Default audio device changes on reboot; audio still outputs using my previously-selected device

[Ben]

This is present in Ubuntu 18.04, 18.10, 19.04, and 19.10 daily build. It was not present in Ubuntu 16.04.

I have a USB microphone which also appears to pulse as a speaker. Pulse keeps picking it as the default audio device. I can switch audio devices to my analog line out, which works as expected until I reboot.

After reboot, my audio device switches back to the USB "speaker", and Gnome shell / Gnome settings volume control adjusts the USB speaker volume. Despite seeing the USB device as the current output device, I still hear sound from my line-out.

In the interest of narrowing down this bug, I have found that disabling "module-switch-on-connect" fixes the problem (my line-out stays as the default audio device and I hear sound).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:12.2-2ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.0.0-21.22-generic 5.0.15
Uname: Linux 5.0.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.10-0ubuntu27.1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed Jul 31 17:39:38 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-07-31 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.04 "Disco Dingo" - Release amd64 (20190416)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/07/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 4207
dmi.board.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.board.name: PRIME B350M-A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Default string
dmi.chassis.version: Default string
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr4207:bd12/07/2018:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnPRIMEB350M-A:rvrRevX.0x:cvnDefaultstring:ct3:cvrDefaultstring:
dmi.product.family: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.sku: SKU
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I have the same issue when I boot up with my USB headphone plugged in. The sound output defaults to the USB headphone, the volume controller controls its volume. However the sound comes from the internal speaker as I expect it to do.
If I change the sound output device to the internal speakers then the sound controller works fine until I reboot. After reboot everything starts over again.
If I don't have the USB headphones plugged in during boot then this issue doesn't happen.

I have an Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX laptop and a pair of Asus Delta USB headphones. 19.10 and 20.04 both have this issue.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Ben,

It sounds like you're describing two different issues:

 1. Audio automatically switches to USB. That part is not a bug while we ship 'module-switch-on-connect'. So if it's annoying just remove that module.

 2. "Despite seeing the USB device as the current output device, I still hear sound from my line-out." - That sounds like what we're currently tracking in bug 1866194 so let's use that for now.

[Ben (soupcan)]

Is it supposed to switch back on reboot though? If I select a certain device I expect it to stay that way. It's not like I'm unplugging and replugging my USB device. From a user's perspective this certainly doesn't feel like the desired behavior.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think you're right. I'm just assuming that 'module-switch-on-connect' is a little dumb and can't tell the difference between a fresh boot and hotplugging. If that's an issue you want to discuss then it would probably be best to open a new issue with the upstream developers at:

  https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/groups/pulseaudio/-/issues

[Ben (soupcan)]

After looking through the posted bug and comments I'm not sure that the issues are related. It seems more like, in this case, GNOME is just out of sync with pulse about what the default device is thanks to pulse changing it out during login. Changing the selected device fixes the issue (until the next login).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think bug 1877194 is actually tracking this now. So let's use that (?).