Hi, I am trying to activate the sound card in my laptop. However linux is
still the dark forest to me. I saw the post before where somebody asked
similar question and he was asked several questions about his system. Here
are the answer to those questions on my system:


First here is my pci stuff:

[root@resnet-172 hits]# /sbin/lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945GT
Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML
Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML
Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition
Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port
1 (rev 01)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port
4 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #1
(rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #2
(rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #3
(rev 01)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #4
(rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI
Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge
(rev 01)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) Serial
ATA Storage Controller IDE (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX (rev 02)
03:01.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd: Unknown device 0832
03:01.1 Class 0805: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter
(rev 19)
03:01.2 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd: Unknown device 0843 (rev 01)
03:01.3 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter
(rev 0a)
03:01.4 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller (rev 05)
0b:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network
Connection (rev 02)


Next here is my modprobe.conf, 

[root@resnet-172 hits]# cat /etc/modprobe.conf
alias eth0 b44
alias scsi_hostadapter ata_piix
alias snd-card-0 snd-azx
options snd-card-0 index=0
install snd-azx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-azx && /usr/sbin/alsactl
restore >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
remove snd-azx { /usr/sbin/alsactl store >/dev/null 2>&1 || : ; };
/sbin/modprobe -r --ignore-remove snd-azx
alias usb-controller ehci-hcd
alias usb-controller1 uhci-hcd
alias eth1 ipw3945

I don't understand what is going on in there. First it says install snd-azx
and then in the next line remove snd-azx. Can somebody explain me those two
lines. 

Also I don't find modules.conf file. 
[hits@resnet-172 ~]$ locate modules.conf
/etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/ssl-modules.conf
/etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/mapping-modules.conf
/etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/default-modules.conf.with-menu-editing
/etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/modules/default-modules.conf

Does it mean I need a newer version of modutils. Which repository has it? 

Final question I want some recomendation on how to learn more about linux,
so far I am getting bits and pieces from all over, can somebody suggest some
source where one can get a good foundation in linux. 

cheers,

Dmitry Hits.