[Dell System Vostro 3750, Realtek ALC269VB, Green Headphone Out, Left] volume slider problem

[Rudolfs Caune]

When headphones plugged in there is no sound. To get sound in headphones i have to go to alsamixer and raise volume level on SPEAKER slider (MM stays on) and sound in headphones is back. This works untill system is restarted or headphones are plugged out and plugged back in. After restart or replugging headphones i must go to alsamixer again to get sound in headphones. I tried disabling AutoMute in alsamixer but this doesn't help.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-22.35-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-22-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VB Analog [ALC269VB Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu1
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: djbacon 2959 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf2b00000 irq 53'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC269VB'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,102804c6,00100100'
   Controls : 19
   Simple ctrls : 11
Date: Wed Apr 11 15:33:18 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HDA Intel PCH
Symptom_Jack: Green Headphone Out, Left
Symptom_Type: Volume slider, or mixer problems
Title: [Dell System Vostro 3750, Realtek ALC269VB, Green Headphone Out, Left] volume slider problem
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-06 (5 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 05/19/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0VP036
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 0.1
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd05/19/2011:svnDellInc.:pnDellSystemVostro3750:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0VP036:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr0.1:
dmi.product.name: Dell System Vostro 3750
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Ryan (bovorasr)]

This bug also affects me, with the exact same symptoms, to the letter:

Card: HDA Intel PCH
Chip: Realtek ALC269VB

Same architecture, but it's a dell inspiron 17R. Happened after upgrade to precise, and was working before.

[Ryan (bovorasr)]

I should note that in alsamixer, the headphone slider is always disabled, even when the heaphones are plugged in. To be more precise:

Before headphones are plugged in:
Headphone slider: disabled
Speaker volume: N% (say, 75%)

After headphones are plugged in:
Headphone slider: disabled
Speaker volume: 0%.

As the original reporter mentioned, it happens regardless of whether or not the AutoMute feature is enabled or disabled.

[Ryan (bovorasr)]

Also, looks like this may be a duplicate of 779307. Looks like same symptoms, same cards, different computers.

[Rudolfs Caune (djbacons)]

To get sound back you must turn volume slider up on SPEAKER slider not HEADPHONES. HEADPHONES slider is also disabled in my laptop. It shows MM but sound in headphones comes back.

[Rudolfs Caune (djbacons)]

Its not exactly bug 779307, cause in this case after plugging in headphones, everything is muted. No sound comes from either speakers nor headphones. When i turn up SPEAKER slider then sound comes back in headphones but not speakers cause MM is still present under SPEAKER slider

[Ryan (bovorasr)]

Ok, I have a workaround that works for me:

sudo vi /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output-headphones.conf

Now, change the Element Speaker section to this:

[Element Speaker]
switch = on
volume = ignore

now, run alsamixer, and ensure that the AutoMute option is enabled.

What this does is it changes the sound profile pulse audio switches to when headphones are inserted to a profile that *does not* turn down the speaker slider volume. The AutoMute option ensures that the external speakers stop playing (if it were disabled, the headphones would work, but the external speakers would keep playing).

[Ryan (bovorasr)]

Might have to restart after doing that, btw. If this doesn't work for you, open the "Sound" program from the launcher, and see which profiles are being used when you plug in headphones and then take them back out again. Then do the same steps above, but using the profiles you see in the "Sound" program.

For example, I edited the "Element Speaker" section in the "Headphone" profile because when I leave out the headphones, the Sound program displays my profile as "Speaker," and when I plug them in, as "Headphone."

Good luck.

[Ryan (bovorasr)]

One more thing: my guess is that if this bug is fixed, it will break my workaround/hack. Since, a true fix would probably enable the "Headphone" slider or something. If this breaks again after an update, look to /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/ again.

[Rudolfs Caune (djbacons)]

Thanks a lot. It did work. Had to restart for this to take effect.

[Cerf (delorme-hugues)]

Thanks Ryan, your hack works too for my vostro 3750 !

Note that in my analog-output-headphones.conf I have :
[Element Headphone]
required-any = any
switch = mute
volume = merge

I wonder if switching to 'on' instead of 'mute' would bring back the headphone ?
I know I should try this option by myself, but since your hack is working so ...

Hope to see a fix for this issue rapidly.

[rpkrawczyk (rpkrawczyk)]

DjBacon was right, moving the speaker volume (in alsamixer) indeed increases the volume.

[rpkrawczyk (rpkrawczyk)]

Hi Cerf!

