No sound when output connector is set to "Analog Headphones"

[Vianney Stroebel]

This bug has been discussed in this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1902918

It might be a duplicate of http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1902918

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: alsa-base 1.0.24+dfsg-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-14.23-generic 3.0.9
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-14-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VB Analog [ALC269VB Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: vianney 20975 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xdf000000 irq 43'
   Mixer name : 'Intel CougarPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,10431a33,00100100 HDA:80862805,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 22
   Simple ctrls : 12
Date: Tue Jan 3 17:09:20 2012
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AudioUsers: pulse
Symptom_Card: Internal Audio - HDA Intel PCH
Symptom_DevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: vianney 20975 F.... pulseaudio
Symptom_Jack: Speaker, Internal
Symptom_Type: Sound works for some users but not for others
Title: [HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH, playback] sound not working for all users
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/18/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: N73SV.305
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: N73SV
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrN73SV.305:bd05/18/2011:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnN73SV:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnN73SV:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: N73SV
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

[Vianney Stroebel (78luphr0rnk2nuqimstywepozxn9kl19tqh0tx66b5dki1xxsh5mkz9gl21a5rlwfnr8-launchpad)]

Let me quote the useful parts of http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1902918 :

"Basically, if I re-insert my headphones into the jack, PulseAudio changes the output connector to "Analog Headphones" which produces no sound. So it forces me to manually change it back to "Analog Speakers" through the sound settings to get the audio working properly. This is a real nuisance. Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm sick of that feeling of dread the moment I accidentally disconnect my headphones."

"I figure the automatic output switching that pulseaudio does is a feature. I don't believe I need it, as my sound card(?) already manages that for me. So it should be as simple as disabling that feature. I don't recall having this problem before with pulse on this computer, so it could've been from an update."

It's quite annoying and we don't know when it's going to be resolved, so it would be nice if someone could explain how we can disable the automatic switching mechanism in the meantime (I didn't understand much of the documentation in analog-output.conf.common.). We don't need this feature anyway because the speaker muting is already managed (somehow) when the headphones are plugged in, even if the output connector is set back to "Analog Speakers".

This bug might be a duplicate of bug #909348 and bug #817943, but not exactly like bug #829843.

It looks like bug #817943 is the culprit.

Vianney

[Vianney Stroebel (78luphr0rnk2nuqimstywepozxn9kl19tqh0tx66b5dki1xxsh5mkz9gl21a5rlwfnr8-launchpad)]

This workaround worked for me: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/InstallingLinuxAlsaDriverModules

In some similar bug reports, other people solved their problem with this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HdaIntelSoundHowto

I have to say this was really painful for me: I had to search for a dozen hours before finally being able to use my headphones on a very common computer (Asus N73S).

How come this bug is still not resolved in Oneiric?

Vianney

[Vianney Stroebel (78luphr0rnk2nuqimstywepozxn9kl19tqh0tx66b5dki1xxsh5mkz9gl21a5rlwfnr8-launchpad)]

This bug is back, even after installing Alsa Driver Modules (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/InstallingLinuxAlsaDriverModules).

Adding this PPA solves it:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:diwic/jack-detection

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for alsa-driver (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]