Mic not working

Ask Fedora
,
1

I was able to get the mic to show in System settings by setting the connectivity to internal using hdajackretask
but after trying the mic nothing plays in the recording.
List of PCMS and Devices:

gitxpresso@fedora44:~$ arecord -lL
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
samplerate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Samplerate Library
jack
    JACK Audio Connection Kit
pipewire
    PipeWire Sound Server
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
upmix
    Plugin for channel upmix (4,6,8)
vdownmix
    Plugin for channel downmix (stereo) with a simple spacialization
default
    Default ALSA Output (currently PulseAudio Sound Server)
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC236 Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC236 Analog
    Front output / input
usbstream:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH
    USB Stream Output
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC236 Analog [ALC236 Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
gitxpresso@fedora44:~$

ALSA activity status:

gitxpresso@fedora44:~$ inxi -A
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 500 Series Family On-Package High Definition Audio
    driver: snd_hda_intel
  API: ALSA v: k7.0.12-201.fc44.x86_64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.6.7 status: active
gitxpresso@fedora44:~$

Pactl list --output:

pactl list short output:

gitxpresso@fedora44:~$ pactl list short
1       libpipewire-module-rt   {
            nice.level    = -11
            rt.prio       = 60
            #rt.time.soft = -1
            #rt.time.hard = -1
            #rlimits.enabled = true
            rtportal.enabled = false
            #rtkit.enabled = true
            #uclamp.min = 0
            #uclamp.max = 1024
        }
2       libpipewire-module-protocol-native      {
            # List of server Unix sockets, and optionally permissions
            #sockets = [ { name = "pipewire-0" }, { name = "pipewire-0-manager" } ]
        }
4       libpipewire-module-profiler     {
            #profile.interval.ms = 0
        }
6       libpipewire-module-metadata
8       libpipewire-module-spa-device-factory
10      libpipewire-module-spa-node-factory
12      libpipewire-module-client-node
14      libpipewire-module-client-device
16      libpipewire-module-portal
17      libpipewire-module-access       {
            # Socket-specific access permissions
            #access.socket = { pipewire-0 = "default", pipewire-0-manager = "unrestricted" }

            # Deprecated legacy mode (not socket-based),
            # for now enabled by default if access.socket is not specified
            #access.legacy = true
        }
18      libpipewire-module-adapter
20      libpipewire-module-link-factory {
            #allow.link.passive = false
        }
22      libpipewire-module-session-manager
29      libpipewire-module-raop-discover
536870912       module-always-sink
536870913       module-device-manager
536870914       module-device-restore
536870915       module-stream-restore
1139    alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo      PipeWire        s32le 2ch 48000Hz       SUSPENDED
1139    alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor      PipeWire        s32le 2ch 48000Hz       SUSPENDED
1140    alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo       PipeWire        s32le 2ch 48000Hz       SUSPENDED
1825    1139    1824    PipeWire        s16le 1ch 44100Hz
40      PipeWire        pipewire
68      PipeWire        uresourced
69      PipeWire        kwin_wayland
70      PipeWire        kded6
71      PipeWire        kded6
72      PipeWire        plasmashell
73      PipeWire        plasmashell
90      PipeWire        xdg-desktop-portal
91      PipeWire        python3.14
97      PipeWire        plasmashell
138     PipeWire        python3.14
144     PipeWire        steam
145     PipeWire        steam
235     PipeWire        systemsettings
1101    PipeWire        firefox
1118    PipeWire        wireplumber
1130    PipeWire        wireplumber
1813    PipeWire        firefox
1824    PipeWire        sd_dummy
1845    PipeWire        betterbird-bin
2057    PipeWire        pactl
0       audio-volume-change     s16le 2ch 48000Hz       0.301
1131    alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3      alsa
gitxpresso@fedora44:~$

loaded snd modules:

