uname -rm
2.6.32-5-686 i686



that's the result. I got the i686. where did it suggest the i486?

In the output you posted in your previous post apt-get suggested to install the i486 kernel. Anyway, try this:

Then execute the configure script again and follow the remaining steps.

apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.32-5-686
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package linux-headers-2.6.32-5-686
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'linux-headers-2.6.32-5-686'

and this was the result.

why isn't it picking up the packages? I updated my sources.list to what was posted before and it is not getting the packages.

---------- Post added 06-04-12 at 12:16 AM ----------

this was what I have for the sources.list file.




# Stable
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free
# Stable Sources
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free

# Security Updates http://www.debian.org/security/
deb http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib non-free

# Debian Volatile is now squeeze-updates
# Squeeze-updates
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze-updates main contrib non-free

# Debian Stable Backports
# For information visit - http://backports.debian.org/
deb http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports squeeze-backports main contrib non-free

# Unstable Sources
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ unstable main contrib non-free

Have you executed apt-get update after editing your sources.list? If you haven't, you should do it before installing the linux-headers with the command in my previous post, otherwise apt-get won't know the package is in the repositories:

not since editing my sources.list file. I'm running it now. So a good rule of thumb is if your editing your source.list file, you should always run an update after your done editing it. Got it. alright it's done. now running the other half.

and it worked. going to quick run the ./configure and such.

ok. I ran those set of commands. the ./configure,make, su, make install, ./snddevices, and the modprobe snd-hda-intel and it the mod probe came up with nothing back so I think it worked but it's installing the updates and such. before I call this solved, would you be willing to go over what those commands mean/do? the ./configure is kind of self explanatory but why did we do those commands and what does each do?

I'm not an expert but AFAIK, the configure script gets information about your system and configures the sources you're compiling for it. It also warns you if you have some lib missing since otherwise the compiling process wouldn't be successful. make converts the sources (the human-readable code) into ones and zeroes (binary code or machine code that the computer can understand, so to speak). su gives you root privileges and make install installs the resulting compiled driver into the system (the kernel, in this case). According to the instructions inside the alsa-driver tarball, the snddevices script creates "new sound devices in /dev directory". And modprobe inserts the module into the currently running kernel so it can be used.

EDIT: By the way, it's worth reading the apt howto if you're using Debian or a Debian based system: http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/

It worked! thank you guys for your help. I just want to ask a few more things like, what made you think to download the kernel sources file and the kernel headers?

Nice it worked!

In the output you copied in post #37, the configure script complained that the kernel sources were missing. (I think that what was actually needed were the headers only, since I successfully compiled the driver myself and I don't have the sources installed). When working on Linux it's always important to read the error messages to know what's going on and have clues on how to solve it

Cheers.

thank you very much for your help you guys. It is greatly appreciated.