PulseAudio no longer recognises my audio playback devices

Zolax · October 29, 2021, 4:28pm

Before the problem arose, I tried downgrading VirtualBox with downgrade virtualbox because hardware acceleration wasn’t detected in the virtual machine: audio still working. I restarted my computer to Windows, and then back to EndeavourOS, and I realised that the audio wasn’t working.
Checking with pavucontrol only recognised a ‘Dummy output’ and no physical audio devices. Running pulseaudio -v gave me this (parital):

E: [pulseaudio] ltdl-bind-now.c: Failed to open module /usr/lib/pulse-15.0/modules/module-alsa-card.so: /usr/lib/pulse-15.0/modules/libalsa-util.so: undefined symbol: snd_use_case_parse_ctl_elem_id, version ALSA_0.9
E: [pulseaudio] module.c: Failed to open module "module-alsa-card".
I: [pulseaudio] module-udev-detect.c: Card /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0 (alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0) failed to load module.
I: [pulseaudio] module-udev-detect.c: Found 1 cards.

This contradicts the lack of a physical audio device, which is also supported by the output of aplay -Il:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC3227 Analog [ALC3227 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

I tried:

Reinstalling PulseAudio (and dependencies)
Removing PulseAudio’s config files
Restarting my computer and holding the power button for 15-20 seconds
Testing audio on Windows (works fine)
Plugging in external audio devices

I am still not sure why PulseAudio fails to detect my card, and search results show very little results with the exact error that I have.

inxi -Fxz:

System:    Kernel: 5.14.14-arch1-1 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.1.0 Desktop: i3 4.20 Distro: EndeavourOS
           base: Arch Linux
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: Compaq 15 Notebook PC v: 096F110000405F00050360180 serial: <filter>
           Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 2213 v: 57.58 serial: <filter> UEFI: Insyde v: F.45 date: 06/27/2018
Battery:   ID-1: BAT1 charge: 0% condition: 28.6/41.4 Wh (68.9%) volts: 6.0 min: 14.8 model: COMPAL PABAS0241231
           status: Unknown
CPU:       Info: Dual Core model: Intel Celeron N2840 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Silvermont rev: 8 cache: L2: 1024 KiB
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 8671
           Speed: 1999 MHz min/max: 500/2582 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 518 2: 514
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Graphics & Display vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915
           v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Device-2: Chicony HP Truevision HD type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-4:4
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: loaded: intel unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa resolution:
           1: 1366x768~60Hz 2: 1920x1080~60Hz
           Message: Unable to show advanced data. Required tool glxinfo missing.
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series High Definition Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.14.14-arch1-1 running: yes
           Sound Server-2: sndio v: N/A running: no
           Sound Server-3: JACK v: 1.9.19 running: no
           Sound Server-4: PulseAudio v: 15.0 running: no
           Sound Server-5: PipeWire v: 0.3.39 running: no
Network:   Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter
           vendor: Hewlett-Packard AR9485/HB125 802.11bgn 1×1 Wi-Fi driver: ath9k v: kernel bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
           Device-2: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 1000
           bus-ID: 04:00.0
           IF: enp4s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 961.01 GiB used: 66.43 GiB (6.9%)
           ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 vendor: SMI (STMicroelectronics) model: N/A size: 29.49 GiB
           ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB size: 931.51 GiB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 73.27 GiB used: 8.33 GiB (11.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
           ID-2: /boot/efi size: 98.4 MiB used: 423 KiB (0.4%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda4
           ID-3: /home size: 347.45 GiB used: 38.6 GiB (11.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda7
Swap:      ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 11 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) dev: /dev/sda5
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 52.0 C mobo: 52.0 C
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:      Processes: 131 Uptime: 48m Memory: 7.65 GiB used: 1.39 GiB (18.2%) Init: systemd Compilers: gcc: 11.1.0
           Packages: 1016 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.8 inxi: 3.3.07

Here is the complete output:

