No sound, Mint 20.3 on HP Chromebook x360 14c

[dtb]

Getting desperate after much searching. ChromeOS became unstable, so updated firmware (from MrChromebox) and installed Linux Mint 20.3, which boots and runs fine, for the most part. No sound (worked under ChromeOS, obviously), so seeking guidance. Sound config applet shows 'Dummy Output'. Outputs from relevant commands as follows. Thanks for any guidance. Figured it could be a bit of a longshot, but what the heck!

This first one is likely telling...

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dad@lp-amb:~$ aplay -l
aplay: device_list:276: no soundcards found...
dad@lp-amb:~$ 

dad@lp-amb:~$ inxi -Fxxxrz
System:    Kernel: 5.4.0-104-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 Desktop: MATE 1.26.0 info: mate-panel 
           wm: marco 1.26.0 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: HP product: Dratini v: rev4 serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 9 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: HP model: Dratini v: rev4 serial: <filter> UEFI: coreboot v: MrChromebox-4.14 date: 07/25/2021 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 18.0 Wh condition: 50.3/61.2 Wh (82%) volts: 11.2/11.6 model: 333-42- BC03060 type: Li-ion 
           serial: <filter> status: Discharging cycles: 198 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-10110U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake rev: C L2 cache: 4096 KiB 
           flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 20799 
           Speed: 1000 MHz min/max: 400/4100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1000 2: 1001 3: 997 4: 952 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:9b41 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa compositor: marco v: 1.26.0 
           resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:02c8 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-104-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Intel Wireless-AC 9462 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 1000 bus ID: 00:14.3 chip ID: 8086:02f0 
           IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 116.48 GiB used: 9.67 GiB (8.3%) 
           ID-1: /dev/mmcblk1 model: DA4128 size: 116.48 GiB serial: <filter> rev: 0x8 scheme: GPT 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 113.66 GiB used: 9.67 GiB (8.5%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/mmcblk1p2 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 35.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
           1: deb https://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/linuxmint-packages una main upstream import backport
           2: deb http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
           3: deb http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           4: deb http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
           6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Info:      Processes: 238 Uptime: 1h 04m Memory: 7.65 GiB used: 1.53 GiB (20.0%) Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: 
           gcc: 9.4.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 running in: screen inxi: 3.0.38 
dad@lp-amb:~$ 

ad@lp-amb:~$ pacmd list-sinks
1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
        name: <auto_null>
        driver: <module-null-sink.c>
        flags: DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
        state: SUSPENDED
        suspend cause: IDLE
        priority: 1000
        volume: front-left: 38666 /  59% / -13.75 dB,   front-right: 38666 /  59% / -13.75 dB
                balance 0.00
        base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
        volume steps: 65537
        muted: no
        current latency: 0.00 ms
        max request: 14 KiB
        max rewind: 14 KiB
        monitor source: 0
        sample spec: s16le 2ch 48000Hz
        channel map: front-left,front-right
                     Stereo
        used by: 0
        linked by: 1
        configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
        module: 10
        properties:
                device.description = "Dummy Output"
                device.class = "abstract"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card"
dad@lp-amb:~$

[HAWR]

Hello dtb,

the only thing I found for your HP Dratini Chromebook is to have maybe success with using the SOF (Sound Open Firmware) driver instead of snd_hda_intel. So you have to upgrade the kernel. Open the Update Manager > View > Linux Kernels, select the 5.13 tab on the left side and install the latest 5.13 kernel. After the installation reboot and see, if something has changed and show the outputs of

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inxi -Axxz && aplay -l

[dtb]

Many thanks for the response, HAWR.
Successfully booted with latest 5.13 kernel, but am a little unsure of next steps. Are there kernel boot args required to activate? I suspect the presence of only HDMI playback devices isn't a great sign....

