No Sound From Any Source in Linux Mint Cinnamon

[DJ_Explosive]

Hello! My laptop recently randomly made it so that my Bluetooth headset would not give high-quality audio (it had worked fine for months, it happened to day for zero reason and I have no idea why). For the past few hours I tried to fix the audio and now absolutely no audio from any source.

Things I've tried:

Reinstalling, purging, and updating ALSA and Pulse Audio
Changing Bluetooth Settings
Rebooting 18k times

If there is any way to try and remedy this without spending my entire day reinstalling and setting up Linux Mint again I would love to know. Thank you for your time!

[MrEen]

Hi DJ_Explosive. Sorry to hear about your experience.

I suggest, if you haven't already, install PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol.) Play with the settings on the Configuration tab, then the Output Devices tab.

If this doesn't get it solved, we'll need more info.
inxi -Fxz
aplay -l
pacmd list-sinks (preferably while something with sound is playing on the computer.)

I'm rather useless on Bluetooth, but we should be able to get some sound back.

[DJ_Explosive]

Oddly, the sound from the computer itself seemed to just come back on its own. I didn't even reboot. I'd still be interested in trying to diagnose the problem if that's at all possible, though, so I'll provide the information anyway.

From inxi -Fxz:

Code: Select all

System:    Host: CoolSkeleton95 Kernel: 4.10.0-38-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.6 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: Dell (portable) product: Inspiron 5567
           Mobo: Dell model: 0DG5G3 v: A00
           Bios: Dell v: 1.2.4 date: 04/02/2018
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-7200U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 10848
           clock speeds: max: 3100 MHz 1: 3099 MHz 2: 3099 MHz 3: 3099 MHz
           4: 3099 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 5916 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 5.0, 256 bits)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Device 9d71 driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.10.0-38-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel Wireless 3165 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 01:00.0
           IF: wlp1s0 state: up mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCI Express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 2000.4GB (13.4% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: TOSHIBA_MQ01ABD1 size: 1000.2GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: External_USB_3.0 size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 727G used: 140G (21%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.48GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 54.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 300 Uptime: 7:28 Memory: 4177.0/7880.6MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

From aplay -l:

Code: Select all

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC3246 Analog [ALC3246 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

From pacmd list-sinks (while something should be playing sound in theory):

Code: Select all

1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: 
	priority: 9959
	volume: front-left: 31160 /  48% / -19.37 dB,   front-right: 31160 /  48% / -19.37 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 57.23 ms
	max request: 15 KiB
	max rewind: 64 KiB
	monitor source: 0
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 1
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 90.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 371.52 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC3246 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC3246 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 0xdf228000 irq 282"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "9d71"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "65536"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "32768"
		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 ALC3246"
		alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0256,10280767,00100002 HDA:8086280b,80860101,00100000"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		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"
	active port: <analog-output-speaker>

[MrEen]

See if the posts by JeremyB in this thread are any help.

Like I said, I'm not much help when it comes to Bluetooth. Most of what I had asked for was to help get regular sound back.

Good luck.

[DJ_Explosive]

Thanks for the thread, I appreciate you taking the time to help anyhow.

[Joe2Shoe]

Could be a kernel issue, and I would try a newer kernel if it goes south again.

[MrEen]

Hi again, DJ_Explosive. I have found a possibility for the crappy sound with Bluetooth:

Go into sound settings and change from HSP/HFP to A2DP

That's the Cinnamon sound settings, not pavucontrol.

[DJ_Explosive]

Hi again, DJ_Explosive. I have found a possibility for the crappy sound with Bluetooth:

Go into sound settings and change from HSP/HFP to A2DP

That's the Cinnamon sound settings, not pavucontrol.

I have checked in the Cinnamon Sound settings and the option to use A2DP doesn't seem to even be present.

[BG405]

In 17.3 Cinnamon, the audio profile settings are in Bluetooth Manager. I don't have a spare USB flash at present to test 18.3 or 19 Cinnamon; they are both presently tied up with other projects. However, it may be similar to this screenshot:

Bluetooth_Audio_Settings_C173.jpg

You might need to select Audio Sink first, before the Audio Profile menu will appear.