Output device doesn't always switch back from HDMI

[Pedro Côrte-Real]

When I disconnect to an HDMI output sometimes the configuration is left in an inconsistent state. It still shows as being connected to HDMI in volume up/down but there is no longer an HDMI option in the sound settings. After clicking the "Speakers - Built-in Audio" line in the Output tab of the settings (the only line available) everything is now correct. The same issue was also present in 16.04.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:11.1-1ubuntu7.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-22.24-generic 4.15.17
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-22-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: pedrocr 32004 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun Jun 17 22:54:14 2018
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-05-31 (17 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/22/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N1CET66W (1.34 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20FAS5TS00
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40697 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN1CET66W(1.34):bd03/22/2018:svnLENOVO:pn20FAS5TS00:pvrThinkPadT460s:rvnLENOVO:rn20FAS5TS00:rvrSDK0J40697WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad T460s
dmi.product.name: 20FAS5TS00
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T460s
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 1711101, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.

[Pedro Côrte-Real (pedrocr)]

I don't think this is a duplicate. My laptop does switch from HDMI most of the time, just not always. And today I just noticed something very strange. I booted the computer and the audio got set to HDMI even though I had nothing attached to it.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Regardless of how often it happens it still sounds like bug 1711101. And the workaround in bug 1711101 also sounds exactly like the workaround you mention:

  "After clicking the "Speakers - Built-in Audio" line in the Output tab of the settings (the only line available) everything is now correct."

[Pedro Côrte-Real (pedrocr)]

There are two reasons I wonder if it's a duplicate:

- bug 1711101 mentions that "We now have autoswitching on connect in 17.10, but not on disconnect". This is not the behavior I'm seeing. Autoswitching on disconnect works fine most of the time, it's just not consistent
- I've gotten HDMI selected on boot without any HDMI attached at all so the issue doesn't even seem to be about state changes necessarily. Something is selecting a wrong output from the start sometimes.

But I can report these findings to the other bug as well if that helps.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Joe Liau (joe)]

On Ubuntu 18.04 I'm still unable to switch back to the non-hdmi audio output.

All media players still think they are using HDMI.

[Keneth C (kenethc)]

Facing the same issue with 18.04.2 LTS
Had the same issue with previous versions as well
Will there be a fix anytime soon?
Thank you.