ESS Allegro/Maestro3 devices

This page describes how to enable support for sound devices based on the Allegro/Maestro3 chipset on Debian systems.

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snd-maestro3 is a kernel module supporting ESS Technology's Allegro/Maestro3 PCI audio controller. It is an ["ALSA"] driver provided in Linux 2.6 mainline kernels. The driver is also available through the alsa-source package.

In [wiki:src:linux-2.6 linux-2.6] 2.6.23-1, the binary-only firmware in this driver was removed (see the [http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/l/linux-2.6/linux-2.6_2.6.26-13/changelog#versionversion2.6.23-1 package changelog]), due to discovered [:KernelFirmwareLicensing:licensing issues]. This was also removed from the alsa-source package to resolve bug 483918.

Installation

Lenny

You are required to supply two firmware files in order to use this device, which can be acquired from the [http://www.alsa-project.org ALSA project].

Install the build-essential and relevant linux-headers packages:

$ su
# aptitude update
# aptitude install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)
# exit

Acquire the alsa-firmware tarball from the ALSA project's FTP server:

$ wget ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/firmware/alsa-firmware-1.0.19.tar.bz2

Extract the tarball and compile sources to produce the firmware:

$ tar xvf alsa-firmware-1.0.19.tar.bz2
$ cd alsa-firmware-1.0.19
$ ./configure
$ make

Install the firmware to your system:

$ su
# mkdir /lib/firmware/ess
# cp maestro3/*fw /lib/firmware/ess

Reload the snd-maestro3 module:

# modprobe -r snd-maestro3 && modprobe snd-maestro3

If not already performed, install the alsa-base and alsa-utils packages:
```
# aptitude install alsa-base alsa-utils
```
If not already performed, add your user account to the audio group, then log out and log back into your system:
```
# adduser yourusername audio
# exit
$ exit
```
Run [http://manpages.debian.net/man/1/alsamixer alsamixer], unmute channels and raise sound levels:
```
$ alsamixer
```

Test your sound device:

$ aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Noise.wav

Etch

2.6.18 kernel

No firmware is required to be supplied, as this is included within the driver.

2.6.24 kernel