Ubuntu 18.04 - audio (mostly) failing for one user only
by jamespetts from LinuxQuestions.org on (#4XB5G)
I am trying to fix the audio on my father's computer, which runs Ubuntu 18.04. It has both built-in audio and an old(ish) Creative sound card. The audio had been working for a long time until recently, but I am not sure what changed as this is my father's computer; I do know that he very recently installed a new HDMI monitor, albeit the monitor does not have any sound capability.
The main symptom is that there is no audio output from the usual sources of audio output, such as Youtube videos and CD playback. Also, when trying to adjust the settings in the sound section of the system settings dialogue, no sound output devices are listed.
However, this only occurs with my father's login. With my own login on that computer, I can see both audio devices and can play sound successfully from both of them.
Starting "pulseaudio" from the command line from my father's login engenders an error message, "ALSA was wake up, to save the new data to the device, but there was nothing to save," claiming that the bug is probably in the sound card's ALSA driver.
Starting "pulseaudio" from the command line of my login just gives a message stating that the pulseaudio daemon is already running.
"alsamixer" appears to run correctly on both logins, but seems to have no effect.
The speakers are usually plugged into the Creative sound card. However, when the speakers are plugged into the internal audio controller and the computer is logged into my father's account, the system sounds will play, but not sounds from Youtube; so the query sound will play when I try to close the browser with multiple tabs open, yet a Youtube video playing in one of those browser tabs will not play any sound (I have checked: it is not muted).
I have repeatedly attempted to force reload the alsa drivers, to no effect. I have uninstalled and re-installed ALSA and Pulseaudio and restarted the computer, to no effect.
I should be very grateful for any assistance.
The main symptom is that there is no audio output from the usual sources of audio output, such as Youtube videos and CD playback. Also, when trying to adjust the settings in the sound section of the system settings dialogue, no sound output devices are listed.
However, this only occurs with my father's login. With my own login on that computer, I can see both audio devices and can play sound successfully from both of them.
Starting "pulseaudio" from the command line from my father's login engenders an error message, "ALSA was wake up, to save the new data to the device, but there was nothing to save," claiming that the bug is probably in the sound card's ALSA driver.
Starting "pulseaudio" from the command line of my login just gives a message stating that the pulseaudio daemon is already running.
"alsamixer" appears to run correctly on both logins, but seems to have no effect.
The speakers are usually plugged into the Creative sound card. However, when the speakers are plugged into the internal audio controller and the computer is logged into my father's account, the system sounds will play, but not sounds from Youtube; so the query sound will play when I try to close the browser with multiple tabs open, yet a Youtube video playing in one of those browser tabs will not play any sound (I have checked: it is not muted).
I have repeatedly attempted to force reload the alsa drivers, to no effect. I have uninstalled and re-installed ALSA and Pulseaudio and restarted the computer, to no effect.
I should be very grateful for any assistance.