Skype for Business breaks audio

[cowst]

Hi, since I updated to 5.2, every time I try to have a call or even open the audio settings in Skype for Business, audio just dies.

Attaching logs and sample files. You can hear music and when I open the Skype settings all crackles and I cannot hear sound anymore. VLC keeps going and if I close and open it again it starts playing, immediately crackling and shows the same behavior. Any application does the same while Skype call or audio settings are open.

Host: Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon 64-bit Guest: Windows 7 VBox: 5.2.6 r120293 (Qt5.6.1)

[cowst]

Sorry, cannot attach audio, they are more than 512Kb.

[cowst]

After more testing, I could actually see that any time there is a concurrent interaction on audio devices, everything collapses. I tested with running music and opening any sound settings (Skype, Skype for Business, windows audio management). Even playing around with microphone affects output sound.

[Kejk]

Related to: ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=86298&p=412445#p412445

Host: Ubuntu 16.04
Guest: Windows 7
Version: 5.2.6

I'm also affected by audio issues in 5.2.x series. In 5.1.x series audio is working fine.

I think I found how to reproduce issue. It happens every time when application request for recording (microphone). It happens in both WebEx and Skype for Business, probably in other applications too.

I attached log file with audio debug enabled.

00:01:57 - Youtube video in Firefox, audio working fine
00:02:17 - WebEx application started. Youtube audio is heavily distorted. I can also hear my voice in the headphones (microphone is enabled). Probably due to hight CPU load Youtube video stutters. Few seconds later: Youtube audio disappears entirely. I can't hear any input from microphone.
00:02:18.685174 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 612 bytes needed)
00:02:18.720294 HDA: Warning: FIFO overflow for stream #4 (820 bytes outstanding)
00:02:36 - WebEx application shutdown. Youtube video started to work correctly but no sound.
00:02:56 - Paused and played again Youtube video - audio working fine.

In VirtualBox 5.2.x older than 5.2.6 (I don't remember which one, probably 5.2.4 and 5.2.2) I had different issue. In WebEx sound disappears after a while, 10 to 30 minutes. When it happened it affected whole guest system, not only WebEx. Reconnecting to the WebEx meeting fixes sound, but with each reconnect time without audio problem was shorter. After a while guest system restart is required.

[Kejk]

Audio issue in WebEx

[pentagonik]

I'll try to reproduce this with WebEx.

[Jope]

I have the same problem with Skype for business. Since 5.2 Audio is severely distorted and input is not working at all. I'm currently running the latest test build VirtualBox-5.2.7-120579 Guestadditions VBoxGuestAdditions_5.2.7-120528 . Host Unix 17.10 Guest Windows 8.1

Have the same HDA Warnings_ 00:04:19.368846 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 1608 bytes needed) 00:04:19.435485 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 40 bytes needed) 00:04:19.520760 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 264 bytes needed)

And in addition a load of these messages: 00:04:20.984059 HDA: Warning: FIFO underflow for stream #0 (still 860 bytes needed) 00:04:20.989673 HDA: FIFO of stream #4 full, discarding audio data 00:04:20.992211 HDA: FIFO of stream #4 full, discarding audio data

[Jope]

VBoxLog-Jope

[pentagonik]

Please have a try with the latest 5.2 test build 120822, which is located here: Testbuilds. Thank you!

[gjndojag]

Replying to pentagonik:

Please have a try with the latest 5.2 test build 120822, which is located here: Testbuilds. Thank you!

That version fixes the problem for me. Thanks

[pentagonik]

@gjndojag Great, thanks for testing!

@cowst Can you also confirm this so that we can close this ticket?

[Roman Harmata]

@pentagonik I am also affected and I would love to test it if there were fedora26/27 RPM test builds available. Any feedback @cowst? Thanks for doing good job with VBox anyway! :)

[Kejk]

@atamrah you can install test version using .run package. I used it on Ubuntu (there are no deb test packages either) and it worked fine. Make you uninstalled older version before trying test one.

@pentagonik I can confirm that test version is also working fine for me, thanks.

[Socratis]

Should be fixed with VirtualBox 5.2.8.
No need for the ".run" package ;)

[Roman Harmata]

Hi, I can confirm, that version 5.2.8 now works fine :) Thanks!

[pentagonik]

Thanks for all the feedback! Closing this ticket then.