Selected output device in Sound settings is not persisted across restarts

[Filippo Ghibellini]

# Introduction

My computer has multiple audio devices, so I had to select the correct one in the "Sound" section of "Settings". This worked fine, except that whenever I restart the computer this setting resets to the original one. Effectively I have to visit the sound settings on each system startup in order to hear anything.

# How to reproduce

1. have system with multiple audio outputs
2. open sound settings
3. select non-default output device
4. restart computer
5. open sound settings

# Expected result

Selected audio device is the same as the one selected right before restart.

# Actual result

The active output device is the original default one (i.e. not the one that we selected).

# System information

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS
Release: 20.04

$ apt-cache policy gnome-control-center
gnome-control-center:
  Installed: 1:3.36.5-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:3.36.5-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.36.5-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:3.36.1-1ubuntu5 500
        500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages

[Filippo Ghibellini (f-ghibellini)]

It seems that whenever you connect a new device it is set as the currently active one.
I suspect the device selected as active after the restart is simply the last one to load.

I just tried this with 3 devices:

1. at first have device A and B connected to the computer and have B selected as active
2. connect new device C
3. I can see C becoming automatically the active device
4. disconnect device C from computer
5. A automatically becomes the active device

all of the above was monitored by having the "Sound" panel of gnome-control-center opened and watching the "Output" > "Output Device" Combo-box changing.

[Filippo Ghibellini (f-ghibellini)]

# Temporary Workaround for others who face this

Get the list of available sinks:

```
$ pactl list sinks

Sink #1
 State: IDLE
 Name: alsa_output.usb-Audio_Technica_Corp_ATR2100x-USB_Microphone-00.analog-stereo
 Description: ATR2100x-USB Microphone Analog Stereo
 Driver: module-alsa-card.c
 Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
 Channel Map: front-left,front-right
 Owner Module: 26
 Mute: no
 Volume: front-left: 5282 / 8% / -65.62 dB, front-right: 49145 / 75% / -7.50 dB
         balance 0.89
 Base Volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
 Monitor Source: alsa_output.usb-Audio_Technica_Corp_ATR2100x-USB_Microphone-00.analog-stereo.monitor
 Latency: 34631 usec, configured 40000 usec
 Flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY
 Properties:
  alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
  device.api = "alsa"
  device.class = "sound"
  alsa.class = "generic"
  alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
  alsa.name = "USB Audio"
  alsa.id = "USB Audio"
  alsa.subdevice = "0"
  alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
  alsa.device = "0"
  alsa.card = "3"
  alsa.card_name = "ATR2100x-USB Microphone"
  alsa.long_card_name = "Audio Technica Corp ATR2100x-USB Microphone at usb-0000:08:00.3-3.3, full speed"
  alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
  device.bus_path = "pci-0000:08:00.3-usb-0:3.3:1.0"
  sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:08:00.3/usb3/3-3/3-3.3/3-3.3:1.0/sound/card3"
  udev.id = "usb-Audio_Technica_Corp_ATR2100x-USB_Microphone-00"
  device.bus = "usb"
  device.vendor.id = "0909"
  device.vendor.name = "Audio-Technica Corp."
  device.product.id = "004d"
  device.product.name = "ATR2100x-USB Microphone"
  device.serial = "Audio_Technica_Corp_ATR2100x-USB_Microphone"
  device.form_factor = "microphone"
  device.string = "front:3"
  device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
  device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
  device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
  device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
  device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
  device.description = "ATR2100x-USB Microphone Analog Stereo"
  module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
  device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone-usb"
 Ports:
  analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority: 9900)
 Active Port: analog-output-headphones
 Formats:
  pcm

Sink #2
 State: SUSPENDED
 Name: alsa_output.pci-0000_08_00.4.analog-stereo
 Description: Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller Analog Stereo
 Driver: module-alsa-card.c
 Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
 Channel Map: front-left,front-right
 Owner Module: 27
 Mute: no
 Volume: front-left: 19660 / 30% / -31.37 dB, front-right: 19660 / 30% / -31.37 dB
         balance 0.00
 Base Volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
 Monitor Source: alsa_output.pci-0000_08_00.4.analog-stereo.monitor
 Latency: 0 usec, configured 0 usec
 Flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY
 Properties:
  alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
  device.api = "alsa"
  device.class = "sound"
  alsa.class = "generic"
  alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
  alsa.name = "ALC1220 Analog"
  alsa.id = "ALC1220 Analog"
  alsa.subdevice = "0"
  alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
  alsa.device = "0"
  alsa.card = "2"
  alsa.card_name = "HD-Audio Generic"
  alsa.long_card_n...

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

The settings only apply the changes, they have no backend side aiming at enforcing the changes again after a restart, it's a pulseaudio problem rather

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Could you give some details on what output you select and which one is on after restart? There a known problems around HDMI handling, unsure if that's what you are seeing though

[Filippo Ghibellini (f-ghibellini)]

In my specific case I have two output devices:

1. an audio card integrated in the motherboard
2. and an external microphone that has a monitoring output jack

Each of them results in two selectable options (there's always a second "Digital Output (S/PDIF)" prefixed one) in the Ubuntu settings for a total of 4.

After startup the usb microphone is selected as the output device so I have to switch it to the integrated sound card analog output.

(you can see details about each device in the `pactl list sinks` output in my "workaround" comment)

Also whenever I connect my guitar amp (also acts as sound output) it is automatically selected as the active device and disconnecting it results in the microphone being selected again no matter what I had selected before connecting the amp.

There is no HDMI involved anywhere.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

it sounds similar to bug #1877194

could you try if commenting out switch-on-connect in /etc/pulse/default.pa fixes the issue for you?

[Filippo Ghibellini (f-ghibellini)]

Yes, it did fix the issue.