Skype keeps microphone open after call ends
Quick update: I confirm that the behavior persists after every Skype call, even after updating Skype with the signed package from Microsoft (which should remove the package and reinstall it).
I asked the same question on Microsoft Answers, where it got a useless answer by a "Microsoft Agent" after 3 weeks and was locked shortly after, before I even noticed the answer, so I did not have the occasion to reply. 5 people clicked on "I have the same question" though.
TL;DR: sketchy microphone handling under Skype for Linux confirmed. Microsoft dodges the question.
I think it is a display bug and skype is not using the microphone afterwards.
I have run this command during skype call:
lsof | grep '/dev/snd'
to see whether any microphone is used.
And found something like:
pulseaudi 1453 vlad mem CHR 116,4 555 /dev/snd/pcmC1D8p
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 18u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 23u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 24u CHR 116,15 0t0 591 /dev/snd/controlC0
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 29u CHR 116,17 0t0 671 /dev/snd/controlC2
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 37u CHR 116,15 0t0 591 /dev/snd/controlC0
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 58u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 64u CHR 116,4 0t0 555 /dev/snd/pcmC1D8p
pulseaudi 1453 1553 alsa-sink vlad mem CHR 116,4 555 /dev/snd/pcmC1D8p
It looks like my microphone is:
/dev/snd/pcmC1D8p
Then I finished the call (but kept skype opened - with the tray icon saying that skype is using the microphone) and ran the command again:
lsof | grep '/dev/snd'
This time the output contained only control
entries.
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 18u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 23u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 24u CHR 116,15 0t0 591 /dev/snd/controlC0
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 29u CHR 116,17 0t0 671 /dev/snd/controlC2
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 37u CHR 116,15 0t0 591 /dev/snd/controlC0
pulseaudi 1453 1553 alsa-sink vlad 18u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
I then closed skype completely and ran that command again. The output was identical with previous:
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 18u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 23u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 24u CHR 116,15 0t0 591 /dev/snd/controlC0
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 29u CHR 116,17 0t0 671 /dev/snd/controlC2
pulseaudi 1453 vlad 37u CHR 116,15 0t0 591 /dev/snd/controlC0
pulseaudi 1453 1553 alsa-sink vlad 18u CHR 116,10 0t0 565 /dev/snd/controlC1