• Re: Intermittently losing sound Xubuntu

    From Chris@21:1/5 to Chris on Sun Oct 2 16:02:53 2022
    XPost: uk.comp.os.linux

    Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:

    [correcting x-post]


    Weird one here. My FIL has a relatively new Dell which I set up Xubuntu on and the sound only works intermittently. When it works it works everywhere, when it doesn't nothing works. Whether it's local files or internet videos the pattern is consistent. The only exception is CDs. A physical CD will always play.

    There doesn't seem to be any pattern in when it will/won't work other than the CDs.

    It only has one audio device: the motherboard intel chip using the "snd_hda_intel" driver. The only output is a set of desktop speakers.

    My only hint at a problem is that inxi reports three sound servers:

    inxi -SMA
    system:
    Host: Vostro Kernel: 5.15.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Deskto
    Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
    Machine:
    Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Vostro 3710 V: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
    Mobo: Dell model: OKID6X v: A00 serial: <superuser required>
    V: 1.1.66 date: 06/22/2022
    Audio:
    Device-1: Intel driver: snd hda intel
    Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-48-generic running: yes
    Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
    Sound Server-3: Pipewire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

    My suspicion is that the servers are conflicting and the applications are picking the wrong one randomly, but that's just a guess.

    Anyone able to help or point me in the right direction to diagnose the problem?

    Where would I switch off the two servers and keep only one? Which one is
    the preferred one of the three?


    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Chris@21:1/5 to All on Sun Oct 2 15:52:51 2022
    XPost: uk.comp.sys.mac

    Weird one here. My FIL has a relatively new Dell which I set up Xubuntu on
    and the sound only works intermittently. When it works it works everywhere, when it doesn't nothing works. Whether it's local files or internet videos
    the pattern is consistent. The only exception is CDs. A physical CD will
    always play.

    There doesn't seem to be any pattern in when it will/won't work other than
    the CDs.

    It only has one audio device: the motherboard intel chip using the "snd_hda_intel" driver. The only output is a set of desktop speakers.

    My only hint at a problem is that inxi reports three sound servers:

    inxi -SMA
    system:
    Host: Vostro Kernel: 5.15.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Deskto
    Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
    Machine:
    Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Vostro 3710 V: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
    Mobo: Dell model: OKID6X v: A00 serial: <superuser required>
    V: 1.1.66 date: 06/22/2022
    Audio:
    Device-1: Intel driver: snd hda intel
    Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-48-generic running: yes
    Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
    Sound Server-3: Pipewire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

    My suspicion is that the servers are conflicting and the applications are picking the wrong one randomly, but that's just a guess.

    Anyone able to help or point me in the right direction to diagnose the
    problem?

    Where would I switch off the two servers and keep only one? Which one is
    the preferred one of the three?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Paul@21:1/5 to Chris on Sun Oct 2 14:13:11 2022
    XPost: uk.comp.os.linux

    On 10/2/2022 12:02 PM, Chris wrote:
    Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:

    [correcting x-post]


    Weird one here. My FIL has a relatively new Dell which I set up Xubuntu on >> and the sound only works intermittently. When it works it works everywhere, >> when it doesn't nothing works. Whether it's local files or internet videos >> the pattern is consistent. The only exception is CDs. A physical CD will
    always play.

    There doesn't seem to be any pattern in when it will/won't work other than >> the CDs.

    It only has one audio device: the motherboard intel chip using the
    "snd_hda_intel" driver. The only output is a set of desktop speakers.

    My only hint at a problem is that inxi reports three sound servers:

    inxi -SMA
    system:
    Host: Vostro Kernel: 5.15.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Deskto
    Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
    Machine:
    Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Vostro 3710 V: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
    Mobo: Dell model: OKID6X v: A00 serial: <superuser required>
    V: 1.1.66 date: 06/22/2022
    Audio:
    Device-1: Intel driver: snd hda intel
    Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-48-generic running: yes
    Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
    Sound Server-3: Pipewire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

    My suspicion is that the servers are conflicting and the applications are
    picking the wrong one randomly, but that's just a guess.

