Built-in microphone not working with 20.04 on ThinkBook 13s IML [Realtek ALC257]

[Anton]

After installing current 20.04 release on ThinkBook 13s IML with Intel audio card built-in microphone is not working - I'm unable to record anything.

I could confirm that it was working in Windows 10 (previously installed on that laptop), and when I'm using headphones their microphone is working fine.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-53.59-generic 5.4.65
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-53-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.12
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: anlar 1496 F.... pulseaudio
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Nov 13 19:07:34 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-10-29 (14 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaRecordingTest: ALSA recording test through plughw:sofhdadsp failed
Symptom_Card: sof-hda-dsp - sof-hda-dsp
Symptom_Jack: Black Mic, Right
Symptom_Type: Only some of inputs are working
Title: [20RR, Realtek ALC257, Black Mic, Right] Recording problem
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/29/2019
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: CQCN24WW
dmi.board.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: LNVNB161216
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40697WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IML
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrCQCN24WW:bd10/29/2019:svnLENOVO:pn20RR:pvrLenovoThinkBook13s-IML:rvnLENOVO:rnLNVNB161216:rvrSDK0J40697WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrLenovoThinkBook13s-IML:
dmi.product.family: ThinkBook 13s-IML
dmi.product.name: 20RR
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_20RR_BU_idea_FM_ThinkBook 13s-IML
dmi.product.version: Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IML
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Thibaut Lunet (tlunet)]

Hi, got exactly the same issue with two identical laptops (Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IML). One has the current latest kernel from Ubuntu 20.04 (5.8.0-40), for the other one I installed a more recent kernel (5.9.16-050916) using mainline. Microphone does not work for both.

Also, I tried some steps from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SoundTroubleshootingProcedure,
and when running :

wget -O alsa-info.sh http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh && chmod +x ./alsa-info.sh && ./alsa-info.sh

I get the following error :

cat: '/sys/module/snd_soc_skl_hda_dsp/parameters/*': No such file or directory

Finally, I attached the output from alsa-info.sh.

[Anton (an-lar)]

I have the same issue with that laptop using Fedora 33: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1934754

Found temporary solution here: https://github.com/thesofproject/linux/issues/2795

[Thibaut Lunet (tlunet)]

Temporary solution fixed the issue on my laptop, thanks !

[Thibaut Lunet (tlunet)]

Correction : had y headphone microphone plugged in, so temporary solution does not work yet actually

[Anton (an-lar)]

Confirming, that workaround from https://bugs.launchpad.net/sound-2.6/+bug/1904213/comments/4 also fixes that issue in Ubuntu 20.04.2.