Connecting a synth to my laptop ?

[merlyn]

The find command should return a location for those files. The 'Permission denied' is OK for /run/user/1000/gvfs

Try

Code: Select all

sudo find / -name *us122*

That will find any file with 'us122' in the name.

Also you could try

Code: Select all

ls /lib/firmware

to see what is in that folder.

[Linuxmusician01]

I can't find an emojee here for tearing your hair out. You sure know how to confuse a guy.

Ha ha, sorry man. This was sure to happen at a certain point in time. I just tried to help you. But, like I said, you inadvertently stumbled upon the one piece of hardware that is notoriously hard to get working in Linux. Combine that with your relative inexperience with Linux and/or the command line and you have disaster on hand. To "learn" Linux and/or music one had better start w/ a more simple problem... Another problem is that every problem in the world has more then one possible solution. Try those solutions at the same time or disorderly and the confusion is complete. You got confused by: Ubuntu Studio (I don't even know exactly what that is..), KXStudio, firmware, different tutorials, different models, etc.

[...] I'm not sure I can get this US-122 going so may have to get something else. I should have that MIDI to USB cable soon.

In the top post you mention recording and playing the keyboard. With a Midi cable you can play the keyboard from your computer. But you might need an external audio device (like the Tascam US-122) to record your playing if you do not want to use the Line In from the on-board audio card of your laptop. Realize that playing via the computer and recording on a computer are two completely different things!

I've never heard of PCIe or if my laptop has such a port. I want to keep this as simple as I can with stuff I already know how to use.

Really? That is a standard for plug-in cards like audio cards etc. Any desktop computer has PCIe slots inside. A laptop doesn't. Have you never in the 90's or early 2000's upgraded a sound card or video card in your computer? It's one of those slots...

On to alsa-firmware: I have alsa-firmware-loaders 1.1.0-0ubuntu1 installed according to my package manager. Doesn't seem to have done me any good so far. I also have all these installed :- fxload ; alsa-base ; alsa-tools ; alsa-tools-gui ; alsa-utils ; alsamixergui ; alien .

linuxmusician01:
I'm sure KXStudio repository hasn't been mention so far

Sorry to have mentioned that too soon. Do you know what a repository is? It's a place on the internet where you can download packages that contain software. Every Linux distribution has its own repository. Your "package manager" downloads the packages from the internet and then install the software on your computer. Every Linux user should know what a repository and a package is, I think. You can active and use as many repositories as you want. One such repository is the KXStudio repository (there's also the KXStudio Linux distribution itself). Many music production applications that we Linuxers use are from the KXStudio repo's because those versions are better. On my Mint 17.1 system I cannot install the package alsa-firmware: it is not in the standard repo's. On my system I can only install it via the KXStudio repo. That's why I mentioned it.

I thought that if you have the alsa-firmware package installed you simply have to start your computer w/ the Tascam US-122 audio device connected and then the needed firmware will be "loaded" into the Tascam. Apparently that is not so. Hence, the other tutorials that you tried.

[...]Perhaps I should wait for this cable to arrive & see if that works - could save us all a lot of bother.

At this point in time: yes you should. In a few years when you're a more experienced Linux user then you might try to get the Tascam audio device working and I'm sure it will.

I'd have chucked the towel in a while ago if it wasn't for the fact that I really Really like the sound of this K-station.

Don't chunk the towel in just yet. This first Linux experience of yours is the worst I've seen in years (I've been active in Linux forums since 2005). Just wait for the El Cheapo Midi-to-USB cable to arrive and work from there. However, I'm afraid that playing a keyboard/synthesizer from a computer with Midi requires software that does that for you. And there are a whole lot of applications that can do that and there are a lot of methods to do that. They all all are pretty complicated for a beginner if you ask me (no matter if you are on Linux, Windows or MacOS). So start a separate topic about that and prepare for a very steep learning curve again...

When the cable arrives start a separate topic in which you clearly state what you want:

1. Play synth from computer via MIDI.
2. Record the notes that you played on the keyboard to your computer via Midi (note that this is something completely different than recording the audio from the synth!!!)
3. Record the audio coming from the synth as you play.

Do not start with all three! Try one!

Good luck!



