Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

Nickert · 2014-09-17 12:43:46

My volume sporadically goes up to 100%, and it's getting really annoying. This has been going on for about 2 weeks. Everything is up to date and such. Where can I start looking for why this happens?

emeres · 2014-09-17 13:02:10

Provide relevant information: DE, sound server, backend alsa/oss, applications running. Does the volume stay up afterwards?

aplay -lL; lspci -vvnn | grep -A1 '040[1-3]'; cat /proc/asound/modules; amixer;
lsusb #if there is a usb sound card;
# or use the alsa-info script

Nickert · 2014-09-17 13:27:48

The volume stays up, and here's the requested information:

nick@fusrodah:~$ aplay -lL; lspci -vvnn | grep -A1 '040[1-3]'; cat /proc/asound/modules; amixer;
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
default
    Default ALSA Output (currently PulseAudio Sound Server)
sysdefault:CARD=Intel
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    Front speakers
surround21:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, AD1989B Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=1
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 1
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=2
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 2
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=3
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 3
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=4
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 4
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=5
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 5
    HDMI Audio Output
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD1989B Analog [AD1989B Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: AD1989B Digital [AD1989B Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 2: AD1989B Alt Analog [AD1989B Alt Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 11: HDMI 5 [HDMI 5]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801JI (ICH10 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:3a3e]
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:82ea]
--
02:00.1 Audio device [0403]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Device [1002:aac8]
        Subsystem: XFX Pine Group Inc. Device [1682:aac8]
 0 snd_hda_intel
 1 snd_hda_intel
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65536
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 65536 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 65536 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 65536
  Front Left: Capture 13850 [21%] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 13850 [21%] [off]

Nickert · 2014-09-17 13:31:24

My DE is XFCE, sound server and backend are for Amarok (which is the application that runs when it happens) PulseAudio sound server and the Phonon VLC backend.

I'll queue some music in VLC to see if it also happens then. "Luckily" it happens quite often.

emeres · 2014-09-17 13:35:29

emeres wrote:

Provide relevant information: DE, sound server, backend alsa/oss, applications running.

Also post this:

systool -vm snd_hda_intel;
fuser -v /dev/snd/*;
amixer -c Intel;

Edit: Good, you added that, although unspecific.

Edit2: By backend I meant the sound architecture, which seems to be alsa in this case. Sound server here is pulseaudio. Kill pulseaudio and see if the behaviour continues, make sure it does not autospawn.

Last edited by emeres (2014-09-17 13:38:48)

Nickert · 2014-09-17 13:38:03

Requested commands:

nick@fusrodah:~$ systool -vm snd_hda_intel
Module = "snd_hda_intel"

  Attributes:
    coresize            = "26327"
    initsize            = "0"
    initstate           = "live"
    refcnt              = "9"
    taint               = ""
    uevent              = <store method only>

  Parameters:
    align_buffer_size   = "-1"
    bdl_pos_adj         = "1,32,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    beep_mode           = "Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y"
    enable_msi          = "-1"
    enable              = "Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y"
    id                  = "(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null)"
    index               = "-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    jackpoll_ms         = "0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0"
    model               = "(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null)"
    patch               = "(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null)"
    position_fix        = "-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    power_save          = "0"
    power_save_controller= "Y"
    probe_mask          = "-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    probe_only          = "0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0"
    single_cmd          = "N"
    snoop               = "Y"

  Sections:
    .bss                = "0xffffffffa03eda80"
    .data               = "0xffffffffa03ed000"
    .data.unlikely      = "0xffffffffa03ed7d0"
    .exit.text          = "0xffffffffa03ea930"
    .gnu.linkonce.this_module= "0xffffffffa03ed800"
    .init.text          = "0xffffffffa03c4000"
    .note.gnu.build-id  = "0xffffffffa03eb000"
    .rodata             = "0xffffffffa03eb040"
    .rodata.str1.1      = "0xffffffffa03ebf02"
    .rodata.str1.8      = "0xffffffffa03ec2e0"
    .smp_locks          = "0xffffffffa03ec618"
    .strtab             = "0xffffffffa03c7508"
    .symtab             = "0xffffffffa03c5000"
    .text               = "0xffffffffa03e8000"
    __mcount_loc        = "0xffffffffa03ec848"
    __param             = "0xffffffffa03ec628"
    __verbose           = "0xffffffffa03ed640"

nick@fusrodah:~$ fuser -v /dev/snd/*
                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  nick       1456 F.... panel-7-mixer
                     nick       1478 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC1:  nick       1456 F.... panel-7-mixer
                     nick       1478 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p:   nick       1478 F...m pulseaudio
nick@fusrodah:~$ amixer -c Intel 
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono: Playback 22 [56%] [-25.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 38 [97%] [-1.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 38 [97%] [-1.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Side',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 39
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 39 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 15
  Mono: Playback 15 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 54
  Front Left: Capture 47 [87%] [12.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 47 [87%] [12.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 54
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-58.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-58.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',2
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 54
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-58.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-58.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Auto-Mute Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
  Item0: 'Disabled'
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Independent HP',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
  Item0: 'Disabled'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Stereo Mix'
  Item0: 'Rear Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Stereo Mix'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Stereo Mix'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: 0 [0%] [0.00dB]

emeres · 2014-09-17 13:40:16

/dev/snd/controlC0:  nick       1456 F.... panel-7-mixer

panel-7-mixer - What is that?

