Thinkpad X230 Tablet: use headset microphone

bgstack15

2022-08-09 09:29

I investigated using my combined headset (headphones and microphone) jack on my Lneovo Thinkpad X230 Tablet. The headphones would work but not the microphone input. Ultimately, what I got to work was rather simple!

File /usr/local/bin/mutemic sends a little graphical popup to indicate the microphone status.

	`#!/bin/sh`
	`# File: /usr/local/bin/mutemic`
	`# Location: LTB-019`
	`# Author: bender, bgstack15`
	`# Startdate: 2022-08-07`
	`# Title: Mutemic script`
	`# Purpose: Handle mute-mic button on Thinkpad X230 Tablet`
	`# Project: X230T-headset`
	`# History:`
	`# Usage:`
	`# Called from /etc/acpi/events/mutemic`
	# Learn device name with `amixer scontrols`
	`# Related:`
	`# /etc/acpi/events/mutemic`
	`# Reference:`
	`# https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=299427`
	`# https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=293804`
	`# https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/sound/hd-audio/models.html`
	`# https://askubuntu.com/questions/125367`
	`# Alternatives:`
	`# /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf: options_snd_hda_intel model=dual-codecs`
	`# Improve:`
	`# Dependencies:`
	`# apt-get install acpid notification-daemon libnotify-bin`
	`# ~/.fluxbox/startup has notification-daemon &`
	`INPUT_DEVICE="Capture"`
	`YOUR_USERNAME="$( loginctl list-sessions \| awk '/seat/{print $3}' )"`
	`date "+%F $0 $@" >> ~"${YOUR_USERNAME}"/mutemic.log`
	`if amixer sget $INPUT_DEVICE,0 \| grep '\[on\]' ; then`
	`amixer sset $INPUT_DEVICE,0 toggle`
	`#echo "0 blink" > /proc/acpi/ibm/led`
	`su $YOUR_USERNAME -c 'DISPLAY=":0.0" notify-send -t 1000 \`
	`-i microphone-sensitivity-muted-symbolic "Mic MUTED"'`
	`else`
	`amixer sset $INPUT_DEVICE,0 toggle`
	`#echo "0 on" > /proc/acpi/ibm/led`
	`su $YOUR_USERNAME -c 'DISPLAY=":0.0" notify-send -t 1000 \`
	`-i microphone-sensitivity-high-symbolic "Mic ON"'`
	`fi`

The Thinkpad automatically recognizes that the correct input was muted/unmuted (although it's not exactly a mute; it's a type of input-selection or availability?) and enables the orange lamp on the mute-mic button. The /proc/acpi/ibm/led special device does not have an integer available for the mute-mic LED lamp (unless you compile a kernel module yourself?) anyways.

The above script depends on an acpi event definition, which I placed in /etc/acpi/events/mutemic:

# File: /etc/acpi/events/mutemic
# Location: LTB-019
# Author: bgstack15
# Startdate: 2022-08-07
# Title: Mic-mute operation
# Purpose: React to acpi event for mute-mic button
# History:
# Usage:
#    determine events by running acpi_listen and pressing buttons
# Related:
#    /usr/local/bin/mutemic
# Reference:
# Improve:
#    get more specific with event?
# Project: X230T-headset
# Dependencies:
#    apt-get install acpid
# Documentation:
#    In file /usr/local/bin/mutemic
event=button/micmute
action=/usr/local/bin/mutemic

After modifying this file, restart acpid service.

Extra research

I had investigated if I needed to change the driver (settings, or which driver was used?), by modifying /etc/modprobe.d/mic-input.conf:

options snd_hda_intel model=dual-codecs

There is a whole list of audio "codecs" to use in that model value. Ultimately though, I learned the original (unspecified, so "auto") settings worked, and I just needed to unmute the mic input.

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