P.S. To summarize the problems with the USB 1.1 Tascam US-122 audio device (from around the year 2000 I think):

• It needs firmware to function: it is the file us122fw.ihx from this archive (see Tutorial No. 1). Apparently the firmware does not permanently stay in it. It must be (re)loaded every time the Tascam is connected to your PC.
• The device can be seen w/ lsusb without the firmware but not with the command cat /proc/asound/cards.
• When the firmware is loaded the lights go on.
• There is more than one how-to on the internet to load the firmware and to set the device on. Apparently (see Tutorial No. 2) now-a-days there is a package in the standard repo's that has this firmware and one simply issues the command sudo usx2yloader to get the lights on.
• There are revisions of this device that look completely different and some are said to not work in Linux (and they may not work in Windows 10 either if there is no updated driver).
• Tutorial No. 2 also describes a method that also loads a second file (!) into the Tascam: the file ld2-ezusb.hex. The man page of the program fxload with which they do that says about it: "hex file holding a second stage loader (in the same hex file format as the firmware itself), which is loaded into internal memory. This loader understands additional vendor control requests".

From a technical Linux standpoint this problem is fascinating. But for a beginner it is an absolute nightmare. It might even be so that it does not work anymore in Windows 10 (because of the lack of a driver that loads the firmware) but it does in Linux.

[merlyn]

I see what's going on now. alsa-firmware is non-free, it must contain proprietary binaries, so it's not in the Ubuntu repositories.

@TDNE you will have to manually install alsa-firmware. It's not too difficult -- the series of steps from the ALSA link you posted.

[Linuxmusician01]

I see what's going on now. alsa-firmware is non-free, it must contain proprietary binaries, so it's not in the Ubuntu repositories.

@TDNE you will have to manually install alsa-firmware. It's not too difficult -- the series of steps from the ALSA link you posted.

He says that he already has the package alsa-firmware installed. It's in the standard Ubuntu repo's now-a-days. See the first few lines of Tutorial 2 under the header "Installation (newer releases)". The problem is following 3 different "methods" (Tutorial 2 contains two methods of loading firmware into the Tascam US-122 audio device). Another problem is that the TS continues to follow a tutorial after an unsuccessful command (like a cd command that goes wrong). I've tried to explain what's going on and I give up.

[merlyn]

He says that he already has the package alsa-firmware installed.

I don't see that anywhere in @TDNE's posts. He does have alsa-firmware-loaders. I thought that was a different name for alsa-firmware, but it isn't -- it's just the loaders without binaries.

The tutorial to follow is the one from ALSA, the one you've called Tutorial 1 -- it is newer and uses .ihx files instead of .hex.

[Linuxmusician01]

He says that he already has the package alsa-firmware installed.

I don't see that anywhere in @TDNE's posts. He does have alsa-firmware-loaders. I thought that was a different name for alsa-firmware, but it isn't -- it's just the loaders without binaries.

You're right. I stand corrected! It's all so darned confusing!

The tutorial to follow is the one from ALSA, the one you've called Tutorial 1 -- it is newer and uses .ihx files instead of .hex.

The other tutorial (the one I called Tutorial 2) also uses the .ihx file if you follow Method 2 under the header "Installation (older releases)" in step 6 when you have to execute the following command:

Code: Select all

sudo fxload -s /path/to/ld2-ezusb.hex -I /usr/share/alsa/firmware/usx2yloader/us122fw.ihx -D /proc/bus/usb/002/003

Like I said, that method loads no less than two files into the Tascam: an .ihx file as well as a .hex file. It's al so, so darned confusing... I give up...

[merlyn]

I installed alsa-firmware on my machine, and I think you only need the two files I have attached. To get them to upload I had to add '.txt' so rename them without the '.txt' extension after you download them.

[TDNE]

Cripes how do I reply to all that !
I'll have a bash.

I'm not blaming anyone for trying to help me - I asked for it (oh boy did I?).

Realize that playing via the computer and recording on a computer are two completely different things!

No I didn't I do now.

Have you never in the 90's or early 2000's upgraded a sound card or video card in your computer? It's one of those slots...