gitxpresso@fedora44:~$ lsmod | grep -E "^snd"
snd_seq_dummy          12288  0
snd_hrtimer            12288  1
snd_hda_codec_intelhdmi    28672  1
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     65536  1 snd_hda_codec_intelhdmi
snd_ctl_led            28672  0
snd_hda_codec_alc269   159744  1
snd_hda_codec_realtek_lib    65536  1 snd_hda_codec_alc269
snd_hda_scodec_component    20480  1 snd_hda_codec_alc269
snd_hda_codec_generic   139264  2 snd_hda_codec_realtek_lib,snd_hda_codec_alc269
snd_hda_intel          73728  2
snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl    16384  0
snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl    24576  1 snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl
snd_sof_intel_hda_generic    45056  2 snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl
snd_sof_intel_hda_sdw_bpt    24576  1 soundwire_intel
snd_sof_intel_hda_common   225280  4 snd_sof_intel_hda_sdw_bpt,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic,snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl
snd_soc_hdac_hda       24576  1 snd_sof_intel_hda_common
snd_sof_intel_hda_mlink    45056  4 snd_sof_intel_hda_sdw_bpt,soundwire_intel,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_sof_intel_hda      24576  2 snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_sof_pci            24576  3 snd_sof_intel_hda_generic,snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl
snd_sof_xtensa_dsp     16384  1 snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_sof               540672  6 snd_sof_intel_hda_sdw_bpt,snd_sof_pci,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic,snd_sof_intel_hda,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl
snd_sof_utils          16384  1 snd_sof
snd_soc_acpi_intel_match   147456  3 snd_sof_intel_hda_generic,snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl
snd_soc_acpi_intel_sdca_quirks    12288  1 snd_soc_acpi_intel_match
snd_soc_sdw_utils     139264  1 snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_soc_acpi           16384  2 snd_soc_acpi_intel_match,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_soc_sdca          155648  2 snd_soc_acpi_intel_sdca_quirks,soundwire_bus
snd_soc_avs           286720  0
snd_soc_hda_codec      28672  1 snd_soc_avs
snd_hda_ext_core       36864  7 snd_sof_intel_hda_sdw_bpt,snd_soc_avs,snd_soc_hda_codec,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_soc_hdac_hda,snd_sof_intel_hda_mlink,snd_sof_intel_hda
snd_hda_codec         233472  10 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_soc_avs,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_soc_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_realtek_lib,snd_soc_hdac_hda,snd_hda_codec_alc269,snd_sof_intel_hda,snd_hda_codec_intelhdmi
snd_hda_core          159744  13 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_soc_avs,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_soc_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_ext_core,snd_hda_codec,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_hda_codec_realtek_lib,snd_soc_hdac_hda,snd_hda_codec_alc269,snd_sof_intel_hda,snd_hda_codec_intelhdmi
snd_intel_dspcfg       49152  5 snd_soc_avs,snd_hda_intel,snd_sof,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_intel_sdw_acpi     16384  2 snd_intel_dspcfg,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic
snd_hwdep              24576  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_soc_core          495616  8 snd_soc_avs,snd_soc_hda_codec,soundwire_intel,snd_sof,snd_soc_sdca,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_soc_sdw_utils,snd_soc_hdac_hda
snd_compress           36864  2 snd_soc_avs,snd_soc_core
snd_pcm_dmaengine      20480  1 snd_soc_core
snd_seq               143360  7 snd_seq_dummy
snd_seq_device         16384  1 snd_seq
snd_pcm               212992  14 snd_soc_avs,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,soundwire_intel,snd_sof,snd_soc_sdca,snd_sof_intel_hda_common,snd_compress,snd_sof_intel_hda_generic,snd_soc_core,snd_sof_utils,snd_hda_core,snd_pcm_dmaengine
snd_timer              57344  3 snd_seq,snd_hrtimer,snd_pcm
snd                   155648  23 snd_ctl_led,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_sof,snd_soc_sdca,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_realtek_lib,snd_compress,snd_soc_sdw_utils,snd_hda_codec_alc269,snd_soc_core,snd_pcm
gitxpresso@fedora44:~$
3

Without doing any workaround do you see the microphone in System Settings/Sound?
If it is there do the Test..., you will have to use the Profile: to pick the right input.

Does that work?

4

Yes, it shows but its doesnt work and will not provide any output from the recording.
In the past the microphone didn’t show in ‘System Settings/Sound’ and i was able to fix that by changing the connectivity from Jack to Internal in hdajackretask

5

You could check what levels are set for the mic in alsamixer.

6

Mic section in pactl list:

      Active Profile: output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo
        Ports:
                analog-input-mic: Microphone (type: Mic, priority: 8700, latency offset: 0 usec, availability group: Legacy 1, availability unknown)
                        Properties:
                                port.type = "mic"
                                port.availability-group = "Legacy 1"
                                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
                                card.profile.port = "0"
                        Part of profile(s): input:analog-stereo, output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround71+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-stereo-extra1+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround-extra1+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround71-extra1+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-stereo-extra2+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround-extra2+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround71-extra2+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-stereo-extra3+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround-extra3+input:analog-stereo, output:hdmi-surround71-extra3+input:analog-st

I know for a fact this computer has a mic but i got was able to get it to show as an active device in ‘System settings/sound’ but it does show as a device
in arecord -l:

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC236 Analog [ALC236 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
gitxpresso@fedora44:~/.config/mozilla/firefox/vmdb8ilj.default-release$

I believe the mic device is ALC236

7

I suggested alsamixer as its about the lowest level api you can use.
Lower the pactl.

Do you see any logs in dmesg or shstem journal about the mic device?

8

I was using Legacy HDA and not SOF driver.