Re: Red Hat control-panel and sndconfig

[Brad <lists@anomie.dhs.org>]

On Sun, 30 May 1999, Barry Kauler wrote:

> Another newbie question.
> Those of us with a Red Hat background use control-panel
> to configure the printer and sndconfig to configure sound.
> When in Debian as a newbie, it is not at all obvious how
> to do these things.
> 
> Is it legal and will it work, to install
> control-panel and sndconfig in a Debian system?

Will it work, i have no idea. Is it legal? Probably, i don't think the
Distro Police will come down on you for it ;)

> sndconfig for example does some autodetection of the
> sound device, and writes to /etc/isapnp.conf, /etc/conf.modules,
> and /etc/sysconfig/soundcard.

/etc/isapnp.conf should work, but you need isapnptools installed for that
to do anything. /etc/conf.modules shouldn't be directly modified in
Debian; instead, you're supposed to edit the files in /etc/modutils. So
that part wouldn't work as intended. /etc/sysconfig/soundcard i assume is
a configuration file for the configuration program itself, so that
shouldn't present a problem.

Here's a Debian way to do it:
0. Install kernel-package and dependancies, and isapnptools.
1. Know the numbers (at worst, copy isapnp.conf from your RedHat install)
   for the sound card.
2. Use pnpdump --config > isapnp.conf, and make sure the generated
   isapnp.conf has the right lines uncommented out for your numbers. If it
   doesn't, somehow fix it (either change the numbers to match reality or
   change your concept of reality to match the numbers')
3. Get the kernel-source package, or download from ftp.XX.kernel.org
   (where XX=your country) (RedHat doesn't require this? Or do they
   modulize every possible sound module in their distribution kernel?)
4. Recompile the kernel with sound support. Basic instructions are in the
   Debian FAQ, section 11
5. Install the new kernel and reboot.
6. Check the mailing list archives if it didn't work. Mail the list if
   there's nothing in the archives.

Note that you will need to choose the proper sound options for sound to
work, read the kernel docs for details. Also, you have to build them as
modules if you need to use isapnp. Once inapnp runs (it should
automagically on boot), you just insmod or modprobe the proper modules.

Also, i've heard rumours of random autodetection being worked on for
Debian... Don't know anything more about that, just rumours. (i'm sure
someone else will follow up with the facts)