Making sound with the Maxi Sound under Linux

An example configuration

You need

Kernel sources
alsa packages (-driver, -lib, -utils)
sam9407 driver package
isapnptools
rather new gcc, I guess

I used

Redhat 7.1 on "Classic" Pentium
Standard Linux Kernel 2.4.7 (not patched by RedHat or Alsa)
alsa-driver 0.5.11
alsa-libs 0.5.10b
alsa-utils 0.5.10
sam9407 1.0.0
isapnptools 1.22-2
gcc 2.96-85

The ALSA packages you can get at ftp.alsa-project.org.
The sam9407 driver you can get here. It is necessary for uploading firmware and soundbank files.

My suggestion how to do it

Compile your kernel with "Sound card support" and "OSS sound modules" as modules
Install the new modules and copy the new kernel to your boot partition
Adjust your /etc/lilo.conf, call
```
lilo -v
```
and
```
reboot
```
to your new kernel
Make sure that no sound modules, especially no alsa modules are loaded. For stopping all sound services you can use my modified alsasound script. Copy it to /etc/init.d/ and call
```
/etc/init.d/linuxsound stop
```
untar the alsa-driver package and change to the new alsa-driver directory
type
- ```
./configure
```
  (my configure command)
- ```
make install
```
- ```
./snddevices
```
Adjust your /etc/modules.conf (or /etc/conf.modules). That's my /etc/modules.conf.
```
depmod -a
```
There should be no output.
Test:
```
modprobe snd-card-es18xx
```
There should be no error message.
untar alsa-lib-, alsa-utils-packages, do a
```
./configure
```
and
```
make install
```
in both directories.
untar sam9407 package
I do not know if this is necessary but maybe it is:
In the sam9407 directory:
- ```
./configure
```
  (my configure command)
- ```
make
```
- ```
make install
```
  and maybe
- ```
make rpm
```
```
/etc/init.d/linuxsound stop
```
Adjust/create your /etc/isapnp.conf. That is my /etc/isapnp.conf
Call
```
isapnp /etc/isapnp.conf
```
(This command produces an error if the alsa driver snd-card-es18xx is still running!)
Copy firmware and soundbanks to suitable place and create your /etc/sam9407.conf. (That is my sam9407.conf and there you can also see where I have placed the firmware and soundbank files.)
Start the sam9407 driver:
```
sam9407 -s -v
```
Is the soundcard found? O.k. stop all sound services:
```
linuxsound stop
```
Start all:
```
linuxsound start
```
Type lsmod: everything ok?
Run alsamixer: unmute master channel and push up levels (at least master and PCM)
Quit alsamixer and do an
```
alsactl store
```
Try to play sound, e.g. mpg123 -v -v myMP3.mp3
make a link to your /etc/init.d/linuxsound in /etc/rcx.d/ (e.g. that is my /etc/rc3.d directory)

Up to now I did not test MIDI. I read somewhere you need the alsa virmidi driver and you have to connect it via aconnect with the sam9407 driver. Maybe you do not need to do this. Try it! pmidi is a good choice for that, I think.

My Config files

Any questions? Mail me.