Volume control defaults to HDMI even though switched to internal

[Michał Sawicz]

I've recently installed eoan and have this problem since:
- I have an external display connected over DisplayPort
- every boot / wakeup, both volume control and "Output device" switches to "HDMI / DisplayPort"
- playback continues to work fine through internal speakers, but volume control sticks to "HDMI / DisplayPort"

Switching "Output device" doesn't stick over reboot / suspend. Clearing PulseAudio state doesn't help, either.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: pulseaudio 1:13.0-1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-23.25-generic 5.3.7
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-23-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC2: michal 3202 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: michal 3202 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: michal 3202 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC1D0p: michal 3202 F...m pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Nov 26 08:51:05 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-11-19 (6 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Release amd64 (20191017)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=screen-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=pl_PL.UTF-8
 SHELL=/usr/bin/zsh
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/03/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A08
dmi.board.name: XPS 12-9Q33
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A08
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA08:bd03/03/2015:svnDellInc.:pnXPS12-9Q33:pvrA08:rvnDellInc.:rnXPS12-9Q33:rvrA08:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: XPS 12-9Q33
dmi.product.sku: XPS 12-9Q33
dmi.product.version: A08
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thanks for the report Saviq. The 'automatically switch to HDMI on login/resume' is bug #1847570

One thing that is not clear from the description to me, you write that control/output goes to HDMI but that playbacks continue through the speakers ... do you mean that the output displayed in setting is HDMI but it's not actually the one selected/where the sound goes to?
Or do you change the device selection and then sound is routed right but not the control? (and how do you know it's controlling the HDMI if there is no sound played there?)

Also how do you control the sound, multimedia keys on the keyboard? shell indicator? in application slider?

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

Hey Seb,

Yes I mean that all sound does go out the internal speakers, but volume controls the HDMI sink (and the "Output device" is set to it). So yeah it's a but confusing.

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

I know it's controlling HDMI because it says so on the volume UI overlay when changing volume (and by the fact that nothing's happening to my internal speakers volume ;)).

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

And controlling via hardware buttons. (/me should really read/answer all the questions before pressing "Post…").

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

The workaround from #1847570 helps here, so I'll mark this a duplicate and reopen if it happens to be different after all.