No Audio over HDMI output - How to set kernel parameter correctly?

exen904 · November 25, 2023, 7:43pm

Hi all,
I have some issues regarding my Audio setup. I found a bunch of threads covering that, but I didnt find anything thats really matching to my case.

Hardware:

Dell Precision with Intel iGPU and Nvidia discrete GPU
USB C to HDMI cable and USB C to USB-A/HDMI Dongle
Dell WD19 DP Dock
inxi sendlog http://ix.io/4MqD

The internal speakers work just fine, what does not work is audio if connected over HDMI to the laptop. Neither with the direct USB-C to HDMI cable, nor with the Multi-Use dongle.

I did some searching around and it seems like, that the WD19 brings its own Realtek Audio Chipset with it. In that case, if connected to the dock, I can use the output of the dock without any issues.

aplay -l with HDMI cable, the LEN P24q-20 would be the needed output device here:

[daniel@fs0ciety ~]$ aplay -l
**** Liste der Hardware-Geräte (PLAYBACK) ****
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 0: ALC289 Analog [ALC289 Analog]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 3: HDMI 0 [LEN P24q-20]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0

aplay -l Connected to the dock:

[daniel@fs0ciety ~]$ aplay -l
**** Liste der Hardware-Geräte (PLAYBACK) ****
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 0: ALC289 Analog [ALC289 Analog]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 3: HDMI 0 [Mi Monitor]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 1: Dock [WD19 Dock], Gerät 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 1: Dock [WD19 Dock], Gerät 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0

inxi -Aa connected to HDMI

[daniel@fs0ciety ~]$ inxi -Aa
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake-H HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:43c8 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.2-arch1-1 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.85 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl

inxi -Aa connected to the Dock

[daniel@fs0ciety ~]$ inxi -Aa
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake-H HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:43c8 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: HP HyperX SoloCast driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid
    type: USB rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 3-4.3.2.3.1:36
    chip-ID: 03f0:078b class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: Realtek USB Audio driver: snd-usb-audio type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 3-4.3.4:28 chip-ID: 0bda:402e
    class-ID: 0102 serial: 200901010001
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.2-arch1-1 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.85 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl

Im not sure right now if the issue is maybe caused by the Optimus setup, help would be great in this case

emk2203 · November 27, 2023, 8:47am

Welchen Dell Precision hast du denn? Offensichtlich einen neueren, aber welchen?

exen904 · November 27, 2023, 9:29am

Precision 5560

I noticed also that, if I change the profile in the XFCE PulseAudio Module to the connected HDMI (not connected in the Screenshot), it should choose the HDMI as output if I understand it correctly, but I get no audio at all then. No HDMI Audio and no internal Audio. If I change back to internal, I have internal Audio again.

emk2203 · November 27, 2023, 10:02am

Ich hab den Precision 5550, also mit den Unterschieden bei GPU, PCIe Anbindung und Thunderbolt. Sonst sollte das das gleiche sein. Mein Dock ist das TB19S, also ohne Analog Audio Ausgang.

Muss den allerdings erst noch einrichten, ist neu. Ich schreibe danach, wie das Audio sich bei mir verhält.

exen904 · November 27, 2023, 10:15am

Am Dock ist das bei mir kein Thema, da wird der eigene Audio-Chipsatz erkannt und funktioniert auch.Nur wenn der interne DAC einen externen Ausgang ansprechen soll wirds schwierig

emk2203 · November 27, 2023, 11:36am

Bist du sicher, dass diese Kabel-Hardware überhaupt Audio unterstützt? Ich würde das mal mit einem USB-C Smartphone probieren.

exen904 · November 28, 2023, 4:24pm

Hardware itself is working, just confirmed with Windows 11 on the second SSD. USB-C to HDMI cable, and the TV shows up as its own audio device.

Right now I would suspect some driver issues when running Endeavour? As the device is listed as HD Audio Driver for Display Audio and not the Realtek Audio Driver which is used for the internal speakers.

Edit:
Though it does show up in inxi -aA

[daniel@fs0ciety ~]$ inxi -aA
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake-H HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:43c8 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.2-arch1-1 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.85 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl

Output of alsa-info can be found here: http://alsa-project.org/db/?f=9605f657202d8d984751ca56af021f9b24536327

exen904 · November 29, 2023, 10:07am

Little bump, I did some additional digging around and I think I found the underlying issue. Or at least I hope so. Seems to be related to the sof-firmware https://thesofproject.github.io/latest/getting_started/intel_debug/introduction.html#pci-devices-introduced-after-2016

mistake

I now tried to add the module options snd-intel-dspcfg dsp_driver=1 in \etc\modprobe.d\alsa-base.conf but the output of journalctl shows me, that the module could not be loaded.

Output with options:

Nov 29 10:50:41 fs0ciety modprobe[436]: libkmod: kmod_config_parse: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf line 1: ignoring bad line starting with 'options'

Output without options:

Nov 29 10:50:41 fs0ciety modprobe[436]: libkmod: kmod_config_parse: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf line 1: ignoring bad line starting with 'snd_intel_dspcfg.dsp_driver=1'

I also tried to set the parameter live

[daniel@fs0ciety ~]$ modprobe snd_intel_dspcfg.dsp_driver=1
libkmod: kmod_config_parse: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf line 1: ignoring bad line starting with 'snd_intel_dspcfg.dsp_driver=1'
modprobe: FATAL: Module snd_intel_dspcfg.dsp_driver=1 not found in directory /lib/modules/6.6.2-arch1-1

Is there any way I can set the module correctly in the current kernel? I am using systemd as bootloader

Edit:

Im an idiot, I had a typo issue in the line. Now it looks like this:

/etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

snd-intel-dspcfg.dsp_driver=0

Now the HDMI output is automatically chosen as Audio output when connected, internal speakers when disconnected. And it also works just like it should and gives audio output

system · December 1, 2023, 10:08am

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