Got 1st PC 2001 - had to change a couple HD's but that's it.. Thinking about it, this tascam debacle is just the latest in a history of weird & frustrating hardware/software problems with computers. They just do stuff no one has ever heard of before. At Polytechnic in the early '80's I once logged onto the mainframe to do some coursework programming, as I had done dozens of times, & found I was logged on as an administrator in charge of the whole thing. As I was trying to figure out how to get out a very angry technician arrived push me out the way logged me off gave me mouthful for hacking the system & I had my access revoked. Just one example - and why I try and stear clear of this sort of stuff.

I Understand what a repository is but I don't understand what you mean by having one activated on my system. My position is exemplified by the LL distro I chose. It was 'advertised' as a 'light' version to help windows users make the move by using the package manager & not command line. Which was exactly my position, as far as I can remember. I've visited repositorys before & not understood what the heck I was supposed to do with all the available packages, how to tell what they were supposed to do or how to install them . The explanations pages still used too much jargon for me.

Hence, the other tutorials that you tried.

I've only actually tried one tutorial, one you call tutorial one & I skipped the first bits of that as I was told I'd done them with my package manager. I'd also been told

alsa-firmware-loaders. I thought that was a different name for alsa-firmware,

but

but it isn't -- it's just the loaders without binaries.

. I'm not blaming or whining, no one's infallible, I'm just in the position of having to follow instructions.

Just wait for the El Cheapo Midi-to-USB cable to arrive and work from there. However, I'm afraid that playing a keyboard/synthesizer from a computer with Midi requires software that does that for you. And there are a whole lot of applications that can do that and there are a lot of methods to do that. They all all are pretty complicated for a beginner if you ask me (no matter if you are on Linux, Windows or MacOS). So start a separate topic about that and prepare for a very steep learning curve again...

Thanks for making that very clear. I expect I'll have to refer to it again.

I never tried tutorial 2 Only 1 (see above). This was because:
1) i didn't know if it would work on my ubuntu based LL as getting the TASCAM US-122 to work in Ubuntu 6.06 LTS.
2)There is also a need for Universe and Multiverse repositories, so refer to the Repositories wiki page for further information. & I don't know how to use repositories - see above.
3)NOTE: The Ubuntu Studio should be setup before continuing on with this tutorial. I didn't want to get involved with yet another application & even if I did that note doesn't explain why Ubuntu studio needs to be set up & i didn't get what's meant by set up - is that installed/ installed & running / something else.

It was in tutorial 2 that I found the link to tutorial 1 which looked a better bet.

It might even be so that it does not work anymore in Windows 10 (because of the lack of a driver that loads the firmware)

The vendor was quite specific that this might be the case & wouldn't accept it as a reason for returning it. He only guaranteed functionality on windows XP. The big blue bottle in the ointment is that article going on about class compliance etc. - but none of us was to know it.

Thanks again to everyone trying to help me here. You've spent some serious time doing so & that hasn't gone unnoticed.

Merlyn:

results of

sudo find / -name *us122*

:

/lib/modules/4.4.0-159-generic/kernel/sound/usb/usx2y/snd-usb-us122l.ko
/lib/modules/4.4.0-157-generic/kernel/sound/usb/usx2y/snd-usb-us122l.ko
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-159-generic/include/config/snd/usb/us122l.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-157-generic/include/config/snd/usb/us122l.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-142-generic/include/config/snd/usb/us122l.h
find: ‘/run/user/1000/gvfs’: Permission denied

For ls /lib/firmware (i've highlighted 'usx2yloader' ) :

