[ltp] Sound on Thinkpad 600

[/dev/rob0]

On Monday 28 February 2005 21:39, JP Shipherd wrote:
> There comes a time when one must admit they need help.  I did my
> first ever linux install on my Thinkpad 600 and I must confess I'm

Is this first ever GNU/Linux, or just the first time on the Thinkpad? 
Assuming the former, realise that you're NOT using up-to-date hardware. 
That fact is fine for people like me, but it tends to convey the wrong 
impression to those who have no experience. They don't know what to 
expect.

The reason why sound on a 600 is more difficult is simple: that's an 
ISA-based audio controller. Newer machines with PCI audio are a breeze 
to set up, especially with newer distros.

> I'm running RedHat kernel 2.4.21-15.EL

That's an old kernel. You didn't mention what Red Hat release. If it's 
one of the ones from before the Fedora split, dump it. Get yourself a 
more recent distro.

2.6.x kernels include ALSA support, so you don't have to mess with that 
side of it. Many recent distros have 2.6.x kernels, including Mandrake 
and Ubuntu. Probably Fedora as well.

> I *think* that I have built and installed the ALSA drivers, libraries
> and tools (ie: the make installs all worked) but am not sure how to

More recent distros (and likely even old Red Hats) include all you need 
for ALSA, so you don't have to fight with all of this.

> Thanks to some of the archives I've tried putting a few things in the
> /etc/modprobe.conf file.  Currently it looks like

Okay, modprobe.conf indicates a newer distro. Why not just install the 
packages for ALSA?

These files are generated (appended to perhaps) by alsaconf(8). I don't 
generate them manually ... and I know enough to be able to do that! I 
suggest you try running "alsaconf".

>    /sbin/modprobe snd-cs4236

Make sure no snd* drivers are loaded before you do this. "lsmod" and 
rmmod(8) whatever you need to.

> I get a bunch of warnings and dmesg tells me:
>
>   CS4236+ soundcard not found or device busy
>
> I saw one thread that suggested I run
>
>    /sbin/modprobe snd-cs4236 index=0 port=0x530 cport=0x538 irq=5
> dma1=1 dma2=0 isapnp=0

To load drivers for ISA devices, you often must specify such  
parameters. These too can go in modprobe.conf(5).

> Note that /sbin/lscpci does not seem to show any soundcards though.

Right. It's ISA. (And that's "lspci".)

> I feel like I'm swinging around without really understanding what is
> going on.  I realize that this issue has been answered before in this
> forum, but if anyone has the inclination, I could use some
> step-by-step help.

I think you're doing a good job of trying to help yourself here. What 
you're trying to do is definitely achievable, but you can make it 
easier on yourself.
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