Settings > Sound > Inputs ON/OFF toggle does not show true microphone state

[Hedley Finger]

Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS Bionic Beaver
gnome-control-center (gnome-sound-properties?)

I recently used sound input for the first time ever to attend a Zoom session. I opened Settings > Sound > Inputs and saw that the microphone was switched ON. In fact, it was disabled, and it was many days before I realised that the ON/OFF toggle and the microphone state were out of synch. So I was able to activate the microphone by toggling OFF then ON.

This is a bad usability issue.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.28.2-0ubuntu0.18.04.6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-42.46~18.04.1-generic 5.4.44
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-42-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.16
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu Aug 13 17:38:58 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-15 (119 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20200203.1)
SourcePackage: gnome-control-center
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Hedley Finger (hedley-finger)]

The bug reporting procedure is far too complex. Only highly motivated users wade through the swamp of apport, etc. to finally get through to the actual bug-reporting form. Surely the instructions could be replaced with a GUI app bolted onto apport. When a bug is not a crash but some lesser malfunction in system software, surely a user should be able to right-click in a window and choose Report Bug or Improvement from a context menu, and then the app would gather all the information needed.

Many users who are using Ubuntu as a replacement for Mac OS or Windows would be completely befuddled by the hoops you have to crawl through to communicate to Canonical/Launchpad. I certainly won't be reporting bugs in future unless it is life-threatening. I am a rusted-on Ubuntu fan with some facility with the CLI, but this is all too much.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report. Could you add a screenshot showing the UI? Is the graphical state creating the confusion or was it really off? Does it do it again after a restart?

You might find the bug report process not adapted but keep in mind that it's a community project and not a service you are paying for, the project is better deserved with less bugs with higher quality

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for gnome-control-center (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]