3com iwlwifi-8000C-36.ucode
4.4.0-142-generic iwlwifi-8265-21.ucode
4.4.0-157-generic iwlwifi-8265-22.ucode
4.4.0-159-generic iwlwifi-8265-27.ucode
a300_pfp.fw iwlwifi-8265-31.ucode
a300_pm4.fw iwlwifi-8265-34.ucode
acenic iwlwifi-8265-36.ucode
adaptec iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-33.ucode
advansys iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode
agere_ap_fw.bin iwlwifi-9000-pu-b0-jf-b0-38.ucode
agere_sta_fw.bin iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-33.ucode
amdgpu iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-34.ucode
amd-ucode iwlwifi-9260-th-b0-jf-b0-38.ucode
ar3k kaweth
ar5523.bin keyspan
as102_data1_st.hex keyspan_pda
as102_data2_st.hex korg
asihpi lbtf_usb.bin
ath10k lgs8g75.fw
ath3k-1.fw libertas
ath6k liquidio
ath9k_htc Makefile
atmel matrox
atmel_at76c504_2958.bin mellanox
atmel_at76c504a_2958.bin moxa
atmsar11.fw mrvl
atusb mt7601u.bin
av7110 mt7650.bin
bnx2 mts_cdma.fw
bnx2x mts_edge.fw
brcm mts_gsm.fw
carl9170-1.fw mts_mt9234mu.fw
carl9170fw mts_mt9234zba.fw
cavium mwl8k
cbfw-3.2.1.1.bin mwlwifi
cbfw-3.2.3.0.bin myri10ge_eth_big_z8e.dat
cbfw-3.2.5.1.bin myri10ge_ethp_big_z8e.dat
cis myri10ge_ethp_z8e.dat
configure myri10ge_eth_z8e.dat
cpia2 myri10ge_rss_eth_big_z8e.dat
ct2fw-3.2.1.1.bin myri10ge_rss_ethp_big_z8e.dat
ct2fw-3.2.3.0.bin myri10ge_rss_ethp_z8e.dat
ct2fw-3.2.5.1.bin myri10ge_rss_eth_z8e.dat
ctefx.bin netronome
ctfw-3.2.1.1.bin NPE-B
ctfw-3.2.3.0.bin NPE-C
ctfw-3.2.5.1.bin nvidia
ctspeq.bin ositech
cxgb3 phanfw.bin
cxgb4 qat_895xcc.bin
dsp56k qat_895xcc_mmp.bin
dvb-fe-xc4000-1.4.1.fw qat_c3xxx.bin
dvb-fe-xc5000-1.6.114.fw qat_c3xxx_mmp.bin
dvb-fe-xc5000c-4.1.30.7.fw qat_c62x.bin
dvb-usb-dib0700-1.20.fw qat_c62x_mmp.bin
dvb-usb-it9135-01.fw qat_mmp.bin
dvb-usb-it9135-02.fw qca
dvb-usb-terratec-h5-drxk.fw qcom
e100 qed
ea ql2100_fw.bin
edgeport ql2200_fw.bin
emi26 ql2300_fw.bin
emi62 ql2322_fw.bin
ene-ub6250 ql2400_fw.bin
ess ql2500_fw.bin
f2255usb.bin qlogic
go7007 r128
GPL-3 r8a779x_usb3_v1.dlmem
hfi1_dc8051.fw r8a779x_usb3_v2.dlmem
hfi1_fabric.fw r8a779x_usb3_v3.dlmem
hfi1_pcie.fw radeon
hfi1_sbus.fw README
hp regulatory.db
htc_7010.fw regulatory.db.p7s
htc_9271.fw rp2.fw
i2400m-fw-usb-1.4.sbcf RS9113_AP_BT_DUAL_MODE.rps
i2400m-fw-usb-1.5.sbcf RS9113_WLAN_BT_DUAL_MODE.rps
i6050-fw-usb-1.5.sbcf RS9113_WLAN_QSPI.rps
i915 rsi_91x.fw
intel rt2561.bin
intel-ucode rt2561s.bin
ipw2100-1.3.fw rt2661.bin
ipw2100-1.3-i.fw rt2860.bin
ipw2100-1.3-p.fw rt2870.bin
ipw2200-bss.fw rt3070.bin
ipw2200-ibss.fw rt3090.bin
ipw2200-sniffer.fw rt3290.bin
isci rt73.bin
iwlwifi-1000-5.ucode RTL8192E
iwlwifi-100-5.ucode rtl_bt
iwlwifi-105-6.ucode rtl_nic
iwlwifi-135-6.ucode rtlwifi
iwlwifi-2000-6.ucode s2250.fw
iwlwifi-2030-6.ucode s2250_loader.fw
iwlwifi-3160-10.ucode s5p-mfc.fw
iwlwifi-3160-12.ucode s5p-mfc-v6.fw
iwlwifi-3160-13.ucode s5p-mfc-v6-v2.fw
iwlwifi-3160-16.ucode s5p-mfc-v7.fw
iwlwifi-3160-17.ucode s5p-mfc-v8.fw
iwlwifi-3160-7.ucode sb16
iwlwifi-3160-8.ucode scripts
iwlwifi-3160-9.ucode sdd_sagrad_1091_1098.bin
iwlwifi-3168-21.ucode slicoss
iwlwifi-3168-22.ucode sun
iwlwifi-3168-27.ucode tehuti
iwlwifi-3168-29.ucode ti_3410.fw
iwlwifi-3945-2.ucode ti_5052.fw
iwlwifi-4965-2.ucode ti-connectivity
iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode tigon
iwlwifi-5150-2.ucode ti-keystone
iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode tlg2300_firmware.bin
iwlwifi-6000g2a-5.ucode ttusb-budget
iwlwifi-6000g2a-6.ucode ueagle-atm
iwlwifi-6000g2b-6.ucode usbdux
iwlwifi-6050-5.ucode usbduxfast_firmware.bin
iwlwifi-7260-10.ucode usbdux_firmware.bin
iwlwifi-7260-12.ucode usbduxsigma_firmware.bin
iwlwifi-7260-13.ucode usx2yloader
iwlwifi-7260-16.ucode v4l-cx231xx-avcore-01.fw
iwlwifi-7260-17.ucode v4l-cx23418-apu.fw
iwlwifi-7260-7.ucode v4l-cx23418-cpu.fw
iwlwifi-7260-8.ucode v4l-cx23418-dig.fw
iwlwifi-7260-9.ucode v4l-cx2341x-dec.fw
iwlwifi-7265-10.ucode v4l-cx2341x-enc.fw
iwlwifi-7265-12.ucode v4l-cx2341x-init.mpg
iwlwifi-7265-13.ucode v4l-cx23885-avcore-01.fw
iwlwifi-7265-16.ucode v4l-cx25840.fw
iwlwifi-7265-17.ucode v4l-pvrusb2-24xxx-01.fw
iwlwifi-7265-8.ucode v4l-pvrusb2-29xxx-01.fw
iwlwifi-7265-9.ucode vicam
iwlwifi-7265D-10.ucode vntwusb.fw
iwlwifi-7265D-12.ucode vpu_d.bin
iwlwifi-7265D-13.ucode vpu_p.bin
iwlwifi-7265D-16.ucode vxge
iwlwifi-7265D-17.ucode WHENCE.ubuntu
iwlwifi-7265D-21.ucode whiteheat.fw
iwlwifi-7265D-22.ucode whiteheat_loader.fw
iwlwifi-7265D-27.ucode wil6210.brd
iwlwifi-7265D-29.ucode wil6210.fw
iwlwifi-8000C-13.ucode wsm_22.bin
iwlwifi-8000C-16.ucode yam
iwlwifi-8000C-21.ucode yamaha
iwlwifi-8000C-27.ucode zd1201-ap.fw
iwlwifi-8000C-31.ucode zd1201.fw
iwlwifi-8000C-34.ucode zd1211

