Raptor Lake external jack needs manual ALSA unmute and speakers don’t auto-mute

Raptor Lake external jack needs manual ALSA unmute and speakers don’t auto-mute

[GitHub issues - opened]

alsa-project/alsa-ucm-conf issue #632 was opened from keponk:

SOF HDA (skl_hda_dsp_generic) on Raptor Lake: Headphone/Line-out not exposed as a separate port to PipeWire; external jack needs manual ALSA unmute and speakers don’t auto-mute

Environment (for quick identification)
* Distro: NixOS (current channel)
* Audio stack: PipeWire/WirePlumber 1.4.7, PipeWire Pulse
* Hardware: Intel Raptor Lake PCH HDA (onboard), SOF HDA path (skl_hda_dsp_generic)
* Symptom device string seen in userspace: “Raptor Lake High Definition Audio Controller”
* PipeWire sink name: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-skl_hda_dsp_generic.HiFi__Speaker__sink

Problem summary
* The 3.5 mm headphone/line-out jack produces no audio unless the “Headphone” control is manually unmuted via ALSA (alsamixer/amixer).
* PipeWire/WirePlumber only expose a single output port (“Speaker”) for this card/profile; there is no separate “Headphones/Line Out” port to select in GNOME/pavucontrol.
* Internal speakers do not auto-mute when the external jack is used; some intermittent audio still leaks to the internal speakers.
* Jack detection appears unstable (repeated “Headphone Jack” events seen) and the desktop toggles output availability intermittently.

Expected outcome
* PipeWire/WirePlumber should expose distinct output ports for Speaker and Headphones/Line Out, based on UCM, for this device.
* When the 3.5 mm plug is inserted, the system should:
1. Auto-switch to the Headphones/Line Out port,
1. Mute the internal speakers (auto-mute),
1. Keep the state stable (no flapping).
1. Users should not need to manipulate raw ALSA mixer controls manually for basic jack usage.

Actual outcome
* Only “Speaker” is exposed as an output port; no “Headphones/Line Out” port is available to select.
* Audio plays intermittently through internal speakers; external jack is silent until “Headphone” is manually unmuted in alsamixer.
* After manual unmute, the external jack works, but internal speakers continue to output intermittently unless manually muted; auto-mute does not engage.
* Jack-sense events appear to flap while the plug is steady, causing intermittent switching in the desktop.

Steps to reproduce (high level)
* Boot system; log in to GNOME (PipeWire/WirePlumber active).
* Plug powered external speakers/headphones into the 3.5 mm combo jack.
* Observe that "Headphone" output intermittently appears on the dropdown. Hard to select via UI, but when is done, the sound comes out of the internal speakers only, in synchrony with the intermittence in the ui.
* Use alsamixer on the SOF HDA card to unmute “Headphone”; external jack starts working, but internal speakers still play unless manually muted; behavior may fluctuate with jack events.

Impact:
* Users cannot rely on auto-detection or desktop controls for basic headphone/line-out use. Manual ALSA mixer changes are required. Internal speakers may still play, causing privacy/UX issues.

Workaround:
* Manually unmute “Headphone” and set “Speaker” to lowest volume in alsamixer; Auto-Mute doesn't seem to work in this setup.
* Disabling HDA power saving didn't seem to help reduce jack flapping.

Possble solution:
In alsa-ucm-conf for the SOF HDA “skl_hda_dsp_generic” profile on this Raptor Lake codec:
* Define and expose a proper “Headphones/Line Out” device/port alongside “Speaker.”
* Add the appropriate Enable/Disable/Jack sequences to unmute Headphone, mute Speaker (auto-mute), and handle jack detection correctly.
* If the UCM is already correct for this codec, guidance is appreciated on whether the issue should be addressed in:
- ALSA kernel (snd_hda_intel/Realtek codec quirk) or SOF topology/firmware for stable jack sense and correct control exposure.
- WirePlumber/PipeWire only if UCM provides the ports but they are not shown.

alsa-info: http://alsa-project.org/db/?f=357e5def55a9a2e737306ff2ec22b1526a14f87a

Issue URL     : https://github.com/alsa-project/alsa-ucm-conf/issues/632
Repository URL: https://github.com/alsa-project/alsa-ucm-conf

Re: Raptor Lake external jack needs manual ALSA unmute and speakers don’t auto-mute

[eleeselees68]

This issue shows how fragile the interaction can be between the ALSA UCM layer, PipeWire/WirePlumber, and SOF firmware when hardware behavior diverges slightly from assumptions baked into existing configs. Even with modern audio stacks, if the UCM definitions don’t correctly represent headphone and speaker paths, desktop audio handling (auto-mute, port switching, jack detection) breaks down for end users.
https://geometrydashlite22.github.io

Re: Raptor Lake external jack needs manual ALSA unmute and speakers don’t auto-mute

[bexob46807]

Since the SOF driver sits on top of the HDA kernel interface, there may be a strange missing or incorrect HDA kernel for your particular motherboard/codec combination. The `snd_hda_intel` driver often needs specific parameters to properly initialize complex codecs, especially those with composite jacks.
https://sprunki-game.io/