recording device won't change

[gregrwm]

installed from lubuntu .iso
fully updated as of yesterday
fresh boot this morning

some of these details are most likely irrelevant, but it's what i do to keep things simple:
ignore graphical login screen, change to VT2
startx /usr/bin/xterm

in the xterm:
/opt/firefox/firefox& #(nightly)
openbox&
pavucontrol-qt&
pavucontrol& #results are the same regardless which of the pavucontrols is invoked

in firefox:
voice.google.com
start a call

in either of the pavucontrols:
try to change the recording device:
the menu opens, select the desired device, but it just doesn't change.
doesn't matter which of the two pavucontrols was invoked

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-26.30-generic 5.4.30
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-26-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Mon Apr 27 07:49:12 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-03-15 (42 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Alpha amd64 (20200314)
ProcEnviron:
 LC_TIME=en_DK.utf8
 TERM=screen
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/20/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: J9ETA2WW (2.28 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20C6008SUS
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: 0B98401 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrJ9ETA2WW(2.28):bd06/20/2018:svnLENOVO:pn20C6008SUS:pvrThinkPadEdgeE540:rvnLENOVO:rn20C6008SUS:rvr0B98401WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad Edge E540
dmi.product.name: 20C6008SUS
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_20C6_BU_Think_FM_ThinkPad Edge E540
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad Edge E540
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please try:

1. rm -rf ~/.config/pulse/

2. Log out and in again.

[gregrwm (gregrwm)]

hello, thank you, ok did that. a new and populated .config/pulse was created upon logout. bug still present as described.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Hmm, maybe that's part of the problem. Please try:

1. Log out.

2. Ctrl+Alt+F4 and lot into a text console

3. rm -rf .config/pulse
   exit

4. Ctrl+Alt+F1 and log in again.

[gregrwm (gregrwm)]

ok did that. a new and populated .config/pulse was created upon launch of pavucontrol-qt. bug still present as described. thank you, happy to keep trying things..

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Could you report the issue upstream on https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/issues/?

[gregrwm (gregrwm)]

ok did that: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/issues/882

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

thanks!

[Igor V. Kovalenko (i-garrison)]

This is a believed to be an application issue https://webcompat.com/issues/53808