mercurial svn app is also called hg; mercurial app can be installed using your package manager 
automake package must be installed; remove alsa packages before installing hg 
install kernel source and kernel headers for your kernel; uname -r for kernel version
for ubuntu:  apt-get install build-essential     installs kernel sources
use 'hg clone' command to download the alsa cvs source files  at http://alsa-project.org/download.php   at the hg repository link on this page; 
http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/   ;read the entire page too
alsa driver needs alsa kernel to compile: 'hg clone http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/alsa-kernel alsa-kernel'
use ./hgcompile on all the alsa sources and not ./configure 
then as root: make install  after the ./hgcompile on each sources = alsa drivers,libs and utils
hg info: http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/desktop/sound/alsa.xml
all sound apps should already be closed then restart alsa or reboot
gentoo: /etc/init.d/alsasound restart
ubuntu restart alsa: as root run: /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart
next, as root: alsamixer -V all
unmute and set volumes on all needed controls in alsamixer
close alsamixer and as root: alsactl store    #this command stores the current alsamixer settings
as root: speaker-test    #should hear pink noise in left/right front speakers
as root: aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Left.wav
visit freenode #alsa to keep us updated on progress and problems