|
>| Doesn't the 2100TN have an embedded HTTP page for config?
>| It's a new enough printer that it should. Especially for a TCP/IP capable
>| printer. If not, shame on HP... :-(
>
>No, it does. The thing is, you have to give the 2100TN an IP address
>before you can access it with a web browser. ;-) The Windows software
>does a broadcast or something, looking for the unconfigured printer in
>order to assign it an IP address.
Won't it also try to use DHCP to grab an IP address if it doesn't have one
assigned? If you have a DHCP server running somewhere on your network,
maybe the printer will grab an address from it. Once it does that, a
portscanner will find all HTTP servers on your network.
(OTOH, if it doesn't exhibit this behavior, you're stuck. :-| An office here
in town got SDSL service set up recently, so all their computers and
printers needed to be assigned private IP addresses (they had been using
192.100.100.* previously...morons). Their service provider set them up with
a Netopia R7100, which includes a DHCP server, so their computers and their
printers (an HP LaserJet 4050N and a Tektronix Phaser 740) were set to use
DHCP to get their new IP addresses. Hopefully, the factory default for HP's
print servers is to use DHCP...it's been forever since I've set one up,
though, as we usually sell more Lexmark than HP.)
_/_
/ v \
(IIGS( Scott Alfter (remove Voyager's hull number for email address)
\_^_/ http://salfter.dyndns.org
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------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mark Bratcher)
Subject: Re: fax problem
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:41:41 GMT
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Heiko Br�ning wrote:
>Hi!
>
>I've got a class2 faxmodem and want to send faxes, but sendfax tells me my
>modem isn't a class2 /2.0. But my manual tells me it is. Does nybody know
>what's wrong?
>
What does your /etc/mgetty+sendfax/sendfax.config file look like?
--
Mark Bratcher
To reply direct, remove both underscores (_) from my email name
===============================================================
Escape from Microsoft's proprietary tentacles: use Linux!
------------------------------
From: Jarmo Uusi-Maahi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RedHat7 and sane
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 20:58:24 +0200
Hello world,
Can anyone tell me where i can get newest sane?
Now I have sane-1.0.3 installed in my RH7 and I have this ACER Brisa 620s
scanner, it's not working and someone told me that sane-1.0.4 would fix
this problem.
Can anyone tell me is it even possible to get this scanner work?
I tried to connect to www.mostang.com but it seems to be down or something...
Thanks already.
Jarmo Uusi-Maahi
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Dances With Crows)
Subject: Re: Recommend cheap CDRW that supports packet writing?
Date: 11 Mar 2001 19:05:01 GMT
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Sun, 11 Mar 2001 18:18:43 GMT, Foolproofing Lab Test Subject
staggered into the Black Sun and said:
>According to http://packet-cd.sourceforge.net, "not all cd writers
>support packet writing", but I haven't been able to locate a list
>of any that are known to do so, on that site or elsewhere.
>
>If there are many drives known to be suitable, I'd appreciate
>recommendations for models that are cheap, robust and easily
>available in the US.
>
>Is the 2.4.x kernel required for packet writing (because
>UDF support is needed?)?
Just about every CD-RW manufactured since 1999 should support
packet-writing. UDF filesystem support is available as a back-patch for
the 2.2 series, and is not necessary for *writing* a packet CD, only for
reading one.
Packet-writing is experimental under Linux and as of yet does not allow
you to treat a CD-RW as a huge floppy disk. This has to do with the way
CD-RWs are treated under Linux. http://linux-udf.org/ should have more
information on this topic.
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / Workin' in a code mine, hittin' Ctrl-Alt
http://www.brainbench.com / Workin' in a code mine, whoops!
=============================/ I hit a seg fault....
------------------------------
From: Peter Christy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: VIA82Cxxx Install Probs - MD 7.1
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 19:05:28 +0000
Malcolm Bebb wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've just installed Mandrake 7.1 on a generic PCI PC. The PC has VIA
> 82cxxx (AC97) integrated sound, which doesn't work.
>
You need to use the Alsa sound drivers. The kernel driver doesn't seem to
work. I eventually got it all working, after a lot of hassle. I posted this
a while ago, so for anyone who missed it, here's what worked for me.....
OK! At long last, and after no end of faffing about, I've finally got the
onboard VIA sound chip (686a) working on my system! None of the "official"
recommended methods worked properly (if at all!) and what follows is the
result of much trial and error - mostly error! Your mileage may vary, as
much of this seems to be very system dependant. Even if it doesn't work
straight off for you, it MIGHT point you in the right direction!
The bits that work or don't work seem to be EXTREMELY system dependant, so
here is a brief summary of my system:
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-7ZM (Via KT-133 chipset) with a 700MHz Duron
processor.
BIOS setup: AC97 support ENABLED
MC97 (modem) DISABLED (might not be important - don't know!)
Legacy audio ENABLED (without this no MPU-401 or joystick.)
