Laptop Internal Microphone Stops Recording After Upgrading to Debian Trixie/Sid

Upgrading Debian Trixie/Sid on a Laptop with an Internal Microphone That Stops Recording

If you've recently upgraded your Debian system to Trixie or Sid and found that your internal microphone no longer records any sound, you're not alone. This article will cover the possible causes of this issue and provide a detailed guide on how to troubleshoot and fix it.

Identifying the Problem

To identify if the problem is indeed related to the internal microphone, you can use the inxi command in the terminal. This command provides detailed information about your system, including audio devices. If your microphone is not working, the output of the inxi -A command will show something like this:

The important thing to note here is that the microphone is not listed as a detected device, even though it is built into your laptop. This indicates that the problem is not related to the hardware, but rather to the software configuration of your Debian system.

Upgrading the Kernel

One possible cause of the microphone not working after upgrading Debian to Trixie or Sid is that the kernel has not been updated to a version that supports the microphone. To update the kernel, you can use the following steps:

1. Add the deb-src line to your /etc/apt/sources.list file.
2. Update the package list:
   sudo apt-get update
3. Install the kernel headers:
   sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
4. Download the kernel image:
   wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.14/amd64/linux-image-5.14.0-051400-generic_5.14.0-051400.202106151430_amd64.deb
5. Install the kernel image:
   sudo dpkg -i linux-image-5.14.0-051400-generic_5.14.0-051400.202106151430_amd64.deb
6. Reboot your system: sudo reboot

After rebooting, check if the microphone is working by running inxi -A again. If the microphone is still not detected, you may need to update the ALSA drivers.

Updating the ALSA Drivers

Another possible cause of the microphone not working is that the ALSA drivers are outdated. To update the ALSA drivers, you can use the following steps:

1. Add the deb-src line to your /etc/apt/sources.list file.
2. Update the package list:
   sudo apt-get update
3. Install the ALSA source code:
   sudo apt-get install alsa-base alsa-firmware alsa-utils alsa-oss libasound2
4. Download the latest ALSA source code:
   git clone git://git.alsa-project.org/alsa-driver.git
5. Navigate to the ALSA driver directory:
   cd alsa-driver
6. Update the submodules:
   git submodule update --init
7. Configure the ALSA driver:
   ./bootstrap ./configure --with-cards=your_sound_card
8. Compile the ALSA driver:
   make
9. Install the ALSA driver:
   sudo make install
10. Reboot your system: sudo reboot

After rebooting, check if the microphone is working by running inxi -A again. If the microphone is still not detected, you may need to configure GNOME to use the correct audio input device.

Configuring GNOME to Use the Correct Audio Input Device

If the microphone is still not working after updating the kernel and ALSA drivers, it's possible that GNOME is not using the correct audio input device. To configure GNOME to use the correct audio input device, you can use the following steps:

1. Install pavucontrol: sudo apt-get install pavucontrol
2. Launch pavucontrol.
3. Navigate to the "Input Devices" tab.
4. Select your internal microphone as the input device.
5. Test the microphone by speaking into it and checking if the sound level meter in pavucontrol is registering any sound.

• The internal microphone may stop working after upgrading Debian Trixie or Sid.
• This issue can be caused by an outdated kernel or ALSA drivers.
• Updating the kernel and ALSA drivers can resolve the issue in most cases.
• If the microphone is still not working, GNOME may not be using the correct audio input device. Configuring GNOME to use the correct input device can resolve the issue in this case.

References

• Debian Wiki: https://wiki.debian.org/Alsa
• ALSA Git Repository: https://git.alsa-project.org/
• GNOME Control Center: https://wiki.gnome.org/action/show/Apps/Sound
• Ubuntu Kernel Mainline: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/