[Acer Aspire 4339] Laptop headphones stopped working after updating system

[Aere Greenway]

When I applied updates installing linux-image-3.2.0-65-generic, the laptop headphones (sound system) stopped working. When I pull out the sound-system plug, sound works through the (pathetic) laptop speakers. Sound is at a reasonable level, and is not muted.

When I reboot with the former system linux-image-3.2.0-61-generic, sound works through the speaker system as it always did before.

I am using an Acer Aspire 4339, running Ubuntu (Unity) 12.04.

I expected sound (audio) to continue working through my sound system after applying system updates, but it didn't. The only way to get any sound is to use the laptop speakers.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-65-generic 3.2.0-65.98
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-65.98-generic 3.2.60
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-65-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.6
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC271X Analog [ALC271X Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: aere 1872 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0x94400000 irq 43'
   Mixer name : 'Intel IbexPeak HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,10250603,00100100 HDA:80862804,10250603,00100000'
   Controls : 26
   Simple ctrls : 12
Date: Fri Jul 4 23:19:11 2014
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=99533f61-b95a-4027-a9c3-9caa0f8d132b
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 4339
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-65-generic root=UUID=bd632fd3-3d27-494b-a963-c20a35136dc6 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-65-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-65-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.16
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-06-13 (751 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 05/30/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: V1.05
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: HMA_CP
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacturer
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:bvrV1.05:bd05/30/2011:svnAcer:pnAspire4339:pvrV1.05:rvnAcer:rnHMA_CP:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnChassisManufacturer:ct10:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 4339
dmi.product.version: V1.05
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Aere Greenway, as per http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers an update to your BIOS is available (1.08). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BiosUpdate does it change anything? If it doesn't, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful. As well, you don't have to create a new bug report. As well, you don't have to create a new bug report.

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette .

Thank you for your understanding.

[Aere Greenway (aere)]

Christopher:

I discovered an acceptable work-around for the problem.

Every time I boot the latest 12.04 LTS system (3.2.0-65) from a
power-off state, sound works fine through the amplifier.

Every time I boot the latest 12.04 LTS system via a reboot, sound only
works through the laptop speakers.

I tried this many times, and every time it works this way.

So the work-around is when you need to use the 12.04 LTS system, always
boot it from a power-off state.

Further testing showed that the earlier level of the kernel I had
(3.2.0-61) has no problem with playing audio through the amplifier,
regardless whether I booted it from a power-off state, or via rebooting.

Regarding updating the BIOS:

In reading the complex instructions, I noticed the following warning:

*WARNING: Flashing motherboard BIOS is a dangerous activity that can
render your motherboard inoperable! While the author of this article has
successfully run this procedure many times, your mileage may vary. Be
careful!*

I use this machine for testing a number of OS's - including Windows 7.
It is also a machine I use in performing music. Any risk of losing this
machine altogether is not a risk I want to take.

I have no problems with sound using UbuntuStudio 14.04 in another
partition of this machine. It doesn't matter if I reboot, or boot from
a power-off state - it works every time.

I tried the Ubuntu 14.04 Live CD on the machine, and audio works on it
with no problems. Of course, with the live CD, it was from a power-off
state. But UbuntuStudio 14.04 had no problems with audio, so probably
Ubuntu Unity will work as well.

So for any testing I need to do on Ubuntu 12.04 on this machine, I will
boot from a power-off state, which ends up with no problems with audio
using the amplifier.

When Ubuntu 12.04 is no longer supported (and I no longer need an Ubuntu
12.04 test system), I will just install Ubuntu 14.04.

I was not aware of any BIOS changes being available.

I looked at the first link, and updated my sound card driver (in Windows
7), but that will not change anything in Linux.

On Windows 7, I looked under the BIOS section of the web-page for my
machine, but it only suggested downloading changes for the trackpad (and
two other non-audio devices). I did not see anything for updating the
BIOS as a whole.

I was not aware that by reporting a problem without first having done
the risky procedure of updating the BIOS, I was committing a breach of
etiquette, and I apologize for that. Regardless, I do not want to risk
the loss of that machine by going through the complex (and risky)
process of updating the BIOS.

I will be happy to not go to the effort of reporting problems in the
future.

- Aere

On 07/09/2014 04:57 AM, Christopher M. Penalver wrote:
> Aere Greenway, as per http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers an update to your BIOS is available (1.08). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BiosUpdate does it change anything? If it doesn't, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
> sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-da...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]