I'll try to explain as good as I know. No gurantee, though. Under Unix, drivers are part of the Kernel. So, with a new kernel you get new drivers automatically. However, a linux kernel (and others, too) is somewhat modular, so you can add drivers as modules (similar as with windows, I guess). Since alsa is not yet part of the standard kernel distribution, (that is, it is developed externally) you need of course the drivers build against you current kernel (you hardly can use Win9x drivers with 2k, can you ? The jump from 2.2 to 2.4 is surely not smaller). The service packs under Windows hardly add new functions, Microsoft spares those usually for new version of their OS. In contrast, a new kernel version also likely will have new features next to bug fixes, so they the may differ to the previous ones, so you need to rebuild the drivers for your kernel, since the kernel changed. If you do not want to build a new kernel or "external" drivers like alsa yourself, stick with the kernel your distributor shipped. Modern distributions usually ship with a "correct" alsa, too. I am somewhat sure, your mandrake distribution has an correct alsa package, too. Just puck the right one, likely named (not sure) alsa-2.4.18_xxx-rpm. If not on yours cds, look on their site. If you want to compile your alsa yourself, get the lates sources from www.alsa-project.org.
And for all the pros and cons, Linux is luckily not Windows. Not yet, at least ... Under Windows, drivers often where to blame for instabilities. Under Linux, because of the tighter (maintenance) integration of the drivers, you gain part of that stability that is typical for linux (see for example the problems other people have with those nvidia drivers as how not to do it. nVidia follows pretty much the windos model here. With the bad sides of both worlds. See also the incredible effort microsoft has undertaken with win2k to minimize this problem. Though they're fighting symptoms here, not causes. IMHO, of course). So, basically, if you use linux, I recommend to get used that is different. Neither better or worse in first place, just different. And therefore not insane at all, as Windows probably does not have this developement speed as Linux has (we're still talking about the kernels, not the userland) If you can't accept the difference or do not care about all this (next to the political issues) and are still pissed of, then perhaps linux is not (yet?) the right OS for you. Still, choosing the correct package from your distributor should eliminate at least this problem. I am aware that not all of the stuff is technical 100% correct, but considered as an okish explanation without getting too much into detail. I hope. Feel free to correct me massively, if needed, of course. On Tue, 20 Aug 2002 23:26:33 +1000 Marco Nadal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have just tried > rpm -i alsa-2.2.19_0.5.10b-6.4mdk.i586.rpm > error: failed dependencies: > kernel = 2.2.19-6.4mdk is needed by alsa-2.2.19_0.5.10b-6.4mdk > > This is most enlightening, I have the wrong kernel! > I had a look at the Alsa-sound-mini-HOWTO, but sections 2.1 and 2.4 only > cover the 2.2.x and 2.0.x kernels! My kernel = 2.4.18-6mdk > > Does this mean, you need new drivers for every little incremental kernel > change? Isn't this... insane? I mean, MS Windows NT comes out with a new > service pack every 3 months, imagine if all the sound drivers had to be > rewritten for every service release! > > I mean, Windows 95<->98 have small differences, but you can still use the > same drivers... > > Someone please explain that aspect of the Linux world to me, it seems just... > so ... mindboggling. > > Anyway, is there any alsa package (.src or .rpm) that will suit my kernel? > > Thanks. > > Marco > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > This sf.net email is sponsored by: OSDN - Tired of that same old > cell phone? Get a new here for FREE! > https://www.inphonic.com/r.asp?r=sourceforge1&refcode1=vs3390 > _______________________________________________ > Alsa-user mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user > ------------------------------------------------------- This sf.net email is sponsored by: OSDN - Tired of that same old cell phone? Get a new here for FREE! https://www.inphonic.com/r.asp?r=sourceforge1&refcode1=vs3390 _______________________________________________ Alsa-user mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user
