Alienware (2015) Headphone Jack not working

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello everyone,
this is a corollary to the posts below
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-15-2015-v-s-opensuse-leap-42-2.812710/
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/528170-Alienware-15(2015)-2-x-M-2-SSD-SSHD-Grub-fails-to-recognize-W10/page3

I decided yesterday to upgrade to LEAP 15.0 and hopefully to get everything to work. As for GPU, thanks to my recent experiences with Lenovo Cuda-toolkit, I was able to install everything that needs to be installed for Nvidia+Optimus/bumblebee, now there is one issue that I have not yet found a solution for.

In linux, the headphone jack does not work on my alienware 2015 (R2 I think? It is lablled “Alienware 15”). I would like to fix this issue once and for all, and I tried reviewing the old threads I mentioned above and I couldn’t find any solution.

Will someone help me through this please?
Thank you
-SJL

2

Have you checked the pavucontrol ‘Configuration’ tab for profile settings? That might need adjusting first. Also, check if headphone output is muted perhaps.

pacmd list-cards

amixer -c0
3 
pacmd list-cards
2 card(s) available.
    index: 0
        name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_03.0>
        driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
        owner module: 6
        properties:
                alsa.card = "0"
                alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel HDMI"
                alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel HDMI at 0xf751c000 irq 34"
                alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
                device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:03.0"
                sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0"
                device.bus = "pci"
                device.vendor.id = "8086"
                device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
                device.product.id = "0c0c"
                device.product.name = "Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller"
                device.form_factor = "internal"
                device.string = "0"
                device.description = "Built-in Audio"
                module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
        profiles:
                output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5400, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 300, available: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 300, available: no
)
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5200, available: no
)
                output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 100, availa
ble: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 100, avai
lable: no)
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5200, available: no
)
                output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 100, availa
ble: no)
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 100, avai
lable: no)
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5200, available: no
)                                                                                                       
                output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 100, availa
ble: no)                                                                                                
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 100, avai
lable: no)                                                                                              
                output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5200, available: no
)                                                                                                       
                output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 100, availa
ble: no)                                                                                                
                output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 100, avai
lable: no)                                                                                              
                off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)                                               
        active profile: <off>                                                                           
        ports:                                                                                          
                hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: n
o)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: n
o)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: n
o)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: n
o)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "video-display"
    index: 1
        name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
        driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
        owner module: 7
        properties:
                alsa.card = "1"
                alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
                alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7518000 irq 33"
                alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
                device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
                sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1"
                device.bus = "pci"
                device.vendor.id = "8086"
                device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
                device.product.id = "8c20"
                device.product.name = "8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller"
                device.form_factor = "internal"
                device.string = "1"
                device.description = "Built-in Audio"
                module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
        profiles:
                input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 60, available: unknown)
                output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6000, available: unknown)
                output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6060, availabl
e: unknown)
                off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
        active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
        sinks:
                alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
        sources:
                alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog
 Stereo
                alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
        ports:
                analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, a
vailable: unknown)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
                analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
                analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
                analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: 
yes)
                        properties:
                                device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"



amixer -c0
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 229 [90%] -5.20dB]
  Front Right: Playback 229 [90%] -5.20dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',1
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',2
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',3
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',4
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
4

You have two sound cards present, and it is the one providing the HDMI outputs (sinks) that will be active by default. The headphones will require the other sound card (analog outputs) to be active.

5

I have tried activating the other card with no success, and also the switching back-and-port without success. I am just waiving my hand at this point and asking if you can walk me through with it.

6

It is possible to configure the preferred default card by a careful edit of /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf and then so the analog card will be designated as the first card.

However, PulaseAudio can also be configured to set the default-sink as well AFAIU. You should be able to do this with the pavucontrol GUI. Alternatively, use pactl. List the available outputs with

pactl list short sinks

then set the default sink with either the numeric value or the device name eg

pactl set-default-sink alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo

If you want to make that survive a reboot, edit /etc/pulse/default.pa (as root) and add the numeric value eg for device ‘4’ do

set-default-sink 4

It will take effect the next time PA is restarted…

pulseaudio -k

See how that goes.

7 
pactl list short sinks
No protocol specified
0       alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo      module-alsa-card.c      s16le 2ch 48000Hz     S
USPENDED



pactl set-default-sink alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo  
No protocol specified

Okay this was a step in the right direction. The audio level changes when I plug in/out the headphones. However no sound out of headphones yet.

8

Did you check the headphone output level/mute setting in pavucontrol (‘Output Devices’ tab)?

9

Yes,
however the sound control only still controls the speaker sound level even though control says that speakers are disabled and headphone is enabled

10

Is the jack one of the fancy output and input all in one jack??

11

Kind of, this plug can act as a stereo output + microphone together and there is also a seperate mic jack next to it.

12

A comb audio jack may require a little configuration utility called HDA-Jack-Retask

https://software.opensuse.org/package/hdajackretask

A how to…
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/12/turn-headphone-jack-microphone-jack-ubuntu
*This essentially involves some experimentation with making sure the appropriate pins are connected so that your headphones will work and then saving that working configuration.

This post may also be of some relevance (discussing same issue with similar alienware devices)…
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/sound-does-not-switch-to-headphones-after-plugging-jack-on-alienware-15-a-4175587808/page2.html#post5600912
In particular, open alsamixer, press F6, choose the appropriate sound card and verify that the HP (headphone) settings are as expected. If necessary, toggle them ON using the ‘m’ key as mentioned there.

13

I have tried the third option unsuccessfully, I will try the 1st and 2nd.

14

I tried all of the methods but they didn’t quite work. I did however find an easy and smiple solution which is quite embarrassing for me to admit (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/sound-does-not-switch-to-headphones-after-plugging-jack-on-alienware-15-a-4175587808/page2.html).

It turns out that all I had to do was to open alsamixer as root then enable


'HP/Speaker Playback Switch'
'HP/Speaker Auto Detect Playback Switch'