[kwlug-disc] Ubuntu 16.04 audio issues

Sat May 21 22:57:14 EDT 2016

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I'm pretty sure it has to do with the sound card.

Install paprefs and pavucontrol. Both are GUI tools.

Use paprefs to make sure the sound card you want is active.
Use pavucontrol to make sure the program is outputting with the right card.

I believe paprefs opens in your system tray, and you will be able to select a different sound card in the menus.

If you have multiple active sound cards, pavucontrol will let you choose which card you want to use for a program outputting sound (e.g. Firefox is using sound, there is a toggle for Analog Stereo or HDMI2)

If this doesn't work, you will have to play around more with pacmd and listing sinks.

- -------- Original Message --------
From: CrankyOldBugger <crankyoldbugger at gmail.com>
Sent: May 21, 2016 9:55:15 PM EDT
To: KWLUG discussion <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] Ubuntu 16.04 audio issues

Well, so far the story is that Pulseaudio, alsamixer, qasmixer all seem to
do the same thing, but with no results.  But eventually I did get it to
work.

I noticed that if I plug in headphones, they work fine.  So somewhere the
signal meant for my speakers is going the wrong way.  I suspect that BS's
theory on HDMI may be the issue here, but I'm having no luck switching it
around.

The standard System Config/Sound window under "Play sound through" shows
"Digital Output (S/PDIF)", and "Speakers".  Speakers is selected.

Here's the aplay -l list:

aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VC Analog [ALC269VC Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC269VC Digital [ALC269VC Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

I can control the volume using the keyboard's Function Keys so the hardware
is talking to the software.

Here's a hardware listing:

~$ sudo lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor DRAM
Controller (rev 09)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core
processor PCI Express Root Port (rev 09)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset
Family USB xHCI Host Controller (rev 04)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series
Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset
Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family
High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family
PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev c4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family
PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev c4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family
PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev c4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset
Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM76 Express Chipset LPC Controller
(rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series Chipset Family 6-port
SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family SMBus
Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK107M [GeForce GT
650M] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 HDMI Audio Controller (rev
a1)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 Gigabit Ethernet (rev
10)
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Wireless-N 2230 (rev
c4)
04:00.0 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. SD/MMC Host Controller
(rev 30)
04:00.2 SD Host controller: JMicron Technology Corp. Standard SD Host
Controller (rev 30)
04:00.3 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. MS Host Controller (rev
30)
04:00.4 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. xD Host Controller (rev
30)

This tells me that it's seeing the audio cards

pacmd list-cards shows the HDMI card as first in the list:

list-cards
2 card(s) available.
    index: 0
name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_01_00.1>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 6
properties:
alsa.card = "1"
alsa.card_name = "HDA NVidia"
alsa.long_card_name = "HDA NVidia at 0xc3000000 irq 17"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:01:00.1"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card1"
device.bus = "pci"
device.vendor.id = "10de"
device.vendor.name = "NVIDIA Corporation"
device.product.id = "0e1b"
device.product.name = "GK107 HDMI Audio Controller"
device.string = "1"
device.description = "GK107 HDMI Audio Controller"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
profiles:
output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5400, available:
unknown)
output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 300,
available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 300,
available: unknown)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <output:hdmi-stereo>
sinks:
alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo/#0: GK107 HDMI Audio Controller
Digital Stereo (HDMI)
sources:
alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of GK107 HDMI
Audio Controller Digital Stereo (HDMI)
ports:
hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec,
available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
    index: 1
name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 7
properties:
alsa.card = "0"
alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xc3410000 irq 29"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0"
device.bus = "pci"
device.vendor.id = "8086"
device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
device.product.id = "1e20"
device.product.name = "7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition
Audio Controller"
device.form_factor = "internal"
device.string = "0"
device.description = "Built-in Audio"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
profiles:
input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 60, available: unknown)
output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6000, available:
unknown)
output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority
6060, available: unknown)
output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500,
available: unknown)
output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output +
Analog Stereo Input (priority 5560, available: unknown)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
sinks:
alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#9: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
sources:
alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#2: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor/#10: Monitor of Built-in
Audio Analog Stereo
ports:
analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency
offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec,
available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec,
available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec,
available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0
usec, available: unknown)
properties:

Sooooo... how did I fix it?  I have absolutely no idea.

