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heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

[SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

While trying to troubleshoot why my line-out sound wasn't working, I edited alsa.conf to directions from five years ago... that was a mistake.

Now my alsa.conf file is apparently corrupted, and I can't find a way to reset my alsa.conf file. I tried installing my codec's drivers from the Realtek website, to no avail--in fact, I feel like that made things worse (the driver didn't compile, but the ./configure command worked.)

output of aplay -L:

ALSA lib conf.c:1887:(_snd_config_load_with_include) _toplevel_:350:17:Unexpected char
ALSA lib conf.c:4016:(snd_config_update_r) /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf may be old or corrupted: consider to remove or fix it

I've looked at that column in the file and found nothing out of the ordinary. I tried to revert my changes, but that didn't work either.

Please help, I feel like I've exhausted my options.

Last edited by heikadog (2019-07-09 02:51:53)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,423

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

You might want to post  your file so others can help diagnose, that said you should absolutely never and for no reason edit that specific file, use configuration in /etc/asound.conf if system wide or ~/.asoundrc for user specific config. FWIW that file is part of alsa-lib, reinstalling that package should revert it to defaults. Either do that then elaborate on what your actual intention is, or post the file.

Once the file is fixed repost

aplay -lL
amixer -c0 #Replace the 0 with correct card index from aplay -l should it not be zero

heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

I'll do that and update my progress, thank you

Last edited by heikadog (2019-07-05 22:22:02)

heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

I've fixed my alsa.conf file, thank you for the help. I'd like to get sound working from my line-out. Before the .conf broke, I was trying to set my default sound to the ALC221 Analog's line out, but ALSA was still defining another device (presumably my graphics card) as the default playback device. I could hear sound, but this becomes problematic when I want to listen to music or something similar through my headphones.

Edit: Through several restarts, the devices were able to be picked from. However, my DE says that my line-out and headphones are both unplugged, even though both work under my Windows install on the same system.

aplay -lL:

null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
jack
    JACK Audio Connection Kit
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
default
    Default ALSA Output (currently PulseAudio Sound Server)
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    Front speakers
surround21:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC221 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
usbstream:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH
    USB Stream Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=1
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 1
    HDMI Audio Output
usbstream:CARD=NVidia
    HDA NVidia
    USB Stream Output
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC221 Analog [ALC221 Analog]
  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
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

amixer -c0:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono: Playback 68 [78%] [-14.25dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [off]
  Front Right: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone+LO',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 87 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 87
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-65.25dB] [off]
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 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 22 [71%] [-1.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 22 [71%] [-1.50dB] [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 'Line Out',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 22 [71%] [-1.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 22 [71%] [-1.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control '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 'Beep',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 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [30.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [30.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-16.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-16.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Auto-Mute Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Disabled' 'Speaker Only' 'Line Out+Speaker'
  Item0: 'Disabled'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Loopback Mixing',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
  Item0: 'Disabled'

Last edited by heikadog (2019-07-07 01:30:54)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,423

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

You are using pulseaudio, so you should rather fix this in pulseaudio. During attempted playback what are your outputs for

pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sinks
pacmd list-sink-inputs

heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

pacmd 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 0xf7080000 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 = "0e0f"
                device.product.name = "GK208 HDMI/DP Audio Controller"
                device.string = "1"
                device.description = "GK208 HDMI/DP Audio Controller"
                module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
        profiles:
                output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
                off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
        active profile: <off>
        ports:
                hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, 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 0xf7130000 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/C216 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 65, available: unknown)
                output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
                output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, 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/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
        sources:
                alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
                alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
        ports:
                analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
                analog-input-linein: Line In (priority 8100, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:

                analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:

                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"

pacmd list-sinks:

1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
        name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
        driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
        flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
        state: RUNNING
        suspend cause: (none)
        priority: 9039
        volume: front-left: 37356 /  57% / -14.65 dB,   front-right: 37356 /  57% / -14.65 dB
                balance 0.00
        base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
        volume steps: 65537
        muted: no
        current latency: 21.09 ms
        max request: 4 KiB
        max rewind: 4 KiB
        monitor source: 0
        sample spec: s16le 2ch 48000Hz
        channel map: front-left,front-right
                     Stereo
        used by: 1
        linked by: 1
        configured latency: 25.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 1837.50 ms
        card: 1 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
        module: 7
        properties:
                alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
                device.api = "alsa"
                device.class = "sound"
                alsa.class = "generic"
                alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
                alsa.name = "ALC221 Analog"
                alsa.id = "ALC221 Analog"
                alsa.subdevice = "0"
                alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
                alsa.device = "0"
                alsa.card = "0"
                alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
                alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7130000 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/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller"
                device.form_factor = "internal"
                device.string = "front:0"
                device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
                device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
                device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
                device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
                device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
                device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
                alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC221"
                alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0221,103c3396,00100003"
                module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
        ports:
                analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:

                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"

pacmd list-sink-inputs:

1 sink input(s) available.
    index: 0
        driver: <protocol-native.c>
        flags: START_CORKED 
        state: RUNNING
        sink: 0 <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
        volume: front-left: 56182 /  86% / -4.01 dB,   front-right: 56182 /  86% / -4.01 dB
                balance 0.00
        muted: no
        current latency: 70.00 ms
        requested latency: 25.00 ms
        sample spec: float32le 2ch 48000Hz
        channel map: front-left,front-right
                     Stereo
        resample method: copy
        module: 10
        client: 7 <AudioIPC Server>
        properties:
                media.name = "AudioStream"
                application.name = "AudioIPC Server"
                native-protocol.peer = "UNIX socket client"
                native-protocol.version = "32"
                application.process.id = "5123"
                application.process.user = "(USER)"
                application.process.host = "(HOST)"
                application.process.binary = "firefox"
                application.language = "en_US.UTF-8"
                window.x11.display = ":0"
                application.process.machine_id = "81f394d8223b4cb3ad678be1cf5cb1b6"
                application.process.session_id = "2"
                application.icon_name = "firefox"
                module-stream-restore.id = "sink-input-by-application-name:AudioIPC Server"

heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

Update: I installed the gstreamer backend for photon instead of vlc, the one I had originally. Since I have two front panel audio ports, I tried the other one and it worked flawlessly.

I'm not sure what happened, but I'll say this is solved; the other headphone jack normally supports headphone output as well as microphone output, but as I don't use microphones from that output anyways it shouldn't be an issue. I will note that this is specific to my setup, as it is an HP prebuilt.

Thanks for the help!

Last edited by heikadog (2019-07-09 02:51:34)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,423

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

I'd suspect one of

Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: 'Mic'

these should be switched to line to get output out of your preferred port.

heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

How would I do that from, say, amixer?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,423

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

I also don't use amixer everyday (and usually rather use alsamixer for the hands on approach) but something like

amixer -c0 sset 'Input Source',0 'Line'

should work.

heikadog

Member

Registered: 2019-07-05

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

How would I do it in alsamixer?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,423

Re: [SOLVED] Line-out sound isn't working

Well find out... Select the card you want to edit the same way we did with amixer and then adjust the relevant control.