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dad@lp-amb:~$ inxi -Axxz && aplay -l
Audio:     Device-1: Intel driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:02c8 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.13.0-35-generic 
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
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
dad@lp-amb:~$ 

[HAWR]

Hello dtb,

your sound card is "Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP cAVS". Beneath the snd_hda_intel driver there is another driver sof (Sound Open Firmware). On one page I've read your sound device is a sof device, so let's trying to use the sof driver:

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sudo -H xed /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Add the following two lines at the end

# Force snd_sof_pci to be used
options snd-intel-dspcfg dsp_driver=3

Save & exit, ignore the warnings in the terminal and reboot. After the reboot please show again

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inxi -Axxz && aplay -l

[dtb]

Thanks HAWR. Hadn't heard of xed, so used vim to add lines, and rebooted (no warnings in the terminal, btw...).
Still showing 'Dummy Output', with query results as follows. Checked dmesg to see if anything jumped out, shown below as well:

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dad@lp-amb:~$ inxi -Axxz && aplay -l
Audio:     Device-1: Intel driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:02c8 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.13.0-35-generic 
aplay: device_list:276: no soundcards found...

dad@lp-amb:~$ tail -2 /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf 
# Force snd_sof_pci to be used (added by dtb 20220315)
options snd-intel-dspcfg dsp_driver=3
dad@lp-amb:~$

dad@lp-amb:~$ dmesg | grep dsp
[    7.702564] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: hda_dsp_core_reset_enter: timeout on HDA_DSP_REG_ADSPCS read
[    7.702579] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: dsp core reset failed: core_mask 1
dad@lp-amb:~$ 

[HAWR]

Hello dtb,

xed is the text editor you can find in the menu. When you use vim or nano in terminal, you don't get warnings. You can undo the last step, because the sof driver does not bring any improvement. Unfortunately I haven't found any possible solution but I will look. For now I can only give you a "workaround" decribed in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=367779

[dtb]

Further to the dmesg output above. Fairly greek to me, but 'failed' is clear enough....

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[    7.651625] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: cl_copy_fw: timeout HDA_DSP_SRAM_REG_ROM_STATUS read
[    7.651658] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: status = 0x0000002c panic = 0x00000000
[    7.651757] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: extended rom status:  0x80000012 0x2c 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x1811102 0x0
[    7.651778] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: load fw failed ret: -110
[    7.651843] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: failed to reset DSP
[    7.651851] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: failed to boot DSP firmware -110
[    7.702564] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: hda_dsp_core_reset_enter: timeout on HDA_DSP_REG_ADSPCS read
[    7.702579] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: dsp core reset failed: core_mask 1
[    7.702939] sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl 0000:00:1f.3: error: sof_probe_work failed err: -110

[HAWR]

Hello dtb,

here on MrChromebox issue website you can find an answer, that it is for now not possible to get your audio working with the recent kernels. Coincidentally, he makes the same suggestion I did above.

this isn't a system firmware issue, it's a complex mix of kernel/driver/alsa/dsp firmware. I'm not aware of any way to get audio working on SKL/KBL devices under Linux when using a recent kernel

use BT or a USB adapter. Any fix would require someone very knowledgeable with Linux audio to forward-port the necessary CrOS audio components into a format usable by mainline linux

https://github.com/MrChromebox/firmware/issues/334

KBL means Kaby Lake and is related to your CPU

CPU: Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-10110U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake

[dtb]

Feeling a little sheepish with this response HAWR, but let me first say thanks so much for the time and attention in trying to solve. Sounds like there is some dev work to be done to solve this one, so I'll wait it out and check in now and again (and perhaps be a part of the solution if needed).
As it turns out, I had one of those USB-C to 3.5mm audio cables somewhere in the house, found it, and sure enough it works. Not understanding exactly how audio is processed, by what, and sent where.....I hadn't thought of this as an option. Thanks so much for the suggestion (or link to it!). Will try a BT speaker as well if needed.

Now on to see if touchscreen functionality has been tackled on this device!

Thanks again for the support!

[HAWR]

Hello dtb,

I was happy to do so and it is at least good that there is clarity. You don't have to feel sheepish and I know now, how to handle this problem, when other users came with the same problem on similar hardware.

I had one of those USB-C to 3.5mm audio

Such a simple USB-Adapter is not meant. There are USB-Adapter, which have their own sound chip and with that, you are able to have sound. Above I posted a link to such a solution and the opener wrote

I went on Amazon and searched for "3.5mm to usb". BINGO! Found a nifty little adapter for $13.00 (CAD) that has a small sound chip built-in.