how to integrate ALSA

[Jouke Witteveen <j witteveen mail ru>]

Hello Free World!

I am quite new to all of the Linux stuff but learning fast, so don't be scared to respond in way's I 'might not understand', I'll figure it out ;-).
I have recently made my own Debian Kernel (now running nice 'n smooth...) and decided to go with ALSA - I used the original 2.2.20_compact kernel which was on the installation diskette (nope, I have no CD-burning equipement) and that didn't include sound support, so I made this kernel. But now there are still no system-sounds! If I use one of my other 2.4.19 kernels (I have made 23 in two months before I was satisfied) with no ALSA but with the old standard sound support (deprecated since 2.6.6 but not yet available in 'debianized' version) it does work! I can play my music though through ALSA with the nice Alsaplayer (using the alsa-module).
I figured that Gnome wants ESound as it's sound system so I installed libesd-alsa0 to be able to hear 'them silly system-sounds'... but they don't do what they should! (yet)
When I fire up the sound-monitor applet it says esd is inactive so I take my terminal and go "ESD", resulting in loads of variants of:

  Couldn't open any alsa card! Last card tried was 0
  Error openin card 0: Sound protocol is not compatible
  Audio device open for 44.1KHz, stereo, 16bit failed
  Trying 44.1KHz, 8bit stereo.

and finally:

  Couldn't open any alsa card! Last card tried was 0
  Error openin card 0: Sound protocol is not compatible
  Sound device inadequate for Esound. Fatal.

So I guess there is some heavy mis-comunication going on between alsa and esd...
The easiest solution I can think of is just to forget ESD and set things up for use purely with alsa. It must be possible since the reason I chose Gnome instead of KDE was that Gnome is Free, and KDE is not. I only don't know how it should be done...

please respond by mail to j witteveen mail ru in English or Dutch (the reason for me to have a .ru e-mail adres is just: it is free, as in: free screwdrivers)

Kind regards,
Jouke Witteveen

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$more beer