I: [pulseaudio] main.c: setrlimit(RLIMIT_NICE, (31, 31)) failed: Operation not permitted
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: setrlimit(RLIMIT_RTPRIO, (9, 9)) failed: Operation not permitted
I: [pulseaudio] core-util.c: Successfully gained nice level -11.
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: This is PulseAudio 15.0
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Page size is 4096 bytes
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Machine ID is 197d7e5dbd834dc9a57b810f3f1ede41.
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Session ID is 2.
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Using runtime directory /run/user/1000/pulse.
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Using state directory /home/zola/.config/pulse.
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Using modules directory /usr/lib/pulse-15.0/modules.
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Running in system mode: no
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: System supports high resolution timers
I: [pulseaudio] cpu-x86.c: CPU flags: CMOV MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4_1 SSE4_2 
I: [pulseaudio] svolume_mmx.c: Initialising MMX optimized volume functions.
I: [pulseaudio] remap_mmx.c: Initialising MMX optimized remappers.
I: [pulseaudio] svolume_sse.c: Initialising SSE2 optimized volume functions.
I: [pulseaudio] remap_sse.c: Initialising SSE2 optimized remappers.
I: [pulseaudio] sconv_sse.c: Initialising SSE2 optimized conversions.
I: [pulseaudio] svolume_orc.c: Initialising ORC optimized volume functions.
I: [pulseaudio] database.c: Successfully opened 'device-volumes' database file '/home/zola/.config/pulse/197d7e5dbd834dc9a57b810f3f1ede41-device-volumes.tdb'.
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-device-restore" (index: #0; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] database.c: Successfully opened 'stream-volumes' database file '/home/zola/.config/pulse/197d7e5dbd834dc9a57b810f3f1ede41-stream-volumes.tdb'.
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-stream-restore" (index: #1; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] database.c: Successfully opened 'card-database' database file '/home/zola/.config/pulse/197d7e5dbd834dc9a57b810f3f1ede41-card-database.tdb'.
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-card-restore" (index: #2; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-augment-properties" (index: #3; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-switch-on-port-available" (index: #4; argument: "").
E: [pulseaudio] ltdl-bind-now.c: Failed to open module /usr/lib/pulse-15.0/modules/module-alsa-card.so: /usr/lib/pulse-15.0/modules/libalsa-util.so: undefined symbol: snd_use_case_parse_ctl_elem_id, version ALSA_0.9
E: [pulseaudio] module.c: Failed to open module "module-alsa-card".
I: [pulseaudio] module-udev-detect.c: Card /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0 (alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0) failed to load module.
I: [pulseaudio] module-udev-detect.c: Found 1 cards.
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-udev-detect" (index: #5; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-dbus-protocol" (index: #6; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-native-protocol-unix" (index: #7; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-gsettings" (index: #8; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module-default-device-restore.c: No previous default sink setting, ignoring.
I: [pulseaudio] module-default-device-restore.c: No previous default source setting, ignoring.
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-default-device-restore" (index: #9; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] sink.c: Created sink 0 "auto_null" with sample spec s16le 2ch 44100Hz and channel map front-left,front-right
I: [pulseaudio] sink.c:     device.description = "Dummy Output"
I: [pulseaudio] sink.c:     device.class = "abstract"
I: [pulseaudio] sink.c:     device.icon_name = "audio-card"
I: [pulseaudio] source.c: Created source 0 "auto_null.monitor" with sample spec s16le 2ch 44100Hz and channel map front-left,front-right
I: [pulseaudio] source.c:     device.description = "Monitor of Dummy Output"
I: [pulseaudio] source.c:     device.class = "monitor"
I: [pulseaudio] source.c:     device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
I: [null-sink] util.c: Successfully enabled SCHED_RR scheduling for thread, with priority 5.
I: [pulseaudio] core.c: default_source: (unset) -> auto_null.monitor
I: [pulseaudio] core.c: default_sink: (unset) -> auto_null
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-null-sink" (index: #11; argument: "sink_name=auto_null sink_properties='device.description="Dummy Output"'").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-always-sink" (index: #10; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-intended-roles" (index: #12; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-suspend-on-idle" (index: #13; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-console-kit" (index: #14; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Created 0 "Login Session 2"
I: [pulseaudio] core.c: exit_idle_time: 20 -> 0
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-systemd-login" (index: #15; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-position-event-sounds" (index: #16; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-role-cork" (index: #17; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-filter-heuristics" (index: #18; argument: "").
I: [pulseaudio] module.c: Loaded "module-filter-apply" (index: #19; argument: "").
W: [pulseaudio] cli-command.c: stat('/etc/pulse/default.pa.d'): No such file or directory
I: [pulseaudio] main.c: Daemon startup complete.
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Created 1 "Native client (UNIX socket client)"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Got credentials: uid=1000 gid=1000 success=1
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Freed 1 "ALSA plug-in [amixer]"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Connection died.
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Created 2 "Native client (UNIX socket client)"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Got credentials: uid=1000 gid=1000 success=1
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Freed 2 "ALSA plug-in [amixer]"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Connection died.
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Created 3 "Native client (UNIX socket client)"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Got credentials: uid=1000 gid=1000 success=1
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Freed 3 "ALSA plug-in [amixer]"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Connection died.
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Created 4 "Native client (UNIX socket client)"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Got credentials: uid=1000 gid=1000 success=1
I: [pulseaudio] client.c: Freed 4 "ALSA plug-in [amixer]"
I: [pulseaudio] protocol-native.c: Connection died.

Zolax · November 20, 2021, 11:51am

polite bump

ricklinux · November 20, 2021, 4:37pm

Did you try installing pipewire?

sudo pacman -S pipewire pipewire-pulse --needed

Zolax · November 23, 2021, 10:47pm

Yes, I already have pipewire installed.
But are pipewire-pulse and pulseaudio supposed to be in conflict?

:: pipewire-pulse and pulseaudio are in conflict. Remove pulseaudio? [y/N]

ricklinux · November 24, 2021, 12:03am

Yes you have to say yes…and remove.

Edit: It replaces a component of pulseaudio with pipewire-pulse

Zolax · November 26, 2021, 6:07pm

Sorry for the delay.

I ran the command successfully, and restarted my computer. Apart from the “Dummy Output” disappearing, nothing seems to have changed. Looks like you’re on the right line?

Edit: Spelling mistake