I’ve updated my kernel to latest (2.6.14.2) and also disabled in-kernel alsa drivers to install external alsa drivers (from alsa-driver package). This solved my problem with deadlock. (just in case someone wanna look at bug report: 115333)
Now I have alsa, alsa works, I can have full 5.1 surround.
I also have CUPS working. Configuring my USB printer in CUPS was a piece of cake, I had no problems.
Scanner is also working. And I did nothing to make it work, just plugged it to USB and started vuescan. It was the first real plug-and-play device I used.
My USB multi-card reader also works fine. Whenever a card is not recognized, I should just unplug and plug it again to USB, then it works.
The only two pieces of hardware that still don’t work are camera (using gphoto2) and nVidia GeForce 5500FX.