thinkpad volume keys control microphone - gutsy

[Roger Binns]

When using the volume control applet, it correctly controls the volume of the speakers. However when I press the volume keys on the keyboard then volume of the microphone is changed! (Or more accurately if I have the main volume control window open then the microphone bars move up and down in response to the keyboard keys instead of the pcm).

Lenovo Thinkpad T61, Gutsy Tribe 5 up to date as of a few hours ago.

/proc/asound$ cat devices
  2: : timer
  3: : sequencer
  4: [ 0- 0]: digital audio playback
  5: [ 0- 0]: digital audio capture
  6: [ 0] : control
$ cat cards
 0 [Intel ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
                      HDA Intel at 0xfe020000 irq 17
$ cat modules
 0 snd_hda_intel
$ cat version
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.14 (Thu May 31 09:03:25 2007 UTC).

[Roger Binns (ubuntu-rogerbinns)]

Found a fix on thinkwiki. System->Preferences->Sound, in the Default Mixer Tracks section nothing was selected.

Selecting PCM fixed the problem. I guess the bug is that a sensible default is not picked on install.

[Lothar (lothar-tradescape)]

After the latest updates my T61 Gutsy tribe 5 Kubuntu system produces sound, but the hardware buttons don't control the master volume (which is a bit low even on 100%). If I press them the kmilo OSD shows up, but I can only change between 0% and 11%. The hardware mute buten mutes the sound OK. Changing the volume with the mixer aplet works fine.

[jamesh (jamesrh)]

on a Thinkpad R61 the 20070914 daily build of kumbuntu has this problem as well.

[danda (dan-osc)]

I have similar problems with kubuntu 6.10 (latest updates applied) on a brand new thinkpad T61. The volume control applet is controlling the headphones by default, not PCM. I was able to change it using "Select Master Channel..." but it took me a bit to figure out - should be the default.

More annoying, the OSD only changes between 89% and 100% when I press the hardware buttons. And this seems to be a visual change only, as I don't hear any difference in the volume.

I think I had to do a little hack (found elsewhere) to make the hardware buttons work at all.

[Neil Woolford (neil-neilwoolford)]

I can confirm Roger Binns' observation. Same symptoms and fix on a Lenovo 3000 N100.

Setting "Master" to be controlled by keyboard is fix, otherwise the keys (both dedicated and function shifted f1 f2) call up the volume graphic but do nothing.

Shipping with preset default would presumably fix this.

[Cameron Garnham (da2ce7)]

I've just installed the ubuntu 7.10 final, I can confirm that this default behavior still exists for my laptop (ThinkPad R61)

[keith11 (rushkeith23)]

I can confirm this error too. I have a lenovo x61t and I am experiencing the same problem with the volume buttons. I can't turn off the volume through the volume button and the buttons to reduce/increase the volume range between 75 and 96. The value of 75 and 96 changes if I change the master volume.

Keith.

[Artem Baguinski (femistofel)]

This is actually even worse:

on thinkpad T60 (but I guess on some other models as well), volume buttons are hardwired to control the volume otherwise inaccessible through normal sound drivers - the one you could look at with:

  $ cat /proc/acpi/ibm/volume
  level: 14
  mute: off
  commands: up, down, mute
  commands: level <level> (<level> is 0-15)

This one has nothing to do with the devices alsa reports because there is still no alsa driver for it. the audiochip you control with alsa plays into this other device which only provides this extra volume control. I have no idea what's the reason for this design.

So it is incorrect to let these buttons emit the same codes as normal volume control keys on "internet keyboards", which are then mapped to control the volume of Master or PCM strip of the alsa device, because what you get then is that each keypress changes the volume twice (on alsa device and hardwired) and the steps are too large.

Also if you use external keyboard with volume keys, those will work correctly (only control the volume of selected channel of alsa device) but inconsistently with hardware buttons.

The hardware buttons should really generate some altogether different scancode or event which should be then mapped to reading and displaying the status of /proc/acpi/ibm/volume and NOT of the alsa device.

[Artem Baguinski (femistofel)]

the kernel people don't seem to agree on how to handle these things yet, see the thread:

  http://lkml.org/lkml/2007/10/15/388

so I think it should be made possible in userspace to handle such events (volume up/down notifications etc) as either normal keypresses to be acted upon or just notifications that firmware has just done something. in the latter case the notification shouldn't be tied to any action except bringing up (in this case) a hardware volume disply window, or how is it called.

[delerious010 (delerious010)]

Thinkpad T61 running Gutsy fully updated as of today.
Volume keys ( and default applet behavior ) was to change the volume of the microphone.

Right-click + properties on the applet, select PCM device fixed the applet.
Unsure how to fix the thinkpad keys though, the following steps did not work for me ( did nothing of note ) :

# Select System->Preferences->Sound.
# In the "Default Mixer Tracks" section, make sure "PCM" is highlighted.
# Close the sound preferences.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Reviewing this bug report and its comments it seems that multiple people are experiencing this problem. Subsequently, I am confirming this bug report. For future reference you can manage the status of bug reports by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status .

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

This bug was nominated for Gutsy but does currently not qualify for a 7.10 stable release update (SRU) and the nomination is therefore declined.
According the the SRU policy, the fix should already be deployed and tested in the current development version before an update to the stable releases will be considered. With 7.10 now released, that policy applies to this bug. See: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates .
The bug is not being closed as work will continue on fixing it for the next release, Hardy Heron (8.04). If the state of this bug should change such that it qualifies for the SRU process, please contact the person who originally declined it and ask them to re-evaluate it. To help improve the state of this bug see: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/HowToTriage .

[Jerone Young (jerone)]

This bug is fixed. See bug
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/174292

Please closed.

[Artem Baguinski (femistofel)]

The solution from there doesn't fix the problem outlined in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-driver/+bug/136287/comments/8 which happens on T60 and other models with hardwired volume buttons. On these models the buttons shouldn't control anything, just show the notification window displaying current value of /proc/acpi/ibm/volume

until kernel supports this device as a separate alsa mixer the proper solution can only be a clumsy model specific workaround though.

[Jerone Young (jerone)]

This bug is a bug in gstreamer. It has been resolved and will be in Ubuntu hardy when the next release .16 of gstreamer is released. See bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gst-plugins-base0.10/+bug/174292

[Hao Wen (wenhao)]

I had similar problem on my thinkpad X300. Volume control button leads to volume control icon appear but volume is actually not changed.

I fixed by doing:
1. Set up the right keyboard shortcut by going to System=>Preferences=>Keyboard Shortcuts
2. System => Preferences => Sound, set the "Default Mixer Tracks" to "HDA Intel". (The default device should be consistent with the System Volume Control Device)