I've downloaded the two files you posted. note: 1st time I tried i got a 'server internal error' page - see what I mean.

I don't understand what you mean by

The 'Permission denied' is OK for /run/user/1000/gvfs

? I was expecting locations as you said.
What is /run/user/1000/gvfs about?

[merlyn]

I think this might work.

If you've downloaded and renamed those two files use the find commands again, then use the fxload command again with the paths that find returns.

Don't worry about gvfs. If this works there will be plenty of time to explain that

[Linuxmusician01]

@TDNE: don't worry, you'll get there. Like I said: you stumbled upon a problem that seasoned Linuxers would have trouble with. Pity that you've read somewhere that there is a Linux distribution out there that does not require you to learn how to work with the command line: it's one of the most important aspects of Linux. They used to say that Linux has a steep learning curve: I now think that this might be because of the command line thing... I grew up with MS-DOS so I don't know any better.

Anyway, I'd like to recommend to you to learn about the following things so you can become a bit more apt to solve problems in Linux (use Google):

• Command line/terminal. What are the commands: cd and ls.
• What is a repository.
• How can you add a repository to your system.
• Concerning music production and Linux: what is the KXStudio repository and how do I add it to my system.
• On what Linux distro's does the KXStudio repo work and on what distro's doesn't it?
• How do I extract archives.
• What is a desktop environment (like Gnome, KDE, LXDE, etc.)
• What is a home directory.
• Why are users, groups and permissions so important in Linux? Who is "root"?

Good luck!

