no input/output sound devices found - linux mint 20

[jhamp008]

new to linux.

I have linux mint 20 cinnamon and was having trouble with my logitech c920 camera/mic (zoom can see the camera but the mic wasn't being picked up anywhere). Other audio devices (input and output) seemed to be present.

But, after I copy/pasted things from online to try and fix this issue, I now have no input/output devices listed in sound settings. pulse audio also just freezes upon opening, where it just says "Establishing connection to PulseAudio. Please Wait..." I managed to take one problem and make it into several..

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you very much.

[Larry78723]

How about posting a link to the instructions you followed?

[MrEen]

This command will give a URL pointing to your sound setup. Most likely the damage done will be evident there:

Code: Select all

curl https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/raw/master/src/utils/pa-info?inline=false | bash | nc termbin.com 9999

And depending what was done, a reboot might get you back to where you started. EDIT: Probably not, based on what you've said I suspect you've already rebooted.

[jhamp008]

MrEen,

The output of that command is below. Let me know if the link doesn't work.

https://termbin.com/vhic

Larry78723,
There wasn't a particular step by step thing that I followed. I just tried to understand (as best as I could) the following forum posts and tried several of these things. Here are 4 of the forum posts:
viewtopic.php?t=277631
viewtopic.php?t=291608
viewtopic.php?t=308729
viewtopic.php?t=304774

Pulse Audio Volume Control has been removed and then reinstalled. Used to be able to open it and see input/output devices. It just gets stuck on the original screen saying "Establishing connection..." Attached are two images of the System Settings > Sound for input and output. Used to be able to at least see the internal mic and speakers there.

Although there were always some weird devices that didn't make sense (Canon devices, even though nothing was ever plugged in and I don't have any Canon devices).

But, the current state of things right now is: no audio input or output devices can be seen at all.

Thank you both for taking the time to comment!

[jhamp008]

Some additional information if it helps:

(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ inxi -Fxz
System: Kernel: 5.4.0-54-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 4.6.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20 Ulyana base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal
Machine: Type: Convertible System: LENOVO product: 20QF0015US v: ThinkPad X1 Yoga 4th
serial: <filter>
Mobo: LENOVO model: 20QF0015US v: SDK0J40697 WIN serial: <filter> UEFI: LENOVO
v: N2HET55W (1.38 ) date: 08/24/2020
Battery: ID-1: BAT0 charge: 25.7 Wh condition: 48.0/51.0 Wh (94%) model: SMP 02DL005
status: Discharging
CPU: Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-8665U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Kaby Lake rev: C L2 cache: 8192 KiB
flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 33599
Speed: 700 MHz min/max: 400/4800 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 700 2: 700 3: 700
4: 700 5: 700 6: 700 7: 700 8: 700
Graphics: Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel
bus ID: 00:02.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.8 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
resolution: 2560x1440~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (WHL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 20.0.8
direct render: Yes
Audio: Device-1: Intel Cannon Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3
Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-54-generic
Network: Device-1: Intel Cannon Point-LP CNVi [Wireless-AC] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
port: 2000 bus ID: 00:14.3
IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Ethernet I219-LM vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k
port: efa0 bus ID: 00:1f.6
IF: enp0s31f6 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives: Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 54.52 GiB (11.4%)
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Western Digital model: PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G-1001
size: 476.94 GiB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 114.27 GiB used: 54.48 GiB (47.7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0
Info: Processes: 263 Uptime: 40m Memory: 15.30 GiB used: 1.84 GiB (12.0%) Init: systemd
runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38

(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC285 Analog [ALC285 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
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

[MrEen]

In your attempts to fix this, you have installed the snap version of PulseAudio, which is running as root.

Let's see the output of apt policy pulseaudio to make sure the regular version is still installed before we remove the snap version.

[MrEen]

In fact, before any reboot happens, let's make sure you didn't mess up Cinnamon with apt policy cinnamon as well.

