Suggestion: Relase other kernel modules from the "cludges" of 'alsa-modules'

[maro]

I've now run a bit too often in the issue that 'tce-load -wi dvb-apps OSS ...' leads to failure further down the track as 'alsa-modules-KERNEL.tcz' is included in 'v4l-dvb-KERNEL.tcz.dep' (whilst 'tce-load -wi OSS dvb-apps ...' seems to work as the OSS modules are loaded before the 'alsa-modules' can apply their "death grip"). Maybe I should add at this stage that I'm trying to use OSS for the sound and whenever the 'snd_*' modules are (wrongly) loaded I have to go back to square one and reboot my system.

I've kind of touched on this subject before, and I believe that whenever a higher level application (e.g. 'linphone') really requires 'alsa' then it should depend on it more directly, but not as a kind of side-effect of a lower level module or library. I guess the choice between OSS or alsa should be made "higher" up in the dependency tree and not forced upon the user through this lower level connection.

Apart from 'v4l-dvb-KERNEL' I guess the other "victims" might be: 'input-tablet-touchscreen-KERNEL' and 'thinkpad-acpi-KERNEL'

[curaga]

They all contain some modules that depend on alsa modules; if it were not a dep, there'd be reports of "hw doesn't work > module doesn't load > dmesg says missing symbols" etc.

I don't really see a good solution to this, as just saying so in the info file could still require a bit deeper linux knowledge than the usual optional dep.

[nick65go]

I had also this alsa (implicit) dependency from v4l. In my Skype - OSS posts i have explained the problem. my webcam runs only using v4l ver.1, and vl4 use alsa, and alsa crash OSS...
Maybe in info file should be explained this alsa/oss loading priority.
btw, TC is not (yet) for average windows users, without them willing to learn some basic linux facts.