'ello, this is my first time to the list. "Sorry" ahead of time if I step on any toes.

I've had this large tangle with getting my sound to work. I know it works, I had it working before with support compiled into the kernel... but I recompiled the kernel, and forgot the working settings and didn't save the config, so it's as good as gone. All I know is what doesn't work, and that _it can_.

My arrangement:
I have the 2.4.18-i686 kernel. Woody is my package set.

snip of lspci -v:
--------------------------------------
00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 1b)
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82686/A PCI to ISA Bridge
Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0
....
00:07.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. AC97 Audio Controller (rev 21)
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. AC97 Audio Controller
Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 10
I/O ports at cc00 [size=256]
I/O ports at d000 [size=4]
I/O ports at d400 [size=4]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
--------------------------------------

My indicator of success/failure:
Everytime KDE logs in an account, I get the message that /dev/dsp cannot be opened, no such device. The file exists (it's /dev/dsp --> /dev/dsp0). I've already chmod 775'd /devdsp, and I'm assigned to the "audio" group. If this message doesn't show up, I've succeeded.


Here's what's happened as best I can recount:

In kernel compiling, I've attempted using:
Sound card support (obviously)
Creative SBLive! (EMU10K1)
Creative Ensoniq AudioPCI 97 (ES1371)
VIA 82C686 Audio Codec
VIA 82C686 MIDI
OSS Sound Modules:
100% Sound Blaster compatibles (SB16/32/64, ESS, Jazz16) support (NEW)

Sometime, I decided to give ALSA a shot, but when I installed, configured, and compiled, for "via686a -- PCI: VIA 82C686A South Bridge", it told me that the corresponding source for the VIA686 driver didn't exist. However, make doesn't say where from.

find /usr/src/modules/alsa-driver/ -name *via* returns:
----------------------------------
../pci/via686.c
../pci.via8233.c
../alsa-kernel/pci/via686.c
../alsa-kernel/pci.via8233.c

-----------------------------------
Am I missing something?

The ALSA package in Woody is marked beta. I'm still slightly new to Debian; is it possible that the Stable package set can still have problems, and I should be looking forward to the Testing set?

VIA also supports drivers for their southbridge, but when I attempt to install the 2.4 drivers, it won't let me for any kernel other than 2.4.0. I can override the installation script. Good idea, bad idea?

Please! I'm desperate! Anything that pushes me in the right direction would be ambrosia. (New) Kernel, ALSA, something else, I don't care!

Thanks for reading this far!!

Caidence


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