configuring alsa drivers on Debian 3.0r2 (2.4.18-bf2.4)

[Gary Parker <reverend@churchofbacon.org>]

I just installed Debian 3.0r2 with kernel 2.4.18-br2.4 on a new computer with 
on board sound.  The manufacturer of the board, ASUS, provided alsa drivers,
alsa-driver-0.9.1adi.tgz, on a CD along with a README file:

*** Begin README ***
Instructions for Installing the ALSA Driver

1. Copy the distribution zip file to the target machine. This zip file
is password protected. The password is in the notification email.

2. Unzip the distribution zip. It will ask you for the password.

        unzip <distribution-file-name>

3. You should have the ALSA driver tar file and this document.
Untar the ALSA files with the command:

        tar xvzf alsa-driver-0.9.1ADI.tgz

4. You should have a directory called alsa-driver-0.9.1adi. CD to
that directory and follow the standard ALSA build instructions in
the file INSTALL.

        cd alsa-driver-0.9.1adi

5. To read the INSTALL file type:

        more INSTALL

6. The three basic commands needed to build the AC97 ALSA driver
are summarize here:  (These commands should be executed from the
root account.)

        ./configure --with-cards=intel8x0
--with-kernel=/usr/src/kernel-headers-2.4.18-bf2.4
        make install
        ./snddevices

7. Edit /etc/modules.conf and add the following lines:

# ALSA native device support
alias char-major-116 snd
options snd major=116 cards_limit=1
alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0

# OSS/Free setup
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-intel8x0
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
post-install sound-slot-0 /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -L > 
 /dev/null 2>&1 || :
pre-remove sound-slot-0 /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -S > 
 /dev/null 2>&1 || :

9. Reboot your system.

10. Please read the ALSA INSTALL file for more information.
*** End README ***

The INSTALL file had "quick install" steps which appear to be from alsa.  The
only thing I got from reading that was to run "# modprobe snd-intel8x0", which I
did.

When KDE starts I get and error message:
*** Begin Error message ***
Sound Server Informational Messsage
  Error while initializing sound driver:
  divice /dev/dsp can't be opened (Permisson Denied)

  The sound server will continue, using the null output device
*** End Error message ***

I changed he permissions on /dev/dsp and /dev/dsp0 and added myself to the audio
group.  Now the error is (no such device).

I'm not sure where to go from here.  Any suggestions would be helpful.

Gary Parker
Cayuse, Oregon