pulseaudio doesn't handle switching users

[Sam Brightman]

When switching users, sound does not work for the new user. Messages are seen in the system log like this:

 Aug 20 17:29:31 localhost pulseaudio[19234]: pid.c: Daemon already running.
 Aug 20 17:29:31 localhost pulseaudio[18979]: x11wrap.c: XOpenDisplay() failed
 Aug 20 17:29:31 localhost pulseaudio[18979]: module.c: Failed to load module "module-x11-publish" (argument: "display=:0.0"): initialization failed.

It seems likely related to http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=593746. I don't think all the information presented there is currently relevant - or the workaround effective - as the start-pulseaudio-x11 script isn't used to start pulseaudio and it does use autospawn on Ubuntu. My current workaround is to start a new pulseaudio for the second user (without killing the old one).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:0.9.22+stable-queue-24-g67d18-0ubuntu3.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
Architecture: amd64
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'SB'/'HDA ATI SB at 0xfe024000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC889A'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0885,1458a102,00100101'
   Controls : 38
   Simple ctrls : 21
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'U0x46d0x809'/'USB Device 0x46d:0x809 at usb-0000:00:12.2-1, high speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:0809'
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
   Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum
   Capture channels: Mono
   Limits: Capture 0 - 17
   Mono: Capture 0 [0%] [6.00dB] [on]
Card2.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:2 'HDMI'/'HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfdefc000 irq 44'
   Mixer name : 'ATI R6xx HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100100'
   Controls : 4
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card2.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
Date: Tue Aug 16 17:24:41 2011
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-07-14 (32 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/12/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F8g
dmi.board.name: GA-MA790XT-UD4P
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF8g:bd07/12/2010:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnGA-MA790XT-UD4P:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnGA-MA790XT-UD4P:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: GA-MA790XT-UD4P
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
mtime.conffile..etc.pulse.default.pa: 2011-08-16T16:04:21
mtime.conffile..etc.pulse.system.pa: 2011-08-16T16:27:42

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 11.04 (natty) reached end-of-life on October 28, 2012.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it any more. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for pulseaudio (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]