Nickert · 2014-09-17 13:43:55

I wouldn't know, sorry. How can I find out?

emeres · 2014-09-17 13:46:23

pacman -Qo panel-7-mixer
#or pkgfile

Edit: The package containing it should have some man pages.

Edit2: Rule out pulseaudio like described above. Then rule out this mixer in a similar way. No audio applications using sound should be running at that time, otherwise you will not be able to determine if the tested application has any influence on the behaviour. Try running something else than vlc like mpv or mplayer. Maybe the players grab hardware control over the mixer.

Edit3: Should the above not turn anything up, run:

command -v panel-7-mixer

Last edited by emeres (2014-09-17 13:52:52)

Nickert · 2014-09-17 13:59:08

Nor pacman nor pkgfile nor command no anything about this panel-7-mixer:

nick@fusrodah:~$ fuser -v /dev/snd/*;
                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  nick       1456 F.... panel-7-mixer
                     nick      11528 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC1:  nick       1456 F.... panel-7-mixer
                     nick      11528 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p:   nick      11528 F...m pulseaudio
nick@fusrodah:~$ pacman -Qo panel-7-mixer
error: failed to find 'panel-7-mixer' in PATH: No such file or directory
â - status code 1                                                                                                                                                            
nick@fusrodah:~$ pkgfile panel-7-mixer
â - status code 1                                                                                                                                                            
nick@fusrodah:~$ command -v panel-7-mixer
â - status code 1

edit: pkgfile was updated, still nothing.

Last edited by Nickert (2014-09-17 14:00:32)

V1del · 2014-09-17 14:02:30

This is a somewhat unfortunate combination of pulse + knotify + phonon + vlc bug that results in this. Depending on where in the chain you want to fix this, you have multiple options:

1. Phonon-vlc has a bug that can make this happen - see discussion on https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=337034 therefore one way to fix would be tho switch to phonon-gstreamer (and you get some cool Amarok features only possible with the gst-backend: like the analyzer widget, equalizer, replay gain, fadeout on pause)

2. Knotify events can cause this (even though I don't know if they are being used at all if you havent set Amarok to use knotify for trackchange etc info) In the notifications kcm (don't know the exact name) there is a slider to set notification volume (see https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=324975 ) as well

3. Prevent application volumes from adjusting your master volume and thus being able to set master independently of their relative volume: set flat-volumes in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf to no

Additional reading that pretty much sums this up: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pu … ication.29

EDIT

Gah, took way too long to google out the links, yeah there shouldn't be another mixer interfering there, maybe the issue stems from there

Last edited by V1del (2014-09-17 16:22:42)

emeres · 2014-09-17 14:52:32

@V1del Still very informative ... and depressing, the first bug was reported 1 year ago, there is apparently too little communication between projects.

@OP I have difficulty finding that thing, but it seems to be xfce related. See my 2nd edit in the previous post.

pacman -Ql | grep -i panel # lists all installed files
# and filters them with grep
# adjust accordingly
# no need to post the output here
# just determine where it comes from

Edit: Maybe it is called in a manner , that I am not aware of and cannot be found the conventional way.

Last edited by emeres (2014-09-17 14:53:46)

V1del · 2014-09-17 16:20:31

Yeah while the mixer is somewhat weird, I think the problem ultimately amounts to one of the things I mentioned so it may not be that big of a thing in this particular case

Nickert · 2014-09-17 16:24:17

I believe the bug linked by V1del could very well be it. It's just not everytime Amarok displays a notification that the volume jumps up. I'll prevent other applications from adjusting the master volume and call it a day, I guess. Not a functionality I want anyway.

The panel-7-mixer is just my xfce-mixer panel, aka the volume control in the bar. I removed it and the sound devices were removed as well.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-09-17 12:43:46

Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#2 2014-09-17 13:02:10

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#3 2014-09-17 13:27:48

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#4 2014-09-17 13:31:24

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#5 2014-09-17 13:35:29

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#6 2014-09-17 13:38:03

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#7 2014-09-17 13:40:16

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#8 2014-09-17 13:43:55

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#9 2014-09-17 13:46:23

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#10 2014-09-17 13:59:08

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#11 2014-09-17 14:02:30

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#12 2014-09-17 14:52:32

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#13 2014-09-17 16:20:31

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

#14 2014-09-17 16:24:17

Re: Volume sporadically goes up to 100%

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