Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

Since we now have two ISA-less computers and several others with onboard 
PCI sound chips, I tried my 2.4.31 kernel with one PCI sound card (es1371, 
ESS AudioPCI).  Our Emachine only boots (via loadlin, anyway, which 
intereferes with Xvesa) with 2.4.31.  (I still have to try it with lilo 
and 2.2.X).

I was getting error messages trying to insmod all of the PCI sound card 
modules (es1370, es1371, trident, etc.):
insmod:  unresolved symbol gameport_register_port 
insmod:  unresolved symbol gameport_unregister_port

Web research reveals that the whole series of 2.4.X kernels has this but - 
gameport can be built only as a module, and this module MUST be inserted 
before the other sound modules will work.  (I tried compiling without it).
It is NOT listed in modules.dep.

insmod gameport - it stops complaining.

(The sound card works in 2.2.16, needs powered speakers, and does not 
sound very good compared to the powered SB16 cards.)

This is now my third problem with 2.4.31.

I could not compile the aic7xxx.o module, only compile it built-in.
No such problem in 2.2.16.

As confirmed by web research, in kernel 2.4.31 usbserial does not insert 
as a module, it would need to be built in along with usbcore and uhci. 
Usbserial inserts properly in 2.2.26.  It is needed by the USB PDA.

Why is 2.4.31 so buggy?  Unfortunately the older kernels won't boot our 
Emachine (our only computer with USB port in front) so if I get pilot-link 
to work I will have to compile a special usb-built-in kernel for it.

In the course of experimentation with usbserial and gameport/sound, I have 
remodeled my 2.4.31 kernel (with modular scsi, sound, and fb support):

1.  Deleted wireless LAN support since our only wireless card won't even 
work on our newest laptop in WIndows with the software it came with.
2.  Added IDEFLOPPY support (for IDE zip drives and LS120 drives) 
built-in.  (My partner has three of these)
3.  Added aic79xx as module (we have this SCSI controller onboard).
4.  Added WD ethernet module, the other Voodoo FB and the Trident FB 
modules, and removed ATI Radeon and GX (we don't have those, just IIC, PRO 
LT, and 128).

I will post this kernel as bzimasm2.431 (8.3 for use with loadlin) along 
with configsm2.431 at http://keesan.freeshell.org/bl/2.4.31

It has no pcmcia support - see the 'la' kernel for that (without scsi or 
sound or fb).  The 'sy' kernel has built-in scsi support so you can boot 
to linux on a scsi drive.  Eventually I may modify that one too.

If anyone wants a slightly changed version of my kernels let me know.

Unless you need usb-storage support (card reader, camera, memory stick - 
USB zip drive - most of which we can access via DOS or with PCMCIA-CF 
adaptor), or support for some other newer hardware (I saw one newer 
ethernet card in there that I did not manage to compile the module for for 
2.2.16) stick with 2.2.X kernels.

keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org