[TDNE]

Thanks for the homework list. I think you're right & it's time I tackled this & gain a bit more knowledge. I'll keep notes too as I so seldom need to add anything not in the package manager.

Merlyn:

I've renamed the files as you said by removing .txt & I've run the find commands as per post pg 4 :

$ sudo find / -name tascam_loader.ihx
$ sudo find / -name us122fw.ihx

And have their paths. For each one (separately) I now run sudo fxload -s./pathname /dev/bus/usb/001/012 with the last two numbers obtained from lsusb ? or is the last bit -D /dev/bus/usb/001/012 ?
Or am I meant to do both together ? - in which case I can't figure how to 'phrase' that.

[merlyn]

Here is the command that didn't work :

Code: Select all

sudo fxload -s ./tascam_loader.ihx -I /usr/share/alsa/firmware/usx2yloader/us122fw.ihx -D /dev/bus/usb/001/012

There are three paths in that command : the path to tascam_loader.ihx, the path to us122fw.ihx and the path to your hardware. The hardware path is got from lsusb and is likely to stay as /001/012, but check anyway.

The other two paths are got from find.

So the new command will look like :

Code: Select all

sudo fxload -s /path/to/tascam_loader.ihx -I /path/to/us122fw.ihx -D /dev/bus/usb/xxx/xxx

Replace /path/to/tascam_loader.ihx and /path/to/us122fw.ihx with the paths you got from find and /xxx/xxx with the result from lsusb.

USB light on?

If not, look at lsusb again, it should have got rid of '(without fw)'.

If it has firmware the card should now appear in cat /proc/asound/cards.

Now when you initialise it use the card index :

Code: Select all

sudo usx2yloader -c 1

The card index will probably be 1.

[TDNE]

Sorry for taking so long struggling to find time to do everything I want/need to do.

Some progress has at last been made yae! but fell at the last hurdle - boo.

I followed your instructions for fxload. I noted the bus /device numbers were now 001/007. Device No. usually changes each time I disconnect the unit & reconnect it. :
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 1604:8006 Tascam US-122 Audio/Midi Interface (without fw)

executed that reformed fxload command but no green light. Ran lsusb again & got this:
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 1604:8007 Tascam US-122 Audio/Midi Interface

The (without fw) has gone! But I noticed bus/device is now 001/008. In this instance it remained connected throughout.

I followed your instruction cat /proc/asound/cards and got:
0 [PCH ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
HDA Intel PCH at 0x90a10000 irq 94
1 [USX2Y ]: USB US-X2Y - TASCAM US-X2Y
TASCAM US-X2Y (1604:8007 if 0 at 001/008)

This was still looking good to me so I ran your final instruction sudo usx2yloader -c 1 but I think I must have misunderstood something as I got this:
usx2yloader: cannot open the index file /usr/share/alsa/firmware/usx2yloader/us122.conf

So still no green light. As an experiment I disconnected/reconnected the unit & as I expected device has changed again to 009 &, again as I expected , (without fw) returned & card 1 disappeared :
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 1604:8006 Tascam US-122 Audio/Midi Interface (without fw)
0 [PCH ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
HDA Intel PCH at 0x90a10000 irq 94

If redo the whole sequence above I get the same result inc. the device No. changing - which is no surprise.

Can we crack that last part?
& will I need to do this whole process each time I unplug/reconnect it ?

[merlyn]

I think I must have misunderstood something as I got this:
usx2yloader: cannot open the index file /usr/share/alsa/firmware/usx2yloader/us122.conf

No, you did it correctly. This has happened because you don't have alsa-firmware installed. Damn.

Your options are : (1) I give you the file and you manually create /usr/share/alsa/firmware/ (2) You install alsa-firmware.

(1) Is a bit of a hack (2) is the 'right' way to do it.

[TDNE]

Damn for sure. Thanks for going this far with me It's more appreciated than I care to explain - I extend this to everyone who's contributed.

I've rechecked my package manager & there is only alsa-firmware-loaders. Incidentally in the infamous tutorial 1 I note that none of the 8 packages it says to download at the start is alsa-firmware but there is alsa-firmware-loaders. Which would mean, had i successfully followed it, I still wouldn't have a working unit ?

From your suggestions I take it option b) would involve me doing stuff with repositories? If so I think that may give me incentive to do my home work.