S/PDIF outputs are mute (optical and coax) by default

[Jarno H.]

Binary package hint: pulseaudio

Error: By default S/PDIF outputs are disabled.
Expected: S/PDIF outputs should be enabled by default, because graphical mixer doesn't have any switch/option to switch these on.
Workaround: Open alsamixer (from terminal) and enable S/PDIF outputs.

Soundcard PCM (optical/coax) outputs are mute in Natty (11.04). Same card with same setup, worked ok with Maverick (10.10) and Lucid (10.04). (Mute buttons are disabled!!)
Changing different profiles from Sound preferences didn't have effect.
Analog outputs works with any profile (Digital stereo IEC output, analog stereo, analog 5.1 etc...).

Soundcard: Auzentech X-plosion 7.1 DTS Connect
03:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10)

This bug is regression from past releases.

Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04

pulseaudio:
  Installed: 1:0.9.22+stable-queue-24-g67d18-0ubuntu3
  Candidate: 1:0.9.22+stable-queue-24-g67d18-0ubuntu3
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.9.22+stable-queue-24-g67d18-0ubuntu3 0
        500 http://fi.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:0.9.22+stable-queue-24-g67d18-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic-pae 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: dtox 1603 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D2p: dtox 1603 F...m pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'CMI8770'/'C-Media CMI8770 at 0xe800, irq 20'
   Mixer name : 'CMedia PCI'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 41
   Simple ctrls : 22
Date: Thu May 5 21:26:08 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/14/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 2301
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: M3A78
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2301:bd09/14/2010:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnM3A78:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Luke Yelavich (themuso)]

Did you open alsamixer in a terminal, and make sure any options related to S/PDIF/Optical/Coaxial are unmuted?

[Jarno H. (jarno-hiltunen-saunalahti)]

Yes, naturally.
S/PDIF output is off, but it's unchangeable (like all options concerning S/PDIF).

[Luke Yelavich (themuso)]

You should be able to use the M key to unmute/turn on S/PDIF. If that doesn't work then there is a deeper problem in the driver somewhere I suspect.

Luke

[Jarno H. (jarno-hiltunen-saunalahti)]

Ah...yes. That did the trick.
Why these are mute by default? Graphical mixer doesn't have any switch for this.

[Jarno H. (jarno-hiltunen-saunalahti)]

I'll change the focus of bug as usability issue.

[Luke Yelavich (themuso)]

On Fri, May 06, 2011 at 05:09:31PM EST, Jarno H. wrote:
> Ah...yes. That did the trick.
> Why these are mute by default? Graphical mixer doesn't have any switch for this.

When I get a minute, I'll take a look at your card's mixer, and try and work out why it isn't turned on by default.

 affects ubuntu/pulseaudio
 status confirmed

[8200 (8200)]

This bug is still present in a fresh install of Ubuntu 11.10 amd64.

But the workaround is pretty easy:

start "alsamixer" in a terminal. Use the "right-arrow"-key for navigating to the item "S/PDIF Output" and press "m"-key so that the bracket of S/PDIF Output appears green. Then it should look like the attached screenshot and S/PDIF Out works fine :-)

But a fix would be anyway nice ;-)

[Stéphane Charette (stephanecharette)]

Still regularly running into this in Ubuntu 12.10 with a Nvidia card.

> $ lspci | egrep "Audio|VGA"
> 00:08.0 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 High Definition Audio (rev b1)
> 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation ION VGA (rev b1)

Every time this ASRock device is rebooted, S/PDIF 1 defaults to mute. Since this box is a media PC without a keyboard, it is a pain to hook one up each time to open a terminal window and run alsamixer to unmute S/PDIF 1. Is there a way to fix this, or a better workaround?

[madbiologist (me-again)]

Official support for Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" and Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" and Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" has ended. If this issue is still occurring on Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet", please run ubuntu-bug to file a new bug report so that we can get a fresh set of log files and system information.