Apps cannot retrieve internal mic input

[Hedley Finger]

Could be pulseaudio, alsa-driver, or
   ~$ /usr/bin/gnome-control-center sound input

Dell Vostro 2520 dual-boot laptop
Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
2- Cirrus Logic High Definition Audio, model CS4213
Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS
Windows 10 Home, v. 1903, bld 18362.778
Skype 8.59 (Ubu & Win)
Zoom (cloud meetings) 5.0.3x (Ubu), 5.0.1x (Win)
pulseaudio 1:11.1-1ubuntu7.5
alsa-driver -- package could not be found:
    ~$ apt-cache policy alsa-driver
    N: Unable to locate package alsa-driver

    Does this help? /lib/modules/5.3.0-51-generic/kernel/sound/drivers

In Settings > Sound > Input, the On/Off [unmute/mute] setting *appearance* is preserved over reboots and awakenings from sleep, but the mic input sound is always muted despite the control still being set to On (unmute). Clicking mute (Off), then unmute (On) restores mic input, as shown by the level meter tracking input sounds.

However, Skype 8.59x and Zoom 5.0.3x cannot receive sound inputs *despite* their sound level meters (in their respective sound settings) registering changing input levels. The Skype test call does not work. I opened a Zoom meeting with my wife on her Win 10 computer. I could see and hear her, and she could see but not hear me.

On this dual-boot laptop, Skype 8.59x fails the test call under Windows 10 Home.

The Sound Recorder app can successfully record mic input and play it back. pavucontrol shows input on its level meter.

Notes:

+ ~$ /usr/bin/gnome-control-center sound input
    (gnome-control-center:17284): sound-cc-panel-WARNING **: 16:48:28.795: Couldn't find a stream
    from the active input

+ Many days searching the internet and AskUbuntu have not produced a solution that works. (For
    what it is worth, many posters have reported that sound became dysfunctional after upgrading
    to 18.04 or 18.04.4.)

+ I have added the snd-cs46xx kernel module and firmware to get around driver licensing issues
    following the instructions at https://wiki.debian.org/snd-cs46xx, Debian 8.

+ I have added these lines to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf :

    options snd-hda-intel model=dell-vostro-2520
    options snd-hda-intel dmic_detect=0

+ In PulseAudio Volume Control I have set the following:

    Input Devices Port: Internal Microphone
    Output Devices Port: Speakers

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-51.44~18.04.2-generic 5.3.18
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-51-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.14
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: hfinger 4047 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0c: hfinger 4047 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: hfinger 4047 F...m pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun May 3 16:52:35 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-15 (17 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20200203.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaRecordingTest: ALSA recording test through plughw:PCH failed
Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HDA Intel PCH
Symptom_Jack: Mic, Internal
Symptom_Type: None of the above
Title: [Vostro 2520, Cirrus Logic CS4213, Mic, Internal] Recording problem
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/25/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0FWKV7
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A05
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd01/25/2013:svnDellInc.:pnVostro2520:pvrNotSpecified:rvnDellInc.:rn0FWKV7:rvrA05:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Vostro 2520
dmi.product.sku: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: Not Specified
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
mtime.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.alsa-base.conf: 2020-05-01T13:58:36.978996

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Did the internal mic work before?

[Hedley Finger (hedley-finger)]

Some additional info for bug report:

$ ls /lib/modules/5.3.0-51-generic/kernel/sound/drivers
mpu401 snd-aloop.ko snd-mts64.ko snd-virmidi.ko
opl3 snd-dummy.ko snd-portman2x4.ko vx
pcsp snd-mtpav.ko snd-serial-u16550.ko

