update killed my sound AGAIN!!!

[John Rose]

I don't want to try a LiveCD as every time I modify/install a new kernel, I have
to recompile the Ethernet driver (to get internet connection back) due to there
being no module for the Atheros 1083 Ethernet Controller in 2.6.32.40 i.e. one
that Ubuntu Lucid uses. I guess that sound problem could be caused by lack of a
module. 

Another possibility:
I have even tried most of Ubuntu's Community Sound Troubleshooting''s
instructions. Audio codec/mixer/device are all ALC887. Interestingly says to add
'options snd-hda-intel model=YOUR_MODEL' to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf where
YOUR_MODEL is defined on:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/sound/alsa/HD-Audio-Models.txt
However, there is no ALC887 (though there is ALC882/883/885/888/889 & ALC880)
defined on that webpage. I seem to recall a similar issue on my old laptop on
which I originally (5 years ago) installed Ubuntu LTS-prior-to-Lucid (I've
forgotten the version name) and that was solved somehow: I checked for 'options
snd-hda-intel model=YOUR_MODEL' in /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf but nothing
looking like that. Looking at http://www.kernel.org, I don't think that they
want email about such issues. Any ideas about following this up?