No audio on XPS 13 9370

[Lukas Waymann]

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
Release: 18.04

$ uname -a
Linux 201712-26015 5.4.0-65-generic #73~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 19 09:02:24 UTC 2021 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ apt-cache policy linux-image-5.4.0-65-generic
linux-image-5.4.0-65-generic:
  Installed: 5.4.0-65.73~18.04.1
  Candidate: 5.4.0-65.73~18.04.1
  Version table:
 *** 5.4.0-65.73~18.04.1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-proposed/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Steps to reproduce:

* Install the OEM Bionic image on the Dell XPS 13 9370 laptop
* Add the bionic-proposed repo
* apt install linux-generic-hwe-18.04
* Reboot
* Open the Gnome audio settings and then the speaker testing panel
* Click any of the "Test" buttons

Expected: a "front left" or "front right" sound is played via the laptops internal speakers.
Actual: there is no sound.

The machine's CID is 201712-26015.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: linux-image-5.4.0-65-generic 5.4.0-65.73~18.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-65.73~18.04.1-generic 5.4.78
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-65-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon Jan 25 13:49:45 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-01-25 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 "Bionic" - Build amd64 LIVE Binary 20180608-09:38
SourcePackage: linux-signed-hwe-5.4
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Please upload the log of alsa-info.txt (run alsa-info, then the alsa-info.txt will be generated under /tmp) and the pacmd-list.txt of 'pacmd list > pacmd-list.txt'

thx.

[Lukas Waymann (meribold)]

I've uploaded both files.

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Please do a test:

add snd_hda_intel.model=dell-headset4 to the bootargs, and boot the system, test if speaker could output sound, if still doesn't work, please upload an alsa-info.txt with model=dell-headset4.

thx.

[Lukas Waymann (meribold)]

There's still no audio. I only tested the internal speakers.

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

According to the log in #3 and in #7, it is really an audio issue. The HDA controller can't access the analogue codec. This is a valid bug.

This is the log (#3) that shows HDA controller get wrong info from analogue codec:
Node 0x17 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x40058d: Stereo Amp-Out
  Amp-Out caps: ofs=0x00, nsteps=0x00, stepsize=0x00, mute=1
  Amp-Out vals: [0x80 0x80]
  Pincap 0x0000001c: OUT HP Detect
  Pin Default 0x90070100: [Fixed] Line Out at Int N/A

this is the log (#7) that shows HDA controller get wrong info from analogue codec:
Default Amp-In caps: N/A
Default Amp-Out caps: N/A
State of AFG node 0x01:
  Power states: D0 D1 D2 D3 D3cold CLKSTOP EPSS
  Power: setting=D0, actual=D0
Invalid AFG subtree

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

We tried different kernels (4.15.0-oem, 5.4.0-64, 5.4.0-65 and 5.11+), the audio controller can't access the codec stable. More or less, there are some errors when controller access codec.

Although there is this kind of error, that doesn't mean the audio doesn't work 100% chance, the audio could work sometimes.

This issue is not a regression on the kernel 5.4.0-65.

I doubt this is a hardware issue/BIOS issue specific to this SKU.

[Lukas Waymann (meribold)]

There's still no audio with kernel 5.4.0-75.84 on the same system (CID 201712-26015). Another XPS 13 9370 (CID 201712-26038) seems to have the same issue.

[linux enthuzed (exp27)]

I have an XPS 13 9370 with the same or similar issue on Ubuntu 20 and it is not a fresh install. It has affected my machine for numerous kernel versions and BIOS firmware versions.

alsa-info: http://alsa-project.org/db/?f=47725ef4c2de6c2a8b3cff3dd68c7a2bc0c3635f

kernel:
Linux anonymous 5.4.0-88-generic #99-Ubuntu SMP Thu Sep 23 17:29:00 UTC 2021 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS
Release: 20.04

dmesg:
[ 746.187338] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: azx_get_response timeout, switching to polling mode: last cmd=0x200f0000
[ 747.191347] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: No response from codec, disabling MSI: last cmd=0x200f0000
[ 748.195328] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: No response from codec, resetting bus: last cmd=0x200f0000
[ 749.199337] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: azx_get_response timeout, switching to single_cmd mode: last cmd=0x200f0000
[ 749.199703] hdaudio hdaudioC0D2: no AFG or MFG node found
[ 749.199716] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: no codecs initialized

I have tried toggling the audio support in the BIOS to minimize the chance that this is a hardware/BIOS issue. The only output available in the UI is "Dummy Output".