Why Can't I Attach the Microphone?

User Support
1

when I click on the attach devices button, all my devices are in sys-usb EXCEPT for my microphone, which it says is in dom0. That’s bad enough, but now the mic doesn’t work when I try to attach it to other appvms. Can someone please help me?

2

all my devices are in sys-usb EXCEPT for my microphone

That’s because your microphone is not a USB device. It’s part of your
sound card (PCI) which is handled in dom0 in R4.0.4

In R4.1 there will be a sys-audio qube.

That’s bad enough

Is it? What are you worried about?

the mic doesn’t work when I try to attach it to other appvms.

Please launch the PulseAudio Volume Control and check the Input Devices tab.

  • Which Port is selected?
  • Is it muted?
  • Do you see the indicator moving when there is a sound in the room?
  • The qube you are trying to attach to, what template is it based on?
  • Does this template have the pulseaudio-qubes package installed?

Please clarify “doesn’t work” … are you seeing any error messages?

3

My apologies for double-posting, wasn’t thinking clearly & didn’t realize the 2 were connected.

Can’t do/say anything else RN, but will reply ASAP with further info.

4

(updated title for clarity)

5

/(updated title for clarity)/

Actually the user issue is: “mic doesn’t work when I try to attach it”

1 Like
6

So when I attach the microphone to the OS, the only microphones that appear are Qubes VCHAN Source and Monitor of Qubes VCHAN Sink, both of which appear even if I haven’t attached the microphone. The reason I said bad enough was because I believed it to be a security issue.

7

VCHAN Sink

That’s the one. Did you try it out after attaching the microphone?

appear even if I haven’t attached the microphone

Because it’s the drivers default source/sink.

I believed it to be a security issue.

There is no know issue, but of course any device directly used from
dom0 is theoretically a security issue. I am not aware of any microphone
based exploit (attacking the PC using the microphone), but that too can
change very quickly.

It’s what we have for now and in R4.1 you can isolate your audio devices
in a dedicated HVM.

8

TYVM. I will try that.