[MPlayer-users] mplayer has stopped controlling the volume.

[arthurpeabody]

	After a recent reboot mplayer stopped controlling the volume
	of audio output.  It reports no errors, acts as if it's
	controlling the volume, but it doesn't.

	I can use amixer or alsamixer in another virtual terminal to
	control the volume, but that's inconvenient.

	At the same time, when I run alsamixer the card and chip are
	both PulseAudio, not the hardware, as it used to be.  Select
	sound card gives me:


         -          (default)
	default:0  HDA Intel PCH
	enter device name...

I have to switch to control the hardware.
When I run mplayer with -ao pulse or -ao alsa it returns 'audio device got stuck!' and makes no sound.
The reboot occasioned an upgrade to kernel 5.16.9, but booting into 5.16.8 had the same behavior.

MPlayer 20210418-10.3.0 (C) 2000-2021 MPlayer Team
225 audio & 468 video codecs

Playing BUR3814855128.mp3.
Cache fill:  0.00% (0 bytes)

libavformat version 58.76.100 (external)
Audio only file format detected.
Clip info:
 Title: More than money: The monopoly
 Artist:
 Album: On Point
 Year: 2017
 Comment:
 Genre: Unknown
Load subtitles in ./
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mpg123] MPEG 1.0/2.0/2.5 layers I, II, III
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 64.0 kbit/4.54% (ratio: 8000->176400)
Selected audio codec: [mpg123] afm: mpg123 (MPEG 1.0/2.0/2.5 layers I, II, III)
==========================================================================
AO: [alsa] 44100Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)