How to get alsa to detect legacy ISA cards in 2.12

[duslow]

The 2.12 version of puppy seems have an incorrect alsa setting in the default /etc/modprobe.conf file. First it assumes that you have a soundblaster card indicated by the use of the module "sb". Secondly, the sb kernel module does not exist in either the non zdrv included iso or the iso that includes the zdrv_212.sfs file.

The problem is that these default settings seem to confuse alsaconf from detecting legacy soundblaster ISA sound cards (this may also effect other non-soundblaster cards and possibly PCI cards as well).

Below are the default settings found in /etc/modprobe.conf

Code: Select all

alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss
options sb io=0x220 irq=7 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330

I have a sb16pnp compatible sound card that is supported by alsa so alsaconf should detect it.

What I did to solve the issue was to edit the /etc/modprobe.conf and remove all those entries and reboot the machine (there may be other ways other then a reboot, but to be safe, just reboot). After the machine restarts, I ran alsaconf again and it successfully detected my ISA card using the sb16 module.

Now the /etc/modprobe.conf file has the following correct entries:

Code: Select all

alias snd-card-0 snd-sb16
alias snd-slot-0 snd-sb16
options snd-sb16 isapnp=0

I have no way to confirm if this procedure works for non soundblaster cards, but it is certainly worth a try if you are having issues with alsaconf detecting your sound card.

Also, it is important to note that if you download the puppy iso that doesn't have the zdrv_212.sfs file included (found in "/"), you should download that file from http://puptrix.org/isos/Puppylinux-official/2.12/ and copy it to "/". That file contains more ISA sound card kernel modules that alsaconf will detect and install in /lib/modules/2.6.18.1/kernel/sound/isa.

Hope this helps!

[klhrevolutionist]

Great work & thanks for posting.

[mrwilloby]

Thanks very much for this solution! I had the exact same issue and this resolved it for me.

[cegil]

I am using puppy 2.13 and just tried this procedure to try to
get ALSA to find my AD1816 sound card. I checked before
running alsa and I have zdrv_213.sfs

[ralfehr]

I've installed Puppy 2.13 full drivers to my hard drive on a ReiserFS partition using the live CD. It installed fine except the old ISA ESS1869 sound card won't work. It works after using alsaconf when booting from the live CD, but if I try to use alsaconf when booting from the hard drive after the install it won't find legacy drivers. The zdrv_213.sfs file is present at / but alsaconf is looking for the drivers in the /lib/modules... and not finding them.

Does anyone know how I could solve this?

[klhrevolutionist]

Out of curiosity did you follow the instructions in the post ?

[ralfehr]

Yes, I've tried deleting the lines in this post. The problem isn't that it won't try to find the legacy cards, it is that it can't find any of the drivers. I've looked at where it is trying to find them /lib/modules.... but the only one there is for SB16.

[ralfehr]

I finally got it working. The problem is that all of the sound card modules are missing from the directory and alsaconf is looking for them in 2.6.18.5 but the directory is named 2.6.18.1. I copied the directory for 2.6.18.5 from Vector which I had installed on another partition. Alsaconf still wouldn't work because none of the sound modules were listed in the modules.dep file so I copied that file from Vector also. After that alsaconf worked perfectly and now so does the sound.

[petertosh]

Ok, i have the same problem. Can you tell me wich directory you copy from vector?

In fact, i can't burn any CD, my cd-burnner is broken
Maybe i could find the same directory from DSL(the only distribution where i have sound^^)

Thanks to help me.

:=)

[tempestuous]

Modules are kernel-specific, so don't use ALSA modules from Vector Linux (or DSL). You run the risk of the module not working properly.
Puppy's zdrv system relies on pre-loading or "fetching" the modules you need, but there are reports that this system sometimes fails to work with a full HD install. The fix is to mount the zdrv file, and copy its contents into /lib/modules/
Instructions are here - http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 1735#91735
Now you will have fully compatible kernel modules available.
alsaconf should then work properly.

[ralfehr]

Thanks for your helpful suggestion. I tried following the instructions for mounting the zdrv_212.sfs file but it kept complaining about no such file or directory even though I can see it in /. I tried changing the mount command but then it complained about an invalid argument or not in /etc/fstab or need to mount a block device. I can't get the mount to work...any ideas?

[klhrevolutionist]

The new puppy (Puppy 2.14) does not even support isa....

I do hope that the next release brings back the support. I understand a lot of people are using puppy on these new high tech machines, but many of us are still using the oldies.

[jhecht]

The new puppy (Puppy 2.14) does not even support isa....

Is this true? That would be a DARN good reason why my ISA Sound Blaster Awe 64 PnP card is NOT recognized with my 2.14 HD install.

I posted about this under "Bugs" but no one has shed any light on the issue until I read this thread.

Any possible fix other than a new sound card?

[tempestuous]

The new puppy (Puppy 2.14) does not even support isa....

This is not true.
Just recently I had a chance to check this. I installed Puppy 2.14 on an old Pentium2 containing an ISA sound card with ESS1868 chip.

alsaconf detects the sound card just fine, and I'm using it right now to play audio files with Gxine.
I have a full HD installation, but I just checked the situation running from liveCD, and the ISA sound card works fine there, too.
When I ran alsaconf, I could see and hear Puppy accessing the CD as it loaded the legacy ALSA modules.

[Jonj1611]

Hi,

I am using Puppy 2.15CE, I cannot get it to detect my ISA soundcard in the laptop, neither can I find this file

/etc/modprobe.conf

Would it be located anywhere else?

Thanks
Jon

[Jonj1611]

Does anyone know where it might be located?

Thanks
Jon

[cegil]

I can see it in: home> .etc> modprobe.conf

Did you expand the home, first,
then click on the shortcut to .etc,
then click on modprobe.conf to see it?