Bug 423896 - Audio mutes at random
Summary: Audio mutes at random
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: kmix
Classification: Applications
Component: general (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Platform: Arch Linux Linux
: NOR major
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Christian Esken
URL:
Keywords: usability
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2020-07-05 09:26 UTC by Bob English
Modified: 2024-06-14 15:10 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:


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Description Bob English 2020-07-05 09:26:44 UTC
SUMMARY


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. run any app playing audio
2. listen
3. Do nothing, touch nothing, just sit back and wait a minute or two

OBSERVED RESULT
Audio mutes (Visible with K-Mix open)

EXPECTED RESULT
Audio plays without interruption unless I mute it myself.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Arch Linux/KDE Plasma: 
Operating System: EndeavourOS
KDE Plasma Version: 5.19.2
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.71.0
Qt Version: 5.15.0
Kernel Version: 5.7.7-arch1-1
OS Type: 64-bit
Processors: 4 × Intel® Core™ i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
Memory: 31.3 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: GeForce GTX 1050/PCIe/SSE2
Sound card: EMU 0404 PCIe (Soundblaster Audigy predecessor)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Also happens with no audio playing at all App paused!
Thought it was firefox, tried Audacious, and it does it too.

Audio is muted on boot too. All controls to unmute work (in apps, Kmix, keyboard), and sound resumes, only to mute a minute or two later, sometimes in a few seconds, but no longer than a few minutes later.

I believed it started when instead of [shift] + [m], I hit [ctr] + [m], but don't have any keys assigned to audio controls, since my keyboard has separate audio controls (Microsoft Comfort Curve).

MIND BLOWN!!!

If you need any copies of logs or other files, just tell me where to find them, and if you need any terminal output, just give me the commands to input, and I will send them ASAP.

KDE ROCKS!
Comment 1 Bob English 2020-07-05 21:04:13 UTC
Well, it just stopped doing it, no rhyme nor reason.  I tried all kinds of changes to audio settings that didn't change it, and realized I may have to live with it until someone can help me find the cause, but it just stopped out of the blue about an hour ago (it lasted for around 3 days total).

I still would like to see if anyone else had this happen of course, and if so, what caused it and if it can happen again.
Comment 2 David Edmundson 2020-07-07 08:49:30 UTC
>(Visible with K-Mix open)

Are you sure you mean kmix?

>I still would like to see if anyone else had this happen of course, and if so, what caused it and if it can happen again.

We don't have any other reports I can think of.
Any application can be fiddling with your audio settings.

Until there's any sign that it's even plasma responsible I don't think there's much we can do.


Next time please check with plasmashell not running to narrow this down.
Comment 3 Bob English 2020-07-07 12:48:37 UTC
(In reply to David Edmundson from comment #2)
> >(Visible with K-Mix open)
> 
> Are you sure you mean kmix?
> 
> >I still would like to see if anyone else had this happen of course, and if so, what caused it and if it can happen again.
> 
> We don't have any other reports I can think of.
> Any application can be fiddling with your audio settings.
> 
> Until there's any sign that it's even plasma responsible I don't think
> there's much we can do.
> 
> 
> Next time please check with plasmashell not running to narrow this down.

Yes, KMix.  I can't say that it's the problem, nor did I, but with the audio settings open with the title: Mixer (Playback devices) ---KMix.  I could see the mute indicator for my sound card light up and the volume drop to zero every time it happened.  I mentioned it to be thorough.

The only other app I had open the whole time was Evolution Email client, and although it too has been acting strange, or rather Spamassassin is putting all of my emails in the Junk folder despite having worked for years, that only started yesterday, quite a few hours before the muting stopped, and 2 days after the mute issue started.  I never had it set to audible notifications either which would be every ten minutes if I had, not at random, and so didn't see it as a likely culprit.

Sorry David, but I don't understand what you mean by "Next time please check with plasmashell not running to narrow this down."  Where should I check, because I see no such option here, and that's rather vague?  Since plasmashell is and was running besides the muting problem, I wouldn't even think of that if I did see it, and on that note:

I did have a hard time trying to select the "Product" and "Component" in filing this, and "Media player" also didn't come to mind, because I don't see "general audio" output as a Media player, but rather the back end, Audacity is my media player, Firefox my browser, and both were muted at random (all audio was). There are many components listed, I have no idea what they all are for, some are even for older KDE stuff.  A system to help narrow a problem down before filing would be of great help to those who don't know them all either.  If people have to guess, you can't expect them to get it right.
Comment 4 Christoph Feck 2020-07-21 07:47:15 UTC
Moving to kmix.
Comment 5 Nate Graham 2024-06-14 15:10:35 UTC
Migrating "reproducible" keyword to "CONFIRMED" status.