    Anyone able to help or point me in the right direction to diagnose the
    problem?

    Where would I switch off the two servers and keep only one? Which one is
    the preferred one of the three?


    Music playback

    CD Analog output 4 pin (stereo) to mobo header (my IDE DVD has this)
    DVD SPDIF 2 pin interface (stereo), impedance unknown, to mobo header ?
    (Some optical drives have removed direct audio output entirely)

    Playback via the data cable.

    I would think all of these, still have an opportunity to go through
    the OS mixer and be adjusted by DSP equalization.

    *******

    I have all three sound servers, and no sign of this problem.
    My kernel is a bit behind your kernel.

    You can edit /etc/default/grub and enable the grub menu to appear
    at startup, update grub, reboot, select "Advanced" option below
    the "regular" boot option for that OS, then select a slightly older kernel. This will work as long as the software updater has not trashed
    all the old kernels.

    With the older kernel in play, then check whether the problem is
    resolved or not.

    My grub menu is already enabled, as the disk Ubuntu is on is a multiboot
    (has Mint on it).

    Paul

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Chris@21:1/5 to Paul on Sun Oct 2 19:56:52 2022
    XPost: uk.comp.os.linux

    Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:
    On 10/2/2022 12:02 PM, Chris wrote:
    Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:

    [correcting x-post]


    Weird one here. My FIL has a relatively new Dell which I set up Xubuntu on >>> and the sound only works intermittently. When it works it works everywhere, >>> when it doesn't nothing works. Whether it's local files or internet videos >>> the pattern is consistent. The only exception is CDs. A physical CD will >>> always play.

    There doesn't seem to be any pattern in when it will/won't work other than >>> the CDs.

    It only has one audio device: the motherboard intel chip using the
    "snd_hda_intel" driver. The only output is a set of desktop speakers.

    My only hint at a problem is that inxi reports three sound servers:

    inxi -SMA
    system:
    Host: Vostro Kernel: 5.15.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64 Deskto
    Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
    Machine:
    Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Vostro 3710 V: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
    Mobo: Dell model: OKID6X v: A00 serial: <superuser required>
    V: 1.1.66 date: 06/22/2022
    Audio:
    Device-1: Intel driver: snd hda intel
    Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-48-generic running: yes
    Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
    Sound Server-3: Pipewire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

    My suspicion is that the servers are conflicting and the applications are >>> picking the wrong one randomly, but that's just a guess.

    Anyone able to help or point me in the right direction to diagnose the
    problem?

    Where would I switch off the two servers and keep only one? Which one is >>> the preferred one of the three?


    Music playback

    CD Analog output 4 pin (stereo) to mobo header (my IDE DVD has this)
    DVD SPDIF 2 pin interface (stereo), impedance unknown, to mobo header ?
    (Some optical drives have removed direct audio output entirely)

    Playback via the data cable.

    I'd be surprised. Even 15 years ago manufacturers didn't include a data
    cable. CDs are almost always played through software nowadays.

    I would think all of these, still have an opportunity to go through
    the OS mixer and be adjusted by DSP equalization.

    That's another weird thing, I forgot to mention, the volume UI shows the
    sound levels responding to the music or video playing. So the sound is
    working, just not being output to the speakers.

    *******

    I have all three sound servers, and no sign of this problem.
    My kernel is a bit behind your kernel.

    You can edit /etc/default/grub and enable the grub menu to appear
    at startup, update grub, reboot, select "Advanced" option below
    the "regular" boot option for that OS, then select a slightly older kernel. This will work as long as the software updater has not trashed
    all the old kernels.

    With the older kernel in play, then check whether the problem is
    resolved or not.

    My grub menu is already enabled, as the disk Ubuntu is on is a multiboot
    (has Mint on it).

    Thanks for the response, Paul. I'm away now from my FILs so I'll try next
    time.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)