No audio output available for Linux on the 27-inch iMac Retina 5K with a 2017 model.
No audio output available for Linux on the 27-inch iMac Retina 5K with a 2017 model.
Hey there. I’m using an iMac 2017 Retina 5K with a 27-inch display and want to move everything to Linux for personal use. So far it’s working well, but the audio isn’t functioning properly. The sound card is a Cirrus Logic model. I’ve tried various sound settings and checked if there’s any output through the headphone jack—no internal speakers or headphone output. On MacOS everything sounds fine, so it’s not a hardware problem. I’m not sure what to do next. If anyone has suggestions or a complete solution, please let me know. Right now I’m running Manjaro with an older non-experimental kernel, but I’m open to changing if needed. Cheers from Ireland!
That sounds like an interesting challenge! Running a lightweight operating system on a high-end machine is definitely a unique situation.
If you dont have any constructive answer, why even bother to answer?
It's possible Wendell can assist, but it's unclear how to reach him.
amixer should be used to adjust audio settings, as amixer is the recommended option for this system. Make sure to install them before proceeding with Manjaro.
You can see Alsamixer lists those three sound cards. The Intel PCH is the built-in audio interface. I picked this one and adjusted it to 100, but it doesn’t appear to be functioning. Based on the ifixit disassembly, it’s a Cirruslogic 4206BCNZ Audio Controller—this might be useful.
I’m open to trying Elementary. From what I’ve heard, it works well once the setup is complete—though it might take a while initially. If privacy is a priority, Tails is another option, even though it’s trickier to start and needs regular configuration after each reboot.
Verify the audio configuration in the control panel and confirm the primary device is the correct one. Each time an update is applied, test again. If unsuccessful, consider switching to the latest Ubuntu version or Manjaro.