[SOLVED] No sound through HDMI

[solitone]

I'm on Jessie, and use KDE.

--EDIT--
Sound keeps coming from laptop's speakers, even when HDMI is connected to an external TV.
--END EDIT--

I've tried to fix this issue using both Pulse Audio Volume Control and KDE's System Settings -> Multimedia -> Audio and Video Settings. No luck. I've read several topics around, but there are plenty of variables to consider. So, where do you think I should start to address this problem?

[solitone]

Nobody has some piece of advice to give me? This is what I have:

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~$ cat /proc/asound/version 
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version k3.16.0-4-amd64.
~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [HDMI           ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel HDMI
                      HDA Intel HDMI at 0xb5610000 irq 62
 1 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xb5614000 irq 60
~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC3227 Analog [ALC3227 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

I've tried:

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speaker-test -c 2 -D hw:0,x

with x = 3, 7, or 8, but I have no sound.

I'm not using plain ALSA, but Pulseaudio, 'cause I have pulseaudio package installed. Right?

[solitone]

I've noticed this error message:

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$ aplay -D plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3 ./ARPEGIO.WAV 
aplay: main:722: audio open error: Device or resource busy

Any clues? Maybe related to my no sound issue? This is the output of aplay -L:

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$ aplay -L
[...]
hw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
    HDA Intel HDMI, HDMI 0
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=7
    HDA Intel HDMI, HDMI 1
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=8
    HDA Intel HDMI, HDMI 2
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
    HDA Intel HDMI, HDMI 0
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=7
    HDA Intel HDMI, HDMI 1
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=8
    HDA Intel HDMI, HDMI 2
    Hardware device with all software conversions
[...]

[solitone]

WTF, it was intel_iommu!

Setting the kernel boot line option

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intel_iommu=igfx_off

fixed the issue, and finally I've got HDMI sound, alleluja! Now I have to understand what are the impacts of this change on the rest of the system.

-- EDIT --
Aaarrrgh, now I can't reproduce the problem anymore!! Even when I boot without that kernel parameter, sound through HDMI still works. Can't undestand what's going on. Previously, when trying:

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$ aplay -D plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3 ./ARPEGIO.WAV 

I got the error I reported:

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aplay: main:722: audio open error: Device or resource busy

Now I don't get that error anymore, and sound is sent to my TV via HDMI.

[solitone]

I didn't update anything. Just did that reboot with that intel_iommu parameter. Since then HDMI started working, irrespective of how I boot (either with that parameter or without it)

[sunrat]

Sometimes you just have to thank $(deity) for blessings like this. I recently changed a theme config option trying to solve a minor issue but it failed to fix it on reboot. 3 boots later it suddenly took effect and worked perfectly!