SuSE Linux PowerPC: Version 7.1
You want to configure the sound under SuSE Linux 7.1 PPC on a Powermac, but however encounter some inconsistencies.
Since the version 7.1 we use ALSA for the sound support. Thus some well-known methods became obsolet. In addition the configuration of ALSA yet isn't tuned for PowerMacs in all details.
In Yast2 open the sound module. Go through the menus as indicated. If you should not hear sound with the test, continue nevertheless. The reason can be situated in the fact that there are internal speakers in the Macs. In the intel world this is not so well-known. Yast2 or ALSA therefore adjust partial false "channels", e.g. the external speaker is set active instead of the internal, although no external speaker is attached. Quit Yast2 and open a mixer, e.g. Soundmixer. It happens that the internal speaker is to be regulated over the controller for LineIn (!). Give it a try to find the correct adjustments.
If, out of any reason ALSA doesn't work for you, there still remains the possibility of implementing sound over the dmasound kernelmodule. In that case load the module as root with these commands:
with Kernel 2.2.18
modprobe dmasound
with Kernel 2.4.2
modprobe dmasound_pmac
Additional note
If for any reason you want to try out both solutions, note please that no "foreign" modules are loaded at each case. To control which moduls are loaded you can use the instruction lsmod . E.g. loaded dmasound modules look like that:
Module Size Used by snd 54752 0 (autoclean) dmasound_pmac 25872 1 dmasound_core 11392 1 [dmasound_pmac] soundcore 4624 3 [snd dmasound_core]
Loaded ALSA-modules look as follows:
Module Size Used by snd-pcm-oss 24032 1 (autoclean) snd-pcm-plugin 18320 0 (autoclean) [snd-pcm-oss] snd-mixer-oss 6160 0 (autoclean) [snd-pcm-oss] snd-card-awacs 26864 1 snd-pcm 47632 0 [snd-pcm-oss snd-pcm-plugin snd-card-awacs] snd-timer 14880 0 [snd-pcm] snd-mixer 34784 0 [snd-mixer-oss snd-card-awacs] snd 54752 1 [snd-pcm-oss snd-pcm-plugin snd-mixer-oss snd-card-awacs snd-pcm snd-timer snd-mixer] soundcore 4624 2 [snd]
In order to unload modules execute the following instructions:
For ALSA modules:
rcalsa stop
For dmasound modules:
rmmod snd dmasound_pmac dmasound_core sound core