From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from lists.gentoo.org ([140.105.134.102] helo=robin.gentoo.org) by nuthatch.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DtGuG-00082P-Fm for garchives@archives.gentoo.org; Fri, 15 Jul 2005 03:30:32 +0000 Received: from robin.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by robin.gentoo.org (8.13.4/8.13.4) with SMTP id j6F3TTgM012652; Fri, 15 Jul 2005 03:29:29 GMT Received: from smtp.cs.nyu.edu (SMTP.CS.NYU.EDU [128.122.140.230]) by robin.gentoo.org (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id j6F3PxI8002102 for ; Fri, 15 Jul 2005 03:25:59 GMT Received: from localhost.localdomain (ool-4355e59d.dyn.optonline.net [67.85.229.157]) (authenticated bits=0) by smtp.cs.nyu.edu (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id j6F3QAlp002590 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT) for ; Thu, 14 Jul 2005 23:26:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: by localhost.localdomain (Postfix, from userid 1502) id E5A774F39E; Thu, 14 Jul 2005 23:26:05 -0400 (EDT) To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Interesting install experience References: <42D68BB2.2090103@gentoo.org> <42D6BE03.2060505@gentoo.org> From: Allan Gottlieb Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 23:26:05 -0400 In-Reply-To: <42D6BE03.2060505@gentoo.org> (Daniel Drake's message of "Thu, 14 Jul 2005 20:33:23 +0100") Message-ID: User-Agent: Gnus/5.1006 (Gnus v5.10.6) Emacs/21.4 (gnu/linux) Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Archives-Salt: 43c2e7a1-efca-4066-a067-d92aae7b48df X-Archives-Hash: 7804489111423ed8bf1a73c50c44fad5 At Thu, 14 Jul 2005 20:33:23 +0100 Daniel Drake wrote: > Allan Gottlieb wrote: >> *Very* interesting. Please let us know when the documentation is >> available. I have build everything into the kernel (including alsa) >> and so far it is working well, but I haven't stressed audio. What >> problems should I be looking for and do you advise rebuilding the >> kernel with alsa as modules even if we don't experience trouble with >> everything built in? (I should have said all but nvidia built in). > > It's fine to build ALSA into the kernel if you are happy to configure it, > which usually isn't too much hassle anyway. > > The reasoning behind compiling ALSA as modules is that it then gives you the > option of using 'alsaconf'. > > alsaconf is a great little utility, which, providing you have built the > modules, will configure pretty much any sound card for you, set up the system > for autoloading the relevant modules and saving/restoring volume, and unmuting > the channels. > > I came across it when i was attempting to get an ISA sound card going in an > old computer. It just didn't work when built into the kernel or loading the > module manually. I discovered alsaconf, which did some weird probing, and 20 > secs later informed me of 4 cryptic parameters that were needed to pass to the > module in order to find the sound card, as well as doing everything else I > described above. > > Recently at work, I built *all* alsa drivers as modules, and proceeded to test > 30-40 sound cards that we had lying around. ALSA supported every one of them > that wasn't so broken that it stopped the PC booting, and alsaconf made it > dead easy even with the older PCI cards and the ISA ones too. > > So, the advantage of building ALSA modules is that you can use alsaconf, which > in most cases makes initial configuration a little bit simpler, and in some > cases is a complete lifesaver. thank you for the lucid explanation. > You might be interested in our recently revamped ALSA guide: > http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/alsa-guide.xml It is indeed much improved since I last used it. > And also, if you are interested in the upcoming kernel config doc, then you > can add yourself to the CC list on http://bugs.gentoo.org/94955 Done. Thanks again, allan -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list