Arch Linux

Pikadude No. 1

Member

Registered: 2009-08-17

Posts: 5

[Not solved] Speakers don't mute when headphones are plugged in

Heyo, I'm trying to get an Arch system set up and I've run into an issue which will make Arch unsuitable for my regular use until I can fix it: Though ALSA can play sounds beautifully, it won't mute my speakers when I plug my headphones in. ALSA's usually capable of doing that, correct?

So far, I've tried adding "options snd-hda-intel model=auto" to /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf. That had no effect.

The technical specifications for my PC say I have an ALC 888S chipset, but alsamixer claims it's a Realtek ALC1200. Either way, it does support surround sound, and I think it could be mistaking the headphone jack for something else (a jack for back speakers, maybe), although I have no idea how to check that.

Any thoughts on how this problem may be solved will be appreciated.

Last edited by Pikadude No. 1 (2009-08-26 00:13:28)

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: [Not solved] Speakers don't mute when headphones are plugged in

Its a known driver problem with some chipsets. My desktop has it, my laptop doesn't. You could see if another driver is useable for your hardware, or just learn to live with it. This sort of behaviour DOES come in useful sometimes. Basically the only way to turn off your speakers is to mute the specific channel in alsamixer, and it stays muted when you plug out your headphones, useful if you accidentally remove the headphones and don't want everyone to know you've been listening to music instead of the lecture for the pass half hour...

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

Pikadude No. 1

Member

Registered: 2009-08-17

Posts: 5

Re: [Not solved] Speakers don't mute when headphones are plugged in

I went to go try muting things in alsamixer. Muting the headphones mutes the headphones, as expected... but muting the front speakers mutes both. So that won't work as a workaround.

Hopefully this extra information is useful.

Pikadude No. 1

Member

Registered: 2009-08-17

Posts: 5

Re: [Not solved] Speakers don't mute when headphones are plugged in

Anyone have any further ideas? Maybe clarify what ngoonee meant by "try another driver"?

Also, I'm marking this as "not solved" for the time being to benefit anyone trying to solve their own problem with a forum search...

Last edited by Pikadude No. 1 (2009-08-26 01:10:54)

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: [Not solved] Speakers don't mute when headphones are plugged in

I'm not even sure if there IS another driver. If there is, there may be a package for it, either in our repos or in some website somewhere. Like I said, its a known problem with Intel chipsets, and there may not be a solution. To check whether its a general Linux problem (most likely),  try booting into a LiveCD of some other distro (Ubuntu is the easiest, they'll even send you free discs!) and see if the problem is the same, which it almost certainly is.

---

Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.