On Sat, 16 Aug 2008, Wesley Johnson wrote: > My previous message said compiler install where it should have said KERNEL > install loses the ALSA drivers. > This is a rewrite and covers some new ground too. > This includes a suggested fix to the problem. > > I have spent 10 months without sound ( VIA8237 ) on my machine because ALSA > would not work. I tried ALSA 1.0.9, 1.0.16. and now 1.0.17. > I have discovered while working on another machine that compiling and > installing a new version of your KERNEL will wipe out your ALSA driver > modules. > That is not something that would be obvious nor expected. > The INSTALL documentation should definitely warn and inform. To repeat, yes it is something you would expect. Modules are specific to kernels. New kernels require new modules. Now you claim you tried all those versions. Did you find precompiled versions somewhere, or did you compile them. > > I do not know if it works now on my VIA8237 because the 1.0.17 fixed > something important, or simply because kernel module installs were wiping > out the ALSA drivers before. > I saw in the changlog that the via82xx driver fixed something, but I also > think that I never had > the older version ALSA installed long enough to try it. I was fixing other > kernel problems at the same time.. > In this latest case I had to add a new network driver to the kernel because > the old card died, and ALSA was working on that machine before the network > problem. > > The following is the kernel makefile lines that does the deed. > << FROM KERNEL MAKEFILE >> > .PHONY: modules_install > modules_install: _modinst_ $(patsubst %, _modinst_%, $(SUBDIRS)) > _modinst_post > > .PHONY: _modinst_ > _modinst_: > @rm -rf $(MODLIB)/kernel <<<<<< Removes ALSA > @rm -f $(MODLIB)/build > @mkdir -p $(MODLIB)/kernel > @ln -s $(TOPDIR) $(MODLIB)/build > > << END KERNEL MAKEFILE >> > > I change the extraversion of my kernel for the custom install so that it has > a separate modules directory, keeping it independent of the default kernel > binary, which is kept as backup. > I also configure the kernel with things like karch=Athlon, and do not like > to mix those modules with old modules. > I keep the default kernel as backup during testing of the new kernel, and > trying to delete the default kernel modules afterwards, when they are mixed > in with new ones, would be inviting disaster. > The interaction of the extraversion with the ALSA modules is not obvious, > nor documented. > > The following is my suggested text to be included in INSTALL: > > << START INSTALL TEXT >> > > Compile and install ALSA drivers after customizing your kernel. The driver > modules will be installed to > "/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/sound", where 2.4.31 will be your kenel version > as detected by the ALSA configure. > OSS and older ALSA installed the driver modules to > "/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/drivers/sound. > A new ALSA will not overwrite the modules from an old ALSA. You do not want > two different versions of any driver module > installed as modprobe could easily get the old version. Recent versions of alsa do this all automatically when you make install them. > > Install of kernel modules will wipe out your ALSA driver modules, as it > cleans the entire kernel modules directory of everything. No. > If you change a kernel config, or add a module, and reinstall your kernel > modules, you will have to reinstall ALSA again afterwards! Yes. > If you update kernels, or change the extraversion of your kernel, then you > will have to configure, compile, and install ALSA afterwards. > > Save a copy of all ALSA configure files that you create or modify, in case > you have to reinstall ALSA. > The ALSA install likes to reinstall all files and may wipe out config file > changes, and this behavior can vary from version to version. ?? VErsions of what? > If you have to install a new kernel module someday, it is likely that > suddenly ALSA does not work. Also is now part of the kernel. So when you install the new kernel you will install the alsa in that kernel. . > Saving all ALSA config will save you from having to recreate all your ALSA > setups too, when you are already fighting other problems. > I suggest an easy to remember, easy to find, directory for such things, such > as /root/configs. > > Another tactic is to save a copy of the ALSA drivers from > "/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/sound" to someplace safe > (outside "/lib/modules":), > so it can be restored after kernel installs. No. You want to recompile the alsa. > example>> mkdir /root/modules_backup > example>> mkdir /root/modues_backup/2.4.31 > example>> cp -a /lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/sound > /root/modules_backup/2.4.31/sound > > Kernel install only wipes out the kernel modules directory, so a copy of the > saved modules back into "/lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel" is > all that is needed to restore the ALSA drivers. > example>> cp -a /root/modules_backup/2.4.31/sound > /lib/modules/2.4.31/kernel/sound > > Another place to keep backup modules could be: > "/lib/modules_backup/... > but I do not like to put such things into directory space that is package > install territory, as those directories are handled by package-install and > package-remove scripts from the distributor, and it can be hard to find them > later. > > << END INSTALL TEXT >> > > I think these few paragraphs are not too much, and can save some people > considerable wasted time and aggravation. > > Wesley D. Johnson, Linux user since 1994 > > > > . > > > > > > > --- Get FREE High Speed Internet from USFamily.Net! -- http://www.usfamily.net/mkt-freepromo.html --- > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > _______________________________________________ > Alsa-user mailing list > Alsa-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user > -- William G. Unruh | Canadian Institute for| Tel: +1(604)822-3273 Physics&Astronomy | Advanced Research | Fax: +1(604)822-5324 UBC, Vancouver,BC | Program in Cosmology | unruh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Canada V6T 1Z1 | and Gravity | www.theory.physics.ubc.ca/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ Alsa-user mailing list Alsa-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user
