Getting sound working on a Dell CP M233XT

Forum: Laptops
Topic: Getting sound working on a Dell CP M233XT
started by: edgy

Posted by edgy on June 13 2008,03:59

To get sound working under DamnSmallLinux on the Dell Latitude CP M233XT,
based on DSL version 3.4:

********************
Get the software drivers, and make them available to the system
********************

Opened a terminal (clicked the ATerminal icon), and entered the following:

sudo su [Enter]

apt-get update [Enter]

and wait for this to finish. Then entered:

apt-get install alsaconf [Enter]

and wait for this to finish. Then start alsaconf:

alsaconf [Enter]

Once in alsaconf, I was presented various choices and entered the following
(the [ = ...] entries show what I accepted or responded with):

Soundcards based on CS4610/CS4612/CS4614/CS4615/CS4280

Card identifier.
CARD 0
[ = left the 0 default]

Max. dac (playback) frame size in kB.
(4-64)
[ = 64]

Max. adc (record) frame size in kB.
(4-64)
[ = 64]

No_more_cards

Just a Yes / No box popped up, no question was visible, so
I blindly accepted the default that was highlighted [ = <Yes> ].

alsaconf terminated, and I exited the terminal.

********************
Document the Configuration steps to use the drivers properly
********************

Using Beaver, edited the "/opt/bootlocal.sh" file to add the proper steps
in the proper sequence to initialize and configure the sound drivers that
were now available through "alsa", the "Advanced Linux Sound Architecture".

These are the lines added to the file, obtained from the experience of others
via the DSL forum (and a grateful "Thank you!" from me):

#
# Manually configure Sound on the Latitude...
#
rmmod soundcore
modprobe soundcore
modprobe sound
insmod ad1848
insmod uart401
insmod cs4232 io=0x530 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 mpuio=0x330
insmod opl3 io=0x388
#
# ...end of Sound configuration
#

I went ahead and used the bootlocal.sh file because it already existed,
although essentially as a near empty template, and also because its name was
already included in the local ".filetool.lst" file for automatic backup and
restore when shutting down or re-booting DSL. This allowed me to document
the steps needed, and to insure they would still be available the next time
DSL started up. It shouldn't be necessary, but I also made the file
"executable" by everyone, J.I.C. (Just In Case).

********************
Do the Configuration
********************

With the sound configuration steps documented and persistent, they still
needed to be executed for the configuration to actually occur and work.
And they need to be excuted every time DSL boots up.

Again in Beaver, edited the ".xinitrc" file in my local (home, "/home/dsl/") directory.
Added the following line at the end of the file:

bash /opt/bootlocal.sh &

Specifying "bash" should force execution of the file as a script; and don't
forget the trailing "&", it tells bash to keep running in the background until
it's finished with bootlocal.

********************

Starting xMMs now resulted in music playing through the Dell. Success!