Soundblaster DISABLED (this is only used by real DOS)
OS: Linux-Mandrake 7.2
Kernel: 2.4.0 test 12
& 2.4.0 prerelease.
DevFS ENABLED.
Desktop: KDE 2.1 beta
First of all, you are wasting your time trying to get the kernel modules to
work with the VIA 686a. Yes, I know they are there in the kernel
configuration but they don't appear to work at all. Even if you are lucky
enough to get them working, apparently they only support 8 bit audio.
Forget them!
The kernel should be compiled with sound support ON (to produce the
soundcore module), but no driver modules selected
Get the latest ALSA sound drivers. At the time of writing (Jan 2001) these
are 0.5.10. 0.5.9d may also work, but 10 has bug fixes for the AC97.
Unpack the TAR files into a spare directory (I use /usr/local/src/).
You should end up with three new directories, alsa-driver-0.5.10,
alsa-lib-0.5.10 and alsa-utils-0.5.10.
Enter the alsa driver directory, and do ./configure , make , make install.
NOTE: My compiler kept crashing during the make trying to make something
that had no relevance to the VIA chip. If you do
./configure --with-cards=via686a
it will ONLY build modules relevant to the via chipset. This saves time and
space! It also reduces the chance of a spurious compiler crash!
Next, go to the alsa lib directory and ./configure , make , make install .
You shouldn't need any options here.
Now do the same again in the alsa utils dorectory ( ./configure , make and
make install ). The utils aren't strictly necessary, but may be useful for
bug-hunting.
Now all the modules should be in place. If you reboot your system, you will
find some extra options under the "Startup Services" (traffic lights
symbol) in Drakconf. These are Alsasound and sound (sound may have been
there originally) MAKE SURE BOTH THESE ARE SWITCHED OFF! It seems that the
LM 7.2 startup calls the modules in the wrong sequence - as a result they
don't work. You MUST install them the hard way!
Actually, it isn't that hard! Go to /etc/modules (NOT /etc/modules.conf!)
and add the following lines:
snd-card-via686a
snd-pcm-oss
snd-mixer-oss
During boot-up, LM reads the contents of /etc/modules and installs the
requested modules. NOTE: This appears to be broken in 7.1 (at least, I
never got it to work!) 7.1 users will probably have to add these lines to
etc/rc.d/rc.local
/sbin/modprobe snd-card-via686a
/sbin/modprobe snd-pcm-oss
/sbin/modprobe snd-mixer-oss
NOTE AGAIN: I haven't tried this - its just a guess!
Now edit /etc/modules.conf, adding the following lines:
# ALSA native device support
alias char-major-116 snd
options snd snd_major=116 snd_cards_limit=1
alias snd-card-0 snd-card-via686a
# OSS-free setup
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
The alsa literature implies that you have to add an awful lot of other
stuff, but the latest releases seem to take care of all that for you
automatically.
Finally, if you're running DevFS, you need to add a couple of lines to
devfs.conf:
REGISTER sound/.* PERMISSIONS root.audio 660
REGISTER snd/.* PERMISSIONS root.audio 660
(If you're not running devfs, you probably need to do a ./snddevices from
inside the alsa-driver directory. Again, I haven't tried this, as I run
DevFS).
The literature tells you to add a line:
LOOKUP snd EXECUTE /sbin/modprobe snd
before the above two lines. When I tried this, my system crashed horribly
with dire warnings about corruption of the root filing system! In fact
there was nothing at all wrong with the filing system - devfs.conf already
had a line:
LOOKUP .* MODLOAD
which appears to already do everything required. Adding the extra line
confused it! So just add the two REGISTER lines after the LOOKUP line that
already exists.
Kmix, KDE's built in mixer is alsa aware, so all that is necessary to
unmute the channels is to slide the PCM and volume sliders up (remember to
save the new settings as default!). Because of all the pratting around I'd
done, kmix seemed to have two mixers attached to it, one of which didn't
work! The only way I found to tidy things up was to go into the
$HOME/.kde/share/config/ and delete all the kmix configuration files
(kmixctrlrc and kmixrc). These were then rewritten correctly after a reboot
(probably just logging out and in again would have been sufficient).
I now had sound working, but it was stammering and stuttering terribly. It
sounded like an interrupt problem, except that I have plenty of spare
interrupts and no error messages! Its taken me a week to find this last
problem and it turned out to be the aRts sound server! Disabling this has
cleared the last problem and I can now play both wave and midi files with
superb quality.
To disable aRts:
Open up KDE's Control Centre. Select Sound, then Sound Server. In the top
left hand corner is a check box to "Start aRts soundserver on kde startup".
Uncheck this box. It won't have any effect till you log out and back in
again. But then you should have working sound!
All this was done as root, by the way. To enable sound for users, they MUST
be members of the "audio" group.
There is probably something I've missed out along the way there, but I
think I've covered all the major points.
It does sound very good when you finally get it working!
Good Luck!
Pete
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