alsa works from CD, not after HD install....?

[BillS]

Folks;
I am trying to get audio out of my Dell with the i810 chip set. Alsa works when the system is booted from a CD (3.3 || 3.4). But it does not work after the HD install (3.3 2004.2.26).
I added alsa to the lilo.config.
I have manually run alsa_init and alsa_snddevices:

root@lp2:~# alsa_init
Preparing modules for alsa...
Building card database..
Configuring intel8x0...
Running update-modules...
Creating snddevices...
Setting default volumes...
root@lp2:~# alsa_snddevices
Creating /dev/mixer?... done
Creating /dev/sequencer... done
Creating /dev/midi?... done
Creating /dev/dsp?... done
Creating /dev/audio?... done
Creating /dev/sndstat... done
Creating /dev/music... done
Creating /dev/dmmidi?... done
Creating /dev/dmfm?... done
Creating /dev/amixer?... done
Creating /dev/adsp?... done
Creating /dev/amidi?... done
Creating /dev/admmidi?... done
create symbolic link `/dev/mixer' to `/dev/mixer0'
create symbolic link `/dev/midi' to `/dev/midi0'
create symbolic link `/dev/dsp' to `/dev/dsp0'
create symbolic link `/dev/audio' to `/dev/audio0'
create symbolic link `/dev/sequencer2' to `/dev/music'
create symbolic link `/dev/adsp' to `/dev/adsp0'
create symbolic link `/dev/amidi' to `/dev/amidi0'
ALSA dynamic sound device filesystem
create symbolic link `/dev/snd' to `/proc/asound/dev'
ALSA loader devices
Creating /dev/aload?... done
Creating /dev/aloadSEQ... done
root@lp2:~# alsa
alsa_init       alsa_snddevices alsamixer       
root@lp2:~# alsamixer 

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory

The messages doesn't really explain what the 'default' device is that is missing. From the messages below, I l.ooked for '/dev/snd-card-0' with no luck. Also it is not in the MAKEDEV; and there is no man
During the CD boot install, it said all the insmods had errors, but things still worked.
Other logging files contained:

----xconsole----

Jun 23 13:14:25 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: init_module: No such device
Jun 23 13:14:25 lp2 insmod: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, includin
g invalid IO or IRQ parameters.       You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
Jun 23 13:14:25 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: insmod snd-card-0 failed
Jun 23 13:14:25 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: init_module: No such device
Jun 23 13:14:25 lp2 insmod: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, includin
g invalid IO or IRQ parameters.       You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
Jun 23 13:14:25 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: insmod snd-card-0 failed

----/syslog---
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: Warning: ignoring device_gid=29, no such parameter in this module
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: Warning: ignoring device_mode=0660, no such parameter in this module
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: Module snd loaded, with warnings
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 kernel: Intel ICH soundcard not found or device busy
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: init_module: No such device
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, includin
g invalid IO or IRQ parameters.       You may find mo
re information in syslog or the output from dmesg
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: insmod snd-card-0 failed
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 kernel: Intel ICH soundcard not found or device busy
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: /lib/modules/extra/alsa/snd-intel8x0.o: init_module: No such device
Jun 23 13:11:43 lp2 insmod: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, includin
g invalid IO or IRQ parameters.       You may find mo
re information in syslog or the output from dmesg
 <<lots more of these>>

So what is the difference?? Why no sound? I did an apt-get upgrade also. A lot of kxxx stuff was held back, but nothing 'alsaxxxx' labeled was..

BillS

[fingers99]

Two things to try (although a search here for alsa will throw up others).

Sound cards are notoriously prone to IRQ conflicts. Try setting the bios to non plug and play OS.

One stunt both myself and Cuddles found worked for us was to boot knoppix from a CD with the knoppix alsa cheatcode and install from a Konsole in KDE. This seems to give a static ALSA (that is, it doesn't rely on shared libraries): it also cut out Cuddles static! Known to work (sometimes, at least) on 3.3, but AFAIK untried in 3.4.

[Cuddles]

As Fingers99 said,

I used the alsa cheatcode on booting the Live CD, and it appeared that when I did a hard drive install from that boot, I got alsa inherited, only way I can explain it.

I have not had a chance to try this out in v3.4 yet, but, it did work when I did it with v3.3, so, I will probably try the same thing when I "upgrade" with v3.4...

I am planing to do this upgrade the 4th of July weekend -=- I have a four day weekend away from work because of the holiday, and seems fitting that having four days I should be able to "gut" my system, install, and get all my "apt-get install" 's done, during that time.

If this "inheriting" process doesn't work with v3.4, as it did with v3.3, I will probably be posting on howto here shortly after the install. Funny, if this alsa is supposed to be the next OSS for Knoppix/Linux - why is it so difficult to get it going ???????? ( I am also watching a email group forum on alsa topics, and all I hear is problems with this card, that card, installing, configuring, not working, kernel compiles, etc... It appears to be a lot more of a pain that it is worth. I don't know, but a lot of programs like alsa, so I go with it. )

I will keep you posted BillS, unless you get to try this theory out before me,
Ms. Cuddles

[Cuddles]

Sorry to report that using alsa on the Live CD boot of Knoppix v3.4, and then doing a knoppix-installer -=- DOES NOT inherit on the Hard Drive installation -=- I am currently battling the alsa problem in the HDD Install Forum at the moment ...

From the HDD Install Forum - Topic/Thread "Hdd Install of v3.4 2.6.6 - shopping list of probs"...

This is what happened, after using "Linux26 alsa ..." on the boot prompt, of the v3.4 Live CD, and then doing a "knoppix-installer" with the option of doing a "debian-like" install to the hard drive...

ALSA is apparently there, but not functioning properly - I have the complete ALSA folder structure, but in /proc/asound/cards - the contents of the file are "no soundcards"

I have manually tried to run the alsa init, and the alsa autoconfig, and even the alsa snd config - nothing appears to set up alsa to a working state - arts has already been disabled - but alsamixer can not be used, and using alsactl returns the "bash command not found" -=- Funny thing is that I do get sound, just not sure what I can do, and where it is coming from - arts is disabled, alsamixer says "function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device", and even alsactl says "command not found" - but XMMS plays, Kaffeine plays ( I have no clue )

Ms. Cuddles