Among the things I tried were:

pacmd set-default-sink "SINKNAME"

a listing of less /proc/asound/modules shows:
0 snd_hda_intel
4 snd_hda_intel

Two different cards with the same name.  Just wonderful...

But, blindly, I did do the following:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base

and opened a blank file, where older versions of Ubuntu had a populated
file.   So for the sake of argument I added in:

options snd_hda_intel index=-5

Now keep in mind that I rebooted after every change I made (more than what
was listed here, but usually it was "add something in, fail the test, take
that thing back out again".

Now here's an interesting quote I found on askubuntu:

The issue is that Ubuntu 16.04 defaults to HDMI as default audio if HDMI is
present on your computer. In my case, it does see my Sound Blaster Audigy 2
card, but HDMI (from my video cards) is set as default; and the way to
change that differs from how you did that in 14.04.

The files, folders and procedures almost work, but don't if you follow
14.04's "No Sound" issues because file names and locations have changed in
16.04. I get this information from a week of Googling and experimenting.
But it appears that it is a known bug so an answer should be coming soon.
In the mean time, I guess we both have to wait. When I need sound, I revert
to a 14.04 netbook. Netbooks can't meet the system requirements of 16.04,
but more than meet 14.04's requirements. That should say something.
(end quote)

I think the critical part here is that fixes found online from anything
_other_ than 16.04 wouldn't work as there's something different in 16.04.
That and the fact that it now defaults to HDMI.

After rebooting a dozen times at least, I thought for fun I'd look in the
BIOS to see if there was any sort of audio settings in there, but of course
there were none.  But after rebooting from the BIOS menu, I heard the
wonderful Ubuntu drum roll, and sure enough the sound test worked fine.

I wish there was a better explanation for what happened, but I can't offer
you one.  I think we are dealing with a bug and any logical solutions might
just make things worse.

On Sat, 21 May 2016 at 08:15 B.S. <bs27975.2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Let us know what you figire out, Cranky - going forwards, I suspect many
> will experience the same as they install.
>
> On 05/20/2016 12:26 PM, B.S. wrote:
> > 'Sounds' like you have current audio output set to hardware / hdmi.
> >
> > Change it to the (non-HDMI) other one and you will probably hear sound.
> >
> > I ended up leaving it there and setting vlc to default to the hdmi. (My
> > TV is hooked up to that computer.)
> >
> > My laptop is the same, but generally doesn't have the HDMI hooked up to
> > it, so I leave vlc on the defaults there. Unless I happen to be doing a
> > presentation or something.
> >
> > I find the nomenclature confusing, but in System Settings / Multimedia /
> > Audio and Video Settings, Audio Hardware Setup tab, I end up switching
> > between Audio Stereo Output (or Audio Stereo Duplex), and Digital Stereo
> > (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input.
> >
> > HTH.
> >
> > On 05/20/2016 11:34 AM, CrankyOldBugger wrote:
> >> I know other people have posted similar questions before, but now I'm
> >> stuck.
> >>
> >> I have a Lenovo Y500 laptop and I just did a wipe-and_load with Ubuntu
> >> 16.04 for a fresh install.  All went well, but there's no sound.
> >>
> >> I see in the sound control panel that there's Digital Output (S/PDIF)
> and
> >> also Speakers, but when I go to Test Sound, I get nothing.
> >>
> >> Here's my audio setup:
> >>
> >> sudo lspci -v | grep -A7 -i "audio"
> >> 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset
> >> Family
> >> High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
> >> Subsystem: Lenovo 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition
> >> Audio
> >> Controller
> >> Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 30
> >> Memory at c3410000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
> >> Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
> >> Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
> >> Capabilities: [70] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
> >> Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
> >> Capabilities: [130] Root Complex Link
> >> --
> >> 01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 HDMI Audio Controller
> (rev
> >> a1)
> >> Subsystem: Lenovo GK107 HDMI Audio Controller
> >> Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
> >> Memory at c3000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
> >> Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
> >> Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
> >> Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
> >> Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
> >> Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel
> >>
> >> Ubuntu seems to think all is well, but I'm not hearing anything.
> >> Volume is
> >> at max, Mute is off, of course.
> >>
> >> I added myself to the "audio" group, just to be sure...
> >>
> >> Does anyone have any other ideas?
> >>
> >> Thanks...
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
> >> http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org
> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
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>

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