I think the file analog-output-headphones.conf is ok. It has the same contents as in Lucid. I will try the workaround now...

[rpkrawczyk (rpkrawczyk)]

When I tried this workaround I realised that it indeed works, *but* after plugging in the headphones both the headphones and the loudspeakers in the laptop are enabled.
Has anybody a better idea what to do?

[László Vitos (vitos-laszlo)]

The workaround in #8 worked for Precise, no problems in Quantal.

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

the volume control are in two DACs but there are three pin complex

if the driver create the volume control for the internal subwoofer, the internal speaker and headphone share the same volume control

Node 0x02 [Audio Output] wcaps 0x1d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Speaker Playback Volume", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Device: name="ALC269VB Analog", type="Audio", device=0
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x57, nsteps=0x57, stepsize=0x02, mute=0
  Amp-Out vals: [0x57 0x57]
  Converter: stream=8, channel=0
  PCM:
    rates [0x560]: 44100 48000 96000 192000
    bits [0xe]: 16 20 24
    formats [0x1]: PCM
Node 0x03 [Audio Output] wcaps 0x1d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Bass Speaker Playback Volume", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x57, nsteps=0x57, stepsize=0x02, mute=0
  Amp-Out vals: [0x00 0x00]
  Converter: stream=8, channel=0
  PCM:
    rates [0x560]: 44100 48000 96000 192000
    bits [0xe]: 16 20 24
    formats [0x1]: PCM

Node 0x14 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40018d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Speaker Playback Switch", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: [0x80 0x80]
  Pincap 0x00010014: OUT EAPD Detect
  EAPD 0x2: EAPD
  Pin Default 0x99130110: [Fixed] Speaker at Int ATAPI
    Conn = ATAPI, Color = Unknown
    DefAssociation = 0x1, Sequence = 0x0
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x40: OUT
  Unsolicited: tag=00, enabled=0
  Connection: 2
     0x0c* 0x0d

Node 0x1a [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40018f: Stereo Amp-In Amp-Out
  Control: name="Bass Speaker Playback Switch", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Amp-In caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x03, stepsize=0x2f, mute=0
  Amp-In vals: [0x00 0x00]
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: [0x00 0x00]
  Pincap 0x0000003c: IN OUT HP Detect
  Pin Default 0x99130120: [Fixed] Speaker at Int ATAPI
    Conn = ATAPI, Color = Unknown
    DefAssociation = 0x2, Sequence = 0x0
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x40: OUT
  Unsolicited: tag=00, enabled=0
  Connection: 2
     0x0c 0x0d*

Node 0x21 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40018d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Control: name="Headphone Playback Switch", index=0, device=0
    ControlAmp: chs=3, dir=Out, idx=0, ofs=0
  Control: name="Headphone Jack", index=0, device=0
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: [0x00 0x00]
  Pincap 0x0000001c: OUT HP Detect
  Pin Default 0x0321401f: [Jack] HP Out at Ext Left
    Conn = 1/8, Color = Green
    DefAssociation = 0x1, Sequence = 0xf
  Pin-ctls: 0xc0: OUT HP
  Unsolicited: tag=01, enabled=1
  Connection: 2
     0x0c* 0x0d

[Fuujuhi (fuujuhi)]

On Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, I solved this issue perfectly on the Vostro 3750 simply by updating to the latest Realtek drivers from

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#High%20Definition%20Audio%20Codecs.

(this page is referenced from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HdaIntelSoundHowto, scroll to the end).

In my case I had to patch the install script given in the Realtek package (I had version 5.18):

  tar -xvjf LinuxPkg_5.18.tar.bz2
  cd Rt-Linux-HDaudio-5.18/

... then edit file 'install', and change the line

   cd alsa-driver-RTv5.18

into

  cd alsa-driver-RTv5.18/alsa

then run install script:

  sudo ./install

reboot for the changes to take effect (I guess you could try something like "sudo alsa force-reload" instead). Afterwards, plugging / unplugging headset should work flawless. Also these new driver should handle better the bass speaker on the Vostro 3750 (now the bass speaker and speaker volume are sync'ed - in alsa mixer, there is actually no more separate volume for bass speaker, just a toggle to enable / disable it).

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

can you post the output of alsa-info.sh ?

do the new driver provide headphone playback volume and speaker playback volume controls ?

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

There is no volume control for headphone as node 0x21 headphone is connected to 0x0c (Speaker Playback Volume)

Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Bass Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [on]

[rpkrawczyk (rpkrawczyk)]

This is fixed in 16.04. Could someone close the bug?