snd-hda-intel master volume doesn't control volume

I have the same problem with my Intel audio device. As a workaround, I changed the Sound Preferences and Volume Applet settings to make my media keys and the volume applet both control PCM instead of Master Volume.

$ lspci -n | grep `lspci | grep -i audio| awk '{print $1}'`
00:1b.0 0403: 8086:27d8 (rev 01)

$ sudo lspci -vv -s 00:1b
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30a5
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B-
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
        Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 21
        Region 0: Memory at d0340000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
        Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
                Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
        Capabilities: [70] Express Unknown type IRQ 0
                Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag-
                Device: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
                Device: Errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
                Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
                Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
                Link: Supported Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Port 0
                Link: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
                Link: ASPM Disabled CommClk- ExtSynch-
                Link: Speed unknown, Width x0

$ lsmod | grep snd
snd_hda_intel 263712 4
snd_pcm_oss 44672 0
snd_mixer_oss 17664 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 80388 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy 4740 0
snd_seq_oss 33152 0
snd_seq_midi 9600 0
snd_rawmidi 25728 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 8448 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 53232 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 24324 3 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 9228 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd 54660 15 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore 8800 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 11400 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

Same problem for me, master volume does nothing!
It doesn't raise or lower volume and neither mute or unmute.
Only the PCM volume seems to work.
Fedora 8 and Arch Linux also affected by the same problem!

My hardware is an HP Pavilion dv5000(dv5245ea)
here comes some info:
[root@neurone ~]# lspci -n | grep `lspci | grep Audio | awk '{print $1}'`
00:1b.0 0403: 8086:27d8 (rev 01)

[root@neurone ~]# uname -a
Linux neurone 2.6.23-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Oct 27 09:04:14 UTC 2007 i686 Genuine Intel(R) CPU T2050 @ 1.60GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

[root@neurone ~]# hwdetect --show-modules
AGP : agpgart intel-agp
ACPI : ac battery button processor thermal video
PATA : ata_generic
SCSI : sd_mod sr_mod st
SATA : ahci ata_piix
USB : usbcore ehci-hcd uhci-hcd
FW : firewire-core firewire-ohci firewire-core firewire-ohci ieee1394 ohci1394
NET : e100 mii ieee80211_crypt ieee80211 ipw3945
INPUT : evdev joydev pcspkr psmouse serio_raw tsdev
PCMCIA : pcmcia_core rsrc_nonstatic yenta_socket
SOUND : snd-mixer-oss snd-pcm-oss snd-hwdep snd snd-page-alloc snd-pcm snd-timer snd-hda-intel soundcore
VIDEO : fb_ddc nvidia nvidiafb output vgastate
OTHER : cdrom intel-rng i2c-algo-bit i2c-i801 i2c-core tifm_7xx1 tifm_core mmc_core sdhci pci_hotplug shpchp rtc-cmos rtc-core rtc-lib crc-itu-t

[root@neurone ~]# aplay --list-devices
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: Conexant Digital [Conexant Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

[root@neurone ~]# lspci | grep Audio
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)

[root@neurone ~]# lsmod | grep ^snd
snd_hda_intel 286624 1
snd_seq_oss 29312 0
snd_seq_midi_event 6528 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 46800 4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 6924 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_hwdep 7300 1 snd_hda_intel
snd_pcm_oss 36896 0
snd_pcm 68996 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 19332 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 8072 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss 14464 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd 44644 11 snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss

[root@neurone ~]# cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [Intel ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
HDA Intel at 0xd2400000 irq 21

[root@neurone ~]# cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#0 | grep Codec
Codec: Conexant CX20551 (Waikiki)

Since this bug can be reproduced in Fedora and Arch Linux too, this may be a bug in alsa upstream (and not in the Ubuntu's version of drivers).
There is some activity here in alsa bug tracker: https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=3195

Ubuntu 7.10 contains alsa 1.0.14 (according to alsamixer), but there is version 1.0.15 in the upstream. Did someone tried to build 1.0.15 manually and test master volume control?

I tried to build 1.0.15 but without success...
Same problem of the 1.0.14

I think we should compare "alsa-driver" sources in "alsa-kernel/pci/hda" folder - to see what has changed there between latest kernel of Ubuntu 7.04 and 7.10.
Especially "patch_conexant.c" file. It worked well in 7.04 before upgrade to 7.10.

I can confirm this on my inspiron 6k laptop. Really annoying that I can't use my media keys!
~~~
pck@pck-iron:~$ lspci -n | grep `lspci | grep Audio | awk '{print $1}'`
00:1e.2 0401: 8086:266e (rev 03)
pck@pck-iron:~$ uname -a
Linux pck-iron 2.6.24-15-generic #1 SMP Tue Apr 8 00:33:51 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
pck@pck-iron:~$ aplay --list-devices
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel ICH6]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 4: Intel ICH - IEC958 [Intel ICH6 - IEC958]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
pck@pck-iron:~$ lspci | grep Audio
00:1e.2 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 03)
pck@pck-iron:~$ lsmod |grep ^snd
snd_intel8x0 35356 4
snd_ac97_codec 101028 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_pcm_oss 42144 0
snd_mixer_oss 17920 2 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 78596 4 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy 4868 0
snd_seq_oss 35584 0
snd_seq_midi 9376 0
snd_rawmidi 25760 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 8320 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 54224 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 24836 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 9612 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd 56996 16 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
snd_page_alloc 11400 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
pck@pck-iron:~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [ICH6 ]: ICH4 - Intel ICH6
                      Intel ICH6 with STAC9752,53 at irq 16

On Friday 11 April 2008 13:31:19 Patrick Kilgore wrote:
> I can confirm this on my inspiron 6k laptop. Really annoying that I can't
> use my media keys! ~~~
In the sound preferences, you can set which channel the media keys control.
Change it to PCM, and you'll have them back.

The problem still exists in Ubuntu 8.04 with Conexant CX20551 sound card - master volume does not work.

Eythian, if the symptom is still reproducible in 8.10, please execute the alsa-info.sh script referenced from https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingSoundProblems and attach the URL here.

The master volume and mute now seems to correctly control the sound in 8.10. I also have my 'mute' light back :)

Based on Robin's previous comment, I'm marking this Fix Released for Intrepid.

I can also confirm that Master Volume control works now in 8.10 for hda-intel