Re: [Alsa-user] please help

[Eric D. R. <er...@zh...>]

Hi Inor,

Please try to keep replies like this on the list. If you reply just to
me I might not get a chance to answer for several days. If you reply to
the list then everyone there can help you and you don't have to depend
just on my limited knowledge and time. :) 

attempted answers below....

Inor Kuo wrote:
> 
> hey eric,
> thanks for the reply.  i tried to install the 0.9.0beta12 version but
> when i tried the command make install, it gave me an error.
>  /sbin/depmod -a -F /lib/modules/2.4.9-31/build/System.map

If you ls -la /lib/modules/2.4.9-31 you will probably see that build/ is
a link to /usr/src/linux which is where you should have the complete
sources installed for the kernel you are running. Presumably you are
using kernel 2.4.9-31. 

> 2.4.9-31custom
> depmod: Can't read /lib/modules/2.4.9-31/build/System.map
> make: ***[install-modules] Error 1.  i have the directory
> /lib/modules/2.4.9-31/build but i don't have System.map whatever that
> means???

(disclaimer: I only vaguely understand what I'm saying here)

System.map, as I understand it, is a mapping between the symbols exposed
by the kernel and their respective memory locations. Since the alsa
drivers will be loaded into the kernel as modules they need to know
where in the kernel's memory space to look for the kernel symbols that
they need to access. Therefore, the alsa-driver build process that you
kick off with 'make install' needs to have access to the System.map. The
build process expects to find System.map in /lib/modules/`uname
-r`/build/ (actually /usr/src/linux/, remember the symlink). However,
System.map is not left in /usr/src/linux after a kernel compile on my
system, and apparently not on yours or several other people's either.
And this is the crux of your problem.

So, the easiest way I know of to work around this is to:

cd /usr/src/linux
ln -s /boot/System.map-`uname -r` System.map

(uname -r returns the version of the currently running kernel. Putting
this command inside back quotes causes the shell to insert the result of
that command into the command line.)

/boot/ must contain a copy of the System.map for a given kernel in order
for that kernel to boot.

So that answers your question, I hope. What I don't understand is why
this is necessary. Is there some way the alsa configuration could be
made to find System.map in /boot on it's own?


> i think i read on the forum that you have redhat 7.2 on ur
> machine and a tv card also.  

I have neither redhat 7.2 nor a tv card. I'm currently running Debian
Woody. Previously I used Mandrake 7.0 at home and RedHat 6.x at work.

> i have a hauppage wintv card with remote
> and i want to get that setup if i ever figure out this sound thing.  i
> tried searching on google for some help but i'm new at this linux
> thing and i'm getting nowhere. 

We were all new to Linux at some point. If you just keep trying you will
eventually get somewhere and probably be happy. If you haven't already
checked them out, there are a number of sites and mailing lists out
there dedicated to helping new linux users get started. I started out by
participating in local Linux Users Groups. Perhaps there is a LUG in
your area?

> thanks for your help.  i really
> appreciate it.

Sure. No problem. Others helped me and hopefully soon you will be
helping others, too.

> 
> inor

-Eric Rz.

> 
> er...@zh... wrote:
> 
> > Inor Kuo wrote:
> >
> >> i am new to linux, and i am using onboard sound via8233 ac97.  i
> >> have
> >> redhat 7.2 with kernel updated to version 2.4.9-31.  when i try to
> >> install alsa following the directions from the via website, it
> >> gives me
> >> problems when i try to do modprobe snd-card-via8233.
> >>
> >                                          ^^^^
> > Hopefully you are using the latest alsa-0.9.0beta12 version. In this
> > version there is no -card- in the module name. It is simply
> > snd-via8233.
> >
> >>  says it can't
> >> locate the module.  i was able to install alsa under kernel
> >> 2.4.7-10 but
> >> the sound quality was really bad.  i downloaded the oss driver for
> >> the
> >> same sound card and it sounded much better.  i thought maybe if i
> >> upgraded the kernel and reinstalled alsa it would make a
> >> difference but
> >> i can't even get it working.  please help.  any suggestions would
> >> be great.
> >> inor
> >>
> > -Eric Rz.
> >