[PlanetCCRMA] alsa-driver upgrade -- synaptic and planetccrma-core

[Fernando Lopez-Lezcano]

On Wed, 2004-12-22 at 13:54, Brad Fuller wrote:
> > Where is that upgrade coming from 
> ccrma
> 
> > (BTW, thanks to fonse006 for the
> > explanation). You can do an "apt-cache policy alsa-driver" to see which
> > package is selected and why. 
> >   
> Ok. As I think I mentioned: I have 1.0.5a-1.cvs.rhfc2.ccrma installed
> with 1.0.6a.... as a candidate

Then you have the planetedge repository active (in addition to
planetcore). 

> > The planetccrma-core packages are empty. They just make sure you have a
> > coherent set of packages installed for the kernel and alsa through
> > requirements. Do a "rpm -q --requires planetccrma-core" to see what I
> > mean). 
> Got it.
> Ok, so I still don't understand the alsa module issue as far as the
> kernel (which is probably a better question on the ALSA list and for
> me to do some reading on the ALSA site, I admit.... but) 
> There is the kernel-module-alsa which has the same versioning of the
> kernel AND which states is equal to the version of alsa installed
> (which I take it as not actually equal to, but is the actual version
> of the alsa kernal module installed and integrated (still unsure of
> this) with the kernel.)
> 
> # rpm -q --requires planetccrma-core
> kernel-2.6.7-1.437.1.11.rhfc2.ccrma-i686
> kernel-module-alsa-kernel-2.6.7-1.437.1.11.rhfc2.ccrma-i686 =
> 1.0.5a-1.cvs.rhfc2.ccrma
> <....more... alsa... module... listing>
> 
> Is this kernel module actually compiled in with the kernel -- making
> it an integral part of the kernel? 

The kernel-module-alsa contains alsa kernel modules compiled for the
kernel that is part of the package name (in this case 2.6.7-1.437.1.ll).
This is in addition to the alsa modules that are part of the kernel
itself. The reason of the kernel-module-alsa and other Planet CCRMA alsa
packages is to have a more up to date version of alsa than the one that
comes with the kernel itself. The added kernel modules take precedence
over the ones in the kernel itself when you use (directly or indirectly)
modprobe. 

> And, the other alsa modules *not* in the kernel but are dependent on
> this kernel module (thus, why it is the same version.).

It is advisable that all alsa-* components be the same version. 

> If this is all true, then it would appear to me that I would have to
> first update an appropriate kernel  and one that would incorporate the
> alsa kernel module.
> 
> #apt-get install kernel
> 
> results in many kernels. How would one know what is the latest that
> supports the latest alsa? I'm sure there is a command for this too. I
> am happy that I remembered the one above! :-)

Well, to make matters more complicated (as if they were not complex
enough) for some of the "experimental" kernels in planetedge I have not
released matching kernel-module-alsa packages, in that case they will
use the built-in alsa that is part of the kernel. 

Hope this clarifies matters a bit...
-- Fernando