[jhamp008]

See below:

(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ apt policy pulseaudio
pulseaudio:
Installed: 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8
Candidate: 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8
Version table:
*** 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8 500
500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3 500
500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ apt policy cinnamon
cinnamon:
Installed: 4.6.7+ulyana
Candidate: 4.6.7+ulyana
Version table:
*** 4.6.7+ulyana 500
500 http://packages.linuxmint.com ulyana/backport amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
4.4.8-4 500
500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages

[MrEen]

Okay good, not too much damage done.

Run sudo snap remove pulseaudio then reboot and see where things stand. If still no sound, run this one again so I can see what's different:

Code: Select all

curl https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/raw/master/src/utils/pa-info?inline=false | bash | nc termbin.com 9999

[jhamp008]

removed pulseaudio and rebooted.

command results here:

(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ curl https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaud ... line=false | bash | nc termbin.com 9999
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 2039 100 2039 0 0 1635 0 0:00:01 0:00:01 --:--:-- 1633
Connection failure: Connection refused
pa_context_connect() failed: Connection refused
Connection failure: Connection refused
pa_context_connect() failed: Connection refused
https://termbin.com/wg6d

[MrEen]

Okay, now run pulseaudio --start

[MrEen]

And when that fails, remove these edits you made to /etc/pulse/default.pa:

Code: Select all

set-card-profile 3  output:analog-stereo
set-default-sink alsa_output.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_6DED65EF-02

[MrEen]

Hehe, one more edit to remove. Let's see the output of this please:

Code: Select all

grep dmic /etc/modprobe.d/*

[jhamp008]

removed the two lines. rebooted and I now have sound!
I only see one output device in system settings: speakers built-in audio
There are still no input devices showing up in sound settings.

command output here:

(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ grep dmic /etc/modprobe.d/*
/etc/modprobe.d/alsa-fix.conf:options snd-hda-intel dmic_detect=0

[MrEen]

Okay, now run this:

Code: Select all

sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-fix.conf

Next, reboot, then do the curl command one more time. We should have you back to default now, so I can hopefully see what was preventing input to start with.

[jhamp008]

This is incredibly helpful by the way.

(base) jesse@jesse-ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-4th:~$ curl https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaud ... line=false | bash | nc termbin.com 9999
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 2039 100 2039 0 0 3811 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 3818
cat: '/sys/module/snd_soc_skl_hda_dsp/parameters/*': No such file or directory
https://termbin.com/3t7n

[MrEen]

Okay, there should be a Digital Microphone or Digital Mic available for input now. Do you still not see it?

[jhamp008]

Yes, it is there!

Now I am back to the original state (which is fantastic): output devices are working (both the normal speakers and if I have the laptop plugged into the dock the headphones work as well). I am testing them on Zoom (because that's what I need to use all the time anyway so I thought I would test them there). The input devices do not seem to work though. Only one input device is present when the computer is not plugged into the doc. Several exist when it is plugged in (dock has the logitech c920 camera/mic plugged into it as well).

I wonder if this is a problem with zoom or whether it is a system issue. Is there another way to test the two microphones?

[MrEen]

Ahh, the dock complicates things for me. Not something I've had any experience with.

We can try this but I suspect it may not help:

Code: Select all

sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/lenovo-fix.conf <<<'options snd-hda-intel model=lenovo-dock'

Reboot after running that and test again.

The reason I'm suspecting it won't work is that's a quirk for the legacy snd-hda-intel driver, but your built-in mic requires the new sof audio driver.

We can try going back to the legacy driver and coupled with the above change may get the USB stuff working properly.

[jhamp008]

ran the command, rebooted and tested it again.
Test 1 - computer not plugged into the doc. output device works, input device does not work (tested with zoom)
Test 2 - computer plugged into the doc, output device(s) work, no input device works.

I wonder if it will be a problem doing this with my current office/home setup. Right now I have a doc set up at the office where I go a couple days a week, and another doc set up at home for the rest of the time..