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How to Fix 'Dummy Output' Audio on Ubuntu

Complete guide to resolving the 'Dummy Output' audio issue on Ubuntu. Step-by-step troubleshooting for PulseAudio, PipeWire, ALSA, and audio driver problems.

How to Fix "Dummy Output" Audio on Ubuntu

The "Dummy Output" issue means Ubuntu cannot detect your sound card. Follow these steps in order until the problem is resolved.

Ubuntu 22.04 and later (PipeWire):

systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

Ubuntu 20.04 and earlier (PulseAudio):

pulseaudio --kill
pulseaudio --start

Tip: Check your audio after this step. If it works, you're done!

ALSA is the low-level audio layer. Reloading it can resolve detection issues.

sudo alsa force-reload

Then reboot:

sudo reboot

Run the following to list all detected sound cards:

aplay -l
  • ✅ Card is listed — the issue is with PulseAudio/PipeWire (continue to Step 4)
  • ❌ No soundcards found — it's a driver or hardware issue (skip to Step 6)

Your audio channels might be muted at the ALSA level.

alsamixer
  • Use left/right arrow keys to navigate channels
  • Press M to unmute any channel showing MM at the bottom
  • Press F6 to select a different sound card if needed
  • Press Esc to exit

Then save the settings:

sudo alsactl store

For PipeWire (Ubuntu 22.04+):

sudo apt install --reinstall pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber
systemctl --user restart wireplumber pipewire pipewire-pulse

For PulseAudio (Ubuntu 20.04 and earlier):

sudo apt remove --purge pulseaudio pulseaudio-utils
sudo apt install pulseaudio pulseaudio-utils
sudo reboot

Also reinstall ALSA base packages:

sudo apt install --reinstall alsa-base alsa-utils
sudo alsa force-reload

If your sound card wasn't detected in Step 3, you likely have a driver issue.

Install recommended drivers automatically:

sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
sudo reboot

Or update your kernel (which includes newer drivers):

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo reboot

Verify your audio hardware is visible to the system at all.

For built-in/PCIe audio:

lspci | grep -i audio

For USB audio devices:

lsusb

Warning: If your device doesn't appear here, check that onboard audio is enabled in your BIOS/UEFI settings.

If all software steps fail:

  1. Restart your PC and enter BIOS/UEFI (usually Del, F2, or F10 on boot)
  2. Navigate to Advanced or Onboard Devices settings
  3. Make sure HD Audio or Onboard Audio is set to Enabled
  4. Save and exit

Still Not Working?

Check your system logs for audio-related errors:

dmesg | grep -i audio
journalctl --user -u pipewire --since "1 hour ago"

You can also post the output of these commands to the Ubuntu Forums or Ask Ubuntu for community help.

Tested on Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04