Headphones work only if I manually switch source port every time

Bug #1881659 reported by tim474
18
This bug affects 3 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
pulseaudio (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

I have a laptop Dell Inspirion 5391 that was shipped with Ubuntu 18.04, and it doesn't have such problems. But I have manually installed Xubuntu 20.04 LTS (firstly because I need full disk encryption with LUKS). And I have two problems the with sound system:

1) If I plug headphones, there is no sound. Sound becomes only if I manually switch source port to "Headset Mono microphone" from "Headphones stereo microphone" in pavucontrol or with the command:

pacmd set-source-port 4 "[In] Headset"

or with ALSA:

amixer set 'Input Source' 'Headset Mic'

I have a workaround with /etc/acpi/events, but it is not seamless (I have an one second delay when I plug the headphones).

2) There is no separate volume levels for speaker and headphone in pulseaudio.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-33.37-generic 5.4.34
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-33-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: tenikeev 3385 F.... pulseaudio
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Mon Jun 1 23:13:38 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-28 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 11/21/2019
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.3.0
dmi.board.name: 07DM2C
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.3.0:bd11/21/2019:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron5391:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn07DM2C:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.family: Inspiron
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 5391
dmi.product.sku: 096E
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
modified.conffile..etc.pulse.default.pa: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.pulse.default.pa: 2020-05-31T22:56:28.472784

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tim474 (tim474) wrote :
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tim474 (tim474) wrote :
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tim474 (tim474) wrote :
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tim474 (tim474) wrote :

uname for 20.04: Linux username-5391 5.4.0-33-generic #37-Ubuntu SMP Thu May 21 12:53:59 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

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tim474 (tim474) wrote :

From preinstalled system (without the problems):

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tim474 (tim474) wrote :
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tim474 (tim474) wrote :

Uname from 18.04:

Linux username-5391 5.0.0-1024-oem-osp1 #27-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 4 08:48:29 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

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Hui Wang (hui.wang) wrote :

The first issue looks like similar to this one: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1871329

Revision history for this message
Hui Wang (hui.wang) wrote :

Please test 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.3+lp1881659 in the ppa of ppa:hui.wang/pulseaudio, if it could fix the 1st issue?

https://launchpad.net/~hui.wang/+archive/ubuntu/pulseaudio

Revision history for this message
tim474 (tim474) wrote :

Yes. Headphones work with this version of Pulseaudio. Thank you. But there is still a problem with volume level. If I plug and unplug headphones, Speaker volume level drops to level of headphones, then I can't separate set up volume level for headphones and speaker. But there is no this problem with OEM version of Ubuntu.

And another problem. If I plug headphones with mic, set external mic as input device (in pavucontrol), unplug and plug again, the default source device is still internal mic. I want to set up automatic switching to external mic if I plug it. As in previous case, there is not such problem in OEM ubuntu.

Revision history for this message
Hui Wang (hui.wang) wrote :

For the issue of the default input device, we are working on it. https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/merge_requests/295

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Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in pulseaudio (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Ondrej Bily (ondrej17) wrote :

I had the same problem with Ubuntu 20.04 on my Dell Vostro 5490. Using pulseaudio 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.3+lp1881659 from ppa:hui.wang/pulseaudio the problem with no sound in headphones was resolved. When I plug in the headphones, I can hear the sound from them. When I unplug the headphones, sound comes from the speakers. Thank you.

Revision history for this message
tim474 (tim474) wrote :

>For the issue of the default input device, we are working on it

But this issue has been resolved in OEM version of ubuntu 18.04.

And I have noticed another problem. If I plug HDMI display (without audio), and then unplug headphones, the sound automatically swithces to HDMI output (and in Speaker + Headphones output there is no swithcing to speaker). I should do it manually and select correct sink to restore sound.

Revision history for this message
tim474 (tim474) wrote :

Hui Wang, sorry, your fix works not every time. Sometimes switches correctly, sometimes not (but there is "Headset Mono microphone" as input port). I should or unplug and plug headphones several times, or manually switch port to stereo microphone and back.

Revision history for this message
Hui Wang (hui.wang) wrote :

@tim474,

When it doesn't work, please run amixer contents to check Input Source/Capture Source value, if its value is "Headset Mic"? If it is, it means the pulseaudio's behaviour is correct, maybe the kernel driver has some problem on your machine.

Revision history for this message
tim474 (tim474) wrote :

Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Headphone Mic' 'Headset Mic'
  Item0: 'Headset Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Headphone Mic' 'Headset Mic'
  Item0: 'Headset Mic'

tim474 (tim474)
affects: pulseaudio (Ubuntu) → alsa-driver (Ubuntu)
Revision history for this message
tim474 (tim474) wrote :

Hui Wang, after I have updated pulseaudio from your ppa to 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.3++lp1882191, the problem started again. Input port automatically switches to Headphones Stereo Mircophone, and no sound, if I don't switch back manually.

affects: alsa-driver (Ubuntu) → pulseaudio (Ubuntu)
summary: - Dell Inspirion 5391: headphones work only if I manually switch source
- port every time and no different volume levels for speaker and
- headphones
+ Headphones work only if I manually switch source port every time
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