Kernel Configuration - Part XXIX

It’s sure nice, when you’re crunching away at the computer, to have music
accompanying the clack of the keyboard. Linux, with the proper kernel
configuration, is well equipped to provide the tunes you need, as well.

The sound configuration section in the kernel configuration has grown by leaps
and bounds over the past couple of kernel versions. Manufacturers have tweaked
cards and introduced many new models. In fact, it often seems that video and
audio cards have recently been advancing faster than nearly any other part of
computers.

As with the other devices, the sound section in the kernel configuration is
really a means of communicating with the sound card via input/output, or I/O.
That is, if you will, the pipe through which all the instructions to and from
the sound card flow. Just as there are onboard and PCI sound cards, there are
dozens of different I/O schemes. That, in short, is why the sound section in the

kernel configuration has grown so large in the past few years. In the spirit of
“the big tent,” kernel developers have worked hard to include all of the most
likely devices and, by extension, the most likely I/O schemes.

This is a section that, once again, will require that you’ve paid some attention

to the hardware in your machine. It’s true, though, that the major distributions

have done very well at building probing routines in during install that capture
the proper device information. It’s safe to say that the majority of systems
will recognize the soundcard properly the first time out. If the first try
fails, if you replace the original card, or if you plan on further customizing
your kernel, you’ll need to know the specific device drivers needed to handle
the sound I/O. You’ll find all the available choices in the sound section.

Tomorrow, we’ll look into the mysteries of USB support in the Linux kernel.