[Kernel Regression] Headphone Jack Dead on ASUS Zenbook with CS42L43 after update to kernel 6.17.10

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1

Hello everyone,

I am encountering a critical audio regression after updating the kernel on my ASUS Zenbook laptop, and I have done substantial debugging but have hit a wall. I am hoping the community can provide insight or a workaround.

1. Summary of the Problem:

  • Hardware: ASUS Zenbook S 14 UX5406SA (Lunar Lake-M, audio codec: Cirrus Logic CS42L43).
  • Software: Fedora 43 Workstation Edition.
  • Core Issue: After updating the kernel from 6.17.1-300.fc43.x86_64 to 6.17.10-300.fc43.x86_64 , the 3.5mm headphone jack completely stopped outputting sound .
  • Key Symptoms:
    • The system can detect headphone plug/unplug events.
    • Internal speakers and Bluetooth audio work perfectly.
    • The issue is 100% reproducible after a reboot into kernel 6.17.10.
    • Booting back to kernel 6.17.1 via GRUB resolves all issues immediately , proving it’s a kernel/driver regression.
    • I also experienced an intermediate state where the headphone worked but with extremely low gain (even at max volume), before it stopped working entirely on subsequent reboots.

2. Detailed Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Boot into Fedora with the default kernel 6.17.10-300.fc43.x86_64 .
  2. Plug in a 3.5mm headphone. The system sound settings show the output device switching to “Headphones”.
  3. Play any audio. No sound comes out of the headphones. The system speakers remain silent (as expected when headphones are selected).

3. What I Have Tried and Debugging Information:
I have ruled out many common causes and gathered detailed logs:

  • alsa-info.sh Reports: I have two detailed ALSA reports from the working (6.17.1) and broken (6.17.10) states. They are nearly identical except for the kernel and driver versions.
  • Kernel Log (dmesg ) Analysis: I compared dmesg outputs filtered for audio. The CS42L43 codec probes successfully in both kernels, and it loads the exact same firmware (sof-lnl.ri ) and topology file (sof-lnl-cs42l43-l0-cs35l56-l23-2ch.tplg ) . No obvious error messages differ.
  • Software Volume Checks: Confirmed that PipeWire volume is at 100% and no application is muted.
  • ALSA Hardware Mixer (alsamixer ): Checked all controls in the sof-soundwire card. No channels are muted (MM ). Adjusted Headphone and Playback gain controls to maximum with no effect in the broken state.
  • Driver Parameter Tweaks: Tried various modprobe.d options (like snd-intel-dspcfg quirks) with no success.

4. System Configuration:

  • CPU: Intel Lunar Lake-M
  • Audio Controller: Intel Lunar Lake-M HD Audio Controller (8086:a828)
  • Audio Codec: Cirrus Logic CS42L43 (SoundWire)
  • Audio Driver Stack: SOF (Sound Open Firmware) with snd_soc_sof_sdw module.
  • Sound Server: PipeWire (running normally).

5. My Hypothesis:
This appears to be a regression in the kernel’s SOF driver between versions 6.17.1 and 6.17.10 . Since the same topology file is loaded, the bug likely lies in:

  1. The runtime initialization sequence for the CS42L43’s headphone amplifier or audio path muxing.
  2. Power management incorrectly leaving the headphone amp in a low-power or disabled state.
  3. An ACPI/Device Tree interaction specific to the ASUS Zenbook S 14 that changed subtly between kernels.

6. Request for Help:

  • Has anyone with a similar Lunar Lake laptop (especially ASUS Zenbooks) experienced this?
  • Could any SOF/alsa-driver developers look at the provided logs and suggest where the headphone path initialization might be failing?
  • Is there a known workaround or kernel boot parameter I might have missed?
  • Should I file this as a formal bug against the kernel or linux-firmware package in Bugzilla? (I am prepared to do so and can provide any additional debug data like regmap register dumps from both kernel states).

This issue severely impacts the usability of my laptop. Any guidance would be immensely appreciated. I am happy to run any diagnostic commands or test patches.

Thank you for your time and expertise.Because my English isn’t very good, I used AI to translate my post. Thank you!

2

See Headphone jack broken in kernel 6.17.11 (Lunar Lake) - #4 by jordane85

1 Like
3

Thank you!!!, I already update to Kernel 6.17.12. ALL WORKED