Installing the 2.6.5 Kernel and Sound Issues

[Martin McCormick]

	I just installed the Linux-2.6.5 kernel on a system and am in
the process of installing it on another very similar, but not
identical system.

	I see that everything is going toward ALSA and away from what
is called the open sound system.  If I can make ALSA work, that's
fine, but I have a couple of questions.

	Does ALSA support the /dev/dsp 8-bit device?  I have been
using it for quick and dirty sound applications for a couple of years
and it is extremely quick and easy to use as long as one's systems is
working properly.  The audio is fine for voice and, at a sample rate
of 8,000 samples per second, it doesn't eat up too much disk space
compared with stereo CD PCM at 44.1 16-bit samples per second.

	There is also a /dev/audio device that will decode Mu-law
encoded audio such as is found on ISDN and other digital telephone
networks.

	I would hate to see all those devices go away.  Since the ALSA
isn't working yet on my home P.C, I can't tell whether it supports
these lower-bandwidth devices or not.  Right now, it just tells me it
is unable to run so no audio devices exist.

	On my work P.C., I installed the 2.6.5 kernel and selected the
open sound system and not ALSA and the /dev/dsp device came right up
and is producing normal sound.

Martin McCormick