http://www.sonic.net/~rknop/linux/debian_alsa.html <-- do I need to compile a kernel for this? I tried skipping to the Make ALSA Modules section, but I can''t find the right directory to run the "make-kpkg --revision 1 --append-to-version version modules_image" command in Can I use the kernel I have now (2.4.20-bf2.4), or do I have to do all the steps there? (or maybe there''s another way of doing it?)

You do need to compile a kernel to follow those instructions but you don''t need to compile a kernel to build alsa-source. Follow the instructions in /usr/share/doc/alsa-source/README.Debian.gz for steps to follow to do it without building a new kernel (the steps labeled "Using the scripts in ...").

By the way: while it''s not very well documented, the ''bf'' kernels are meant just for installation and are to be replaced afterward. They are almost never updated because of this.

Does the 2.6 have alsa inside?

quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster
Does the 2.6 have alsa inside?

Yep. Under Device Drivers, Sound, Advanced Linux Sound Architecture.

I''m such an idiot

I''d installed the 2.6 kernel before (using dselect), just to see if I could see any different, so my lilo menu had "linux", "oldlinux" and my other 2 OSs on it. But, when I installed it before, the old kernel still worked fine, but if I tried to use the new one I got a VFS error saying it couldn''t mount the root fs, and I needed to change "root="

Since I wasn''t overly fussed, I just uninstalled it and carried on using the old one, without removing the new option from lilo

So, when I tried to install the 2.6 kernel again today, I still only have 2 options - linux and oldlinux, but whichever one I choose I still get the same error message, presumably because both linux and oldlinux are now the 2.6 kernel

I used the "make system bootable" thing on the installation disc, but that didn''t help

Any ideas of what I can do to fix this?

quote: Original post by metal leper
Any ideas of what I can do to fix this?

Boot off a boot disk/CDROM and make /etc/lilo.conf point to the correct kernel(s) (and then run lilo, making sure to have it use the correct config file and place the boot loader on the correct partition) or chroot and "apt-get install" a new kernel.

I''ve heard Debian''s GRUB package lists more than just the two most recent kernels, if you want to give that a try. I''ve been happy enough with LILO, so I never have tried GRUB myself.

Big thanks to Null and Void - my kernel problem is fixed

I don''t understand, I followed those intrustions exactly (using option b to build the drivers), and I installed the .deb with kpackage, without any errors and yet I still have no sound (hovering over the volume control gives a message saying no audio device, and cliking on it gives the error "Couldn''t open mixer device /dev/sound/mixer")

I''m using the 2.4.18-5-686 kernel, with the right kernel headers and all the things that the readme says to install wtih apt-get I have the lastest versions of, but even after restarting I have no sound

I doubt I''ve given enough information for anyone to be able to tell me the problem, but I don''t know what else there is to tell you

Any ideas?

Does the user you''re running as have adequite permissions to use /dev/sound/mixer? I haven''t checked if it''s the same with Debian''s ALSA setup as with Debian''s OSS (I''d guess it would be), but you should be able to get permissions by adding the user to the "audio" group (and then logging out as that user and back in). You can add a user to a group with (as root): "adduser user group". Run "groups" to see what groups the user running it has.

Thank you so much null and void! I have sound now

Any other groups I should add myself to? I''m a member of src and audio