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ALSA packages version 0.5.X are now officially deprecated and no |
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longer supported by the ALSA developers[1]. Gentoo now offers |
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packages to compile and install the latest version of ALSA packages |
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from the 0.9 tree. Namely, the following Ebuild scripts have been |
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updated to 0.9.0rc1, committed to the portage tree and unmasked: |
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|
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alsa-driver |
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alsa-lib |
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alsa-utils |
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alsa-oss |
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alsa-tools |
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|
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Feel free to update your portage tree and install them. If you are |
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upgrading from the previous versions, please first have a look at the |
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upgrade instructions below. |
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|
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|
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Installing ALSA for the first time |
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================================== |
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|
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If you want to install ALSA modules for the first time, make sure that |
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you have generic sound support compiled into your kernel |
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(CONFIG_SOUND=y), but don't compile in any other sound-related |
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drivers. Then merge the above packages, update /etc/modules.d/alsa |
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file, and you should be on your way. |
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|
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|
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Upgrading from any previous version |
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=================================== |
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|
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Note that ALSA's sound card kernel modules' names have changed! For |
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instance, what previously was 'snd-card-emu10k1' is now named |
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'snd-emu10k1'. |
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|
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Also note that the alsa init script has changed. Make sure that you |
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get rid of any old alsa-related init scripts in /etc/init.d. To use |
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the new init script (/etc/init.d/alsasound) you *have* to edit |
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/etc/modules.d/alsa to specify the correct driver for your hardware. |
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After you edit it, make sure to run `update-modules' script. The new |
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strartup script takes care of loading the sound hardware modules and |
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restoring mixer settings at boot time. |
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|
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|
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Upgrading from previously masked 0.9.X packages |
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=============================================== |
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|
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There had been some confusion with alsa package 0.9 version numbering |
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in the past. If you have any alsa packages with versions 0.9.0.1_rc10 |
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installed, you need do the following, *before* installing the new |
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version: |
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|
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1. Unmerge your current alsa packages (this is very important, or |
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else portage will think that you have a newer version of ALSA |
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installed). |
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2. Make sure that your /usr/portage/profiles/package.mask file is |
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up-to-date and contains the following lines: |
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|
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~media-sound/alsa-utils-0.9.0.1_beta10 |
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~media-libs/alsa-lib-0.9.0.1_beta10 |
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~media-libs/alsa-oss-0.9.0.1_beta10 |
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|
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This should happen automatically when you update your portage |
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tree, unless you update /usr/portage with CVS (in which case |
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there *may* be a CVS conflict around those lines). |
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3. Only then follow the installation instructions below. |
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|
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|
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Upgrading from 0.5.X packages |
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============================= |
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|
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If you have been using alsa 0.5.X series alsa drivers and libraries, |
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some applications may stop working for you. In any case, it might be |
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a good idea to recompile all applications with native ALSA support |
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after you install ALSA 0.9. Gentoo's package for 0.9.X drivers |
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installs a symlink libasound.so.1 -> libasound.so.2 in /usr/lib, which |
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should work in most cases; however, some applications may still break. |
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So, unless you are ready to spend some time debugging the possible |
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problems, it may be best for you not to upgrade to 0.9 right away, but |
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wait for a few days. |
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|
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If you want to upgrade to 0.9, simply unmerge your previous alsa |
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packages, and then merge the new packages. |
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|
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|
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Footnotes: |
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[1] See http://alsa-project.org/ |
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-- |
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Arcady Genkin |