~$ ls /lib/firmware/cs46xx/
ba1 cwc4630 cwcasync cwcbinhack cwcdma cwcsnoop

~$ modinfo snd-cs46xx
filename: /lib/modules/5.3.0-51-generic/kernel/sound/pci/cs46xx/snd-cs46xx.ko
license: GPL
description: Cirrus Logic Sound Fusion CS46XX
author: Jaroslav Kysela <email address hidden>
firmware: cs46xx/cwcdma
firmware: cs46xx/cwcbinhack
firmware: cs46xx/cwcsnoop
firmware: cs46xx/cwcasync
firmware: cs46xx/cwc4630
srcversion: 11FF4360F4C97088F132FB1
alias: pci:v00001013d00006004sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v00001013d00006003sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v00001013d00006001sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends: snd-pcm,snd-ac97-codec,snd,snd-rawmidi,gameport
retpoline: Y
intree: Y
name: snd_cs46xx
vermagic: 5.3.0-51-generic SMP mod_unload
signat: PKCS#7
signer:
sig_key:
sig_hashalgo: md4
parm: index:Index value for the CS46xx soundcard. (array of int)
parm: id:ID string for the CS46xx soundcard. (array of charp)
parm: enable:Enable CS46xx soundcard. (array of bool)
parm: external_amp:Force to enable external amplifier. (array of bool)
parm: thinkpad:Force to enable Thinkpad's CLKRUN control. (array of bool)
parm: mmap_valid:Support OSS mmap. (array of bool)

[Hedley Finger (hedley-finger)]

Wang:

I've never had to use it since I bought it, so I don't know if it could
work from the start. It is only because of Covid-19 and having to use Zoom
and Skype for our group activities that the necessity has come up.

I think it is s software problem, not hardware because on Settings > Sound
> Input I can unmute (On) the mic and see the sound bars showing the level.
The Sound Recorder app also records clips and plays them back. I cannot get
the sound input settings to work in Skype and Zoom. on that, although the
level meters work, Skype test calls and Zoom recipients can't hear me.

There are two issues:
1. The Ubuntu Settings > Sound > Input settings do not reflect the actual
state of the sound input, and even if the mic is unmuted (On), this setting
is lost on shut down or sleep regardless of what the mic setting is.
2. Apps cannot access the mic input when it is active.

My attempts to load the snd_cs46xx kernel module and to add the
below options to the end of alsa-base.conf were 'solutions' found on the
internet:
    options snd-hda-intel model=dell-vostro-2520
    options snd-hda-intel dmic_detect=0

The Cirrus Logic CS4213 codec is used in a number of older Dell models.

Hope this helps,
Hedley

On Sun, 3 May 2020 at 18:35, Hui Wang <email address hidden> wrote:

> Did the internal mic work before?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1876555
>
> Title:
> Apps cannot retrieve internal mic input
>
> Status in alsa-driver package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> Could be pulseaudio, alsa-driver, or
> ~$ /usr/bin/gnome-control-center sound input
>
> Dell Vostro 2520 dual-boot laptop
> Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio
> Controller (rev 04)
> 2- Cirrus Logic High Definition Audio, model CS4213
> Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS
> Windows 10 Home, v. 1903, bld 18362.778
> Skype 8.59 (Ubu & Win)
> Zoom (cloud meetings) 5.0.3x (Ubu), 5.0.1x (Win)
> pulseaudio 1:11.1-1ubuntu7.5
> alsa-driver -- package could not be found:
> ~$ apt-cache policy alsa-driver
> N: Unable to locate package alsa-driver
>
> Does this help? /lib/modules/5.3.0-51-generic/kernel/sound/drivers
>
>
> In Settings > Sound > Input, the On/Off [unmute/mute] setting
> *appearance* is preserved over reboots and awakenings from sleep, but the
> mic input sound is always muted despite the control still being set to On
> (unmute). Clicking mute (Off), then unmute (On) restores mic input, as
> shown by the level meter tracking input sounds.
>
> However, Skype 8.59x and Zoom 5.0.3x cannot receive sound inputs
> *despite* their sound level meters (in their respective sound
> settings) registering changing input levels. The Skype test call does
> not work. I opened a Zoom meeting with my wife on her Win 10 computer.
> I could see and hear her, and she could see but not hear me.
>
> On this dual-boot laptop, Skype 8.59x fails the test call under
> Windows 10 Home.
>
> The Sound Recorder app can successfully record mic input and play it
> back. pavucontrol shows input on its level meter.
>
> Not...