Re: [gentoo-user] Gentoo-Sources/Vanilla-Sources/Video 4 Linux

[Volker Armin Hemmann]

On Tuesday 30 September 2008, Jon Hardcastle wrote:
> > > > Jon Hardcastle wrote:
> > > > > > > Hi, i have spent the weekend
> >
> > trying to get
> >
> > > > my new
> > > >
> > > > > > Hauppage USB tv stick to
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > work under linux.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have been constantly perplexed
> >
> > by
> >
> > > > references to
> > > >
> > > > > > compilable kernel modules
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > I couldn't see! I assumed it
> >
> > was because
> >
> > > > they
> > > >
> > > > > > referred to old modules or
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > something.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > But having downloaded and booted
> >
> > into
> >
> > > > Knoppix and run
> > > >
> > > > > > make menuconfig on
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > that i have confirmed that kernel
> >
> > seems to
> >
> > > > have
> > > >
> > > > > > 10's of TV card chipset
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > drivers availible to compile
> >
> > whereas
> >
> > > > > > gentoo-sources/vanilla-sources emerged
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > on my machine have maybe 2 or 3.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Can someone offer me some
> >
> > assistance as to
> >
> > > > why this
> > > >
> > > > > > might be?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thank you
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > (This is my first mailing list
> >
> > post - please
> >
> > > > be
> > > >
> > > > > > gentle!)
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > because a large part of the dvb/tv
> >
> > drivers are
> >
> > > > developed
> > > >
> > > > > > outside of the main
> > > > > > kernel tree. Also a large part is
> >
> > hidden under
> >
> > > > > > experimental.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > For my dvb-t stick I need to checkout a
> >
> > mercurial
> >
> > > > rep and
> > > >
> > > > > > do a make, make
> > > > > > install in it do get drivers that work.
> >
> > And with
> >
> > > > > > 'work' I mean: no sound on
> > > > > > first try, but after disconnecting the
> >
> > stick and
> >
> > > > > > reconnecting it, it suddenly
> > > > > > works.
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi, I went thru this process but i still
> >
> > dont have the
> >
> > > > option to add
> > > >
> > > > > support as a kernel module. Should the
> >
> > mercurial add
> >
> > > > steps to the
> > > >
> > > > > menuconfig?
> > > >
> > > > no.
> > > > it just installs all the drivers in the rep as
> >
> > modules. It
> >
> > > > doesn't touch any
> > > > configs at all.
> > >
> > > Hmmm i wonder why i have seen sooo many references to
> >
> > alot more kernel
> >
> > > options than i have in either my gentoo-sources or
> >
> > vanilla-sources.
> >
> > because they patch their kernel.
> >
> > > Is it
> > > possible to 'patch' the kernel source instead
> >
> > of downloading using
> >
> > > mercurial. Also how does it 'know' what kernel
> >
> > to make the modules
> >
> > > available under? I have 3 sets of kernel code on my
> >
> > machine?
> >
> > a) /usr/src/linux
> > b) uname -r
> > c) just make clean && make&& make install
> > for every kernel.
> >
> > Why patch at all? with the rep and make&& make
> > install you get all the
> > drivers. It is not that much 'overhead' compared to
> > the work of patching the
> > kernel. And you don't even need to worry about which
> > driver you need -
> > autoloading will do that for you ;)
>
> Hi, cheers for all your help so far. If you are sure they were patching the
> kernel and hence the extra options I am happy to draw a line under that
> line of investigation.. as i wondered if i was using the wrong kernel or
> something.
>
> Secondly I dont really understand the commands you have given me there. I
> have my 3 kernels yes at /usr/src with a symlink pointing to my active one
> which DOESN'T have any DVB stuff compiled in at all. I got the latest
> gentoo-sources kernel to experiment with and ultimately to switch over to,
> booted into it.. and downloaded the v4l using mercurial did the make
> install and it all worked grandly. but how do i know where it has put its
> modules, if it puts them under /usr/src/linux or gets any kernal info from
> there then they are in the wrong place. But if it is clever enough to know
> what kernel i am currently booted into and put them in the correct place
> accordingly then I am still stumped as i cant get this blasted card to
> work.

it should put the modules in the correct lib/modules/`uname -r `directory. 
What doesn't work? Do you load the right modules? Is it sound?

>
> Can you also recommend some kernel debug options i can turn on? Can they be
> done as parameters to the kernel instead of compiled in? i have plug and
> play debug and some USB debug but i'd like more!

no, not really. All problems I ever had were 'it just doesn't work, use 
external modules', 'no sound, reconnect card' and 'no sound, because I forgot 
to unmute someone'.