Volume keys stopped working after update | Self-healing

After I updated my system, the volume keys on my keyboard stopped working. I have few keys on the top of my keyboard that do some special action. The mute, volume up, volume down buttons stopped working. Search key or the stop/pause works fine.

garuda-inxi output:

System:
  Kernel: 6.5.3-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1
    clocksource: tsc available: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=e1fd8aa5-3909-4e25-beac-5e11b1b3a928 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1 loglevel=3 ibt=off
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.8 tk: Qt v: 5.15.10 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: STRIX B250G GAMING v: Rev X.0x
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 0809
    date: 07/07/2017
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard serial: <filter>
    charge: 55% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes status: discharging
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-7500 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Kaby Lake
    gen: core 7 level: v3 note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 9 microcode: 0xF4
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 6 MiB
    desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2272 high: 3788 min/max: 800/3800 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: performance cores: 1: 800 2: 3701 3: 3788
    4: 800 bogomips: 27199
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: nvidia
    v: 535.104.05 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 535.xx+
    status: current (as of 2023-08) arch: Pascal code: GP10x
    process: TSMC 16nm built: 2016-21 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1c03 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.0
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting,nvidia
    alternate: fbdev,nouveau,nv,vesa gpu: nvidia display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 5520x1080 s-dpi: 90 s-size: 1558x312mm (61.34x12.28")
    s-diag: 1589mm (62.56")
  Monitor-1: DP-1 pos: left res: 1680x1050 hz: 60 dpi: 90
    size: 474x296mm (18.66x11.65") diag: 559mm (22") modes: N/A
  Monitor-2: HDMI-0 pos: primary,center res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 82
    size: 598x336mm (23.54x13.23") diag: 686mm (27.01") modes: N/A
  Monitor-3: HDMI-1 pos: right res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 82
    size: 598x336mm (23.54x13.23") diag: 686mm (27.01") modes: N/A
  Monitor-4: None-1-1 size-res: N/A modes: N/A
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 535.104.05 renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
    6GB/PCIe/SSE2 direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 200 Series PCH HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:a2f0 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP106 High Definition Audio vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:10f1 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Kingston HyperX Cloud II Wireless
    driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s
    lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 1-7:5 chip-ID: 0951:1718 class-ID: 0300
    serial: <filter>
  API: ALSA v: k6.5.3-zen1-1-zen status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.80 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-V vendor: ASUSTeK driver: e1000e v: kernel
    port: N/A bus-ID: 00:1f.6 chip-ID: 8086:15b8 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp0s31f6 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: br0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: unknown mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-2: docker0 state: down mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-3: virbr0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.02 TiB used: 156.7 GiB (15.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Kingston model: SUV400S37120G
    size: 111.79 GiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: 87RA scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Western Digital
    model: WD10EZRZ-00HTKB0 size: 931.51 GiB block-size: physical: 4096 B
    logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter>
    fw-rev: 1A01 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 111.53 GiB size: 111.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 76.38 GiB (68.5%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 260 MiB size: 256 MiB (98.45%)
    used: 562 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 111.53 GiB size: 111.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 76.38 GiB (68.5%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 111.53 GiB size: 111.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 76.38 GiB (68.5%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 111.53 GiB size: 111.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 76.38 GiB (68.5%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.56 GiB used: 34.8 MiB (0.2%)
    priority: 100 comp: zstd avail: lzo,lzo-rle,lz4,lz4hc,842 max-streams: 4
    dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 41.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 54 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 0%
Info:
  Processes: 303 Uptime: 5m wakeups: 3 Memory: total: 16 GiB
  available: 15.56 GiB used: 5.9 GiB (37.9%) Init: systemd v: 254
  default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 13.2.1 clang: 16.0.6
  Packages: 1769 pm: dpkg pkgs: 0 pm: pacman pkgs: 1756 libs: 410
  tools: octopi,paru pm: snap pkgs: 13 Shell: fish v: 3.6.1 default: Bash
  v: 5.1.16 running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.29
Garuda (2.6.16-1):
  System install date:     2021-10-22
  Last full system update: 2023-09-16
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut nvidia-dkms
  Windows dual boot:       No/Undetected
  Failed units:            

Have you checked if your sink is set correctly? This is particularly an issue when using things like jamesdsp and easyeffects. If the sink is set improperly then the volume keys will adjust the wrong thing.
I don’t remember exactly how to do it in KDE but there’s probably a box next to an output that mentions something about the default.

Also in case it’s an issue specific to your keyboard, maybe it would be good to know the make and model as well. Could make searching the problem easier.

2 Likes

Okay. The issue is now solved. After some time it started working… don’t know what was the solution.

@lum1nuss Thanks the tips though!

1 Like