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I have purchased a laptop: Alienware 17 r2

Installed Ubuntu 15.10 (Kernel 4.2.0-18-generic) and am having issues with getting sound through the audio jack using headphones & external speakers.

$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: synapse Kernel: 4.2.0-18-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.2.1) Desktop: Unity (Gtk 3.16.7-0ubuntu3)
           Distro: Ubuntu 15.10 wily
Machine:   System: Alienware product: Alienware 17 R2 v: A06
           Mobo: Alienware model: Alienware 17 R2 v: A00 Bios: Alienware v: A06 date: 07/24/2015
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-4710HQ (-HT-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 19986
           clock speeds: max: 3500 MHz 1: 2500 MHz 2: 2500 MHz 3: 2500 MHz 4: 2500 MHz 5: 2796 MHz 6: 3251 MHz
           7: 2500 MHz 8: 2772 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA GM204M [GeForce GTX 970M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.17.2 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: nouveau
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.02hz, 1366x768@59.79hz, 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 11.0.2 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2 Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.2.0-18-generic
Network:   Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros Killer E220x Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: alx port: d000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter driver: ath10k_pci bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1256.3GB (1.7% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST1000LM024_HN size: 1000.2GB temp: 39C
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: LITEONIT_L8T size: 256.1GB temp: 0C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 46G used: 5.0G (12%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 856G used: 298M (1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 17.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 61.0C mobo: 27.8C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 267 Uptime: 40 min Memory: 942.2/15933.4MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.2.1
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.421) inxi: 2.2.16

This is the dmesg output:

$ dmesg | grep snd
[    8.828181] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:03.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[    8.828348] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:03.0: bound 0000:00:02.0 (ops i915_audio_component_bind_ops [i915])
[    8.828369] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1b.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[    8.848818] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0: autoconfig for CA0132: line_outs=1 (0xb/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0) type:speaker
[    8.848822] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0:    speaker_outs=0 (0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[    8.848832] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0:    hp_outs=0 (0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[    8.848834] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0:    mono: mono_out=0x0
[    8.848834] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0:    inputs:
[    8.848836] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0:      Mic=0x12
[    8.848837] snd_hda_codec_ca0132 hdaudioC1D0:      Line=0x11

And lspci output:

$ lspci -v | grep -A7 -i "audio" 
00:03.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller (rev 06)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 0688
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 42
        Memory at f751c000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
        Capabilities: [70] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
        Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 0688
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 41
        Memory at f7518000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [70] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel

alsamixer screenshots:

alsa-mixer_hda-intel-hdmi.png

alsa-mixer_hda-intel-pch.png

I have tried solutions from a countless number of answers to no avail. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Edit

Output of aplay as requested by katu txakurra:

$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: CA0132 Analog [CA0132 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: CA0132 Digital [CA0132 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Community
  • 1
phoenixlaef
  • 31
  • Looking at my latop running debian jessie in pavucontrol under output devices when I plugin headphones the port dropdown automatically changes to headphones (plugged in) and has the options in the dropdown for speakers and headphones. This is not the same on my ubuntu machine. There is only one option in the pavucontrol port dropdown on the output devices tab and it is called Line Out (plugged in). If I plug in headphones nothing changes... Does this mean it is an issue with the ubuntu machine not automatically recognising the headphones being inserted? – phoenixlaef Nov 25 '15 at 12:36
  • Could you add the output of sudo aplay -l? – Katu Nov 25 '15 at 15:09
  • Sure can! Please see the edit in my question. – phoenixlaef Nov 26 '15 at 01:26
  • Try speaker-test -t wav -Dplug:front If the headphones start working, the problem is likely to be that your default card is the HDMI. – Katu Nov 26 '15 at 08:49
  • the output of that command is: Playback open error: -2,No such file or directory – phoenixlaef Nov 26 '15 at 15:43

1 Answers1

2

Often after the installation of Linux on laptop the audio is recognized but just switched off ("muted"). You must check two possible points.

  1. In terminal, run alsamixer. Be sure that playback channels for your audio are not 0 or 'M'
  2. Install application 'pavucontrol', run it and ensure you audio card is set to output or combined mode and not muted.
Barafu Albino
  • 6,541
  • I have checked settings in pavucontrol configuration is set to analog stereo duplex and nothing is muted. In alsamixer I thought MM is muted and 00 is open. I have never had an issue with sound before so this is all new to me... Looking at the alsa-mixer_hda-intel-pch.png screenshot does anything look off at all? Should I have a volume slider for HP/Speaker? The only real obvious thing for me is that when I go to HP/Speaker there is no [dB gain: 0.00, 0.00] showing in the item section. – phoenixlaef Nov 25 '15 at 12:17
  • 00 is zero volume. Press "Up" when the channel is selected. However, many channels can only be toggled - they are switchers, essentially. Did you press F6 ? How many cards are there? HP/Speaker is mos likely the stub for internal beeper that is supposed to beep when PC turns on. It is often missing nowdays. – Barafu Albino Nov 25 '15 at 13:06
  • ok well there is no headphones channel to select so im assuming thats the problem :/ – phoenixlaef Nov 25 '15 at 13:10