How to get audio output on Ubuntu - speakers silent?

[Bo Berglund]

On Sun, 21 Feb 2021 20:14:55 +0100, Bo Berglund <bo.berglund at gmail.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 21 Feb 2021 16:36:24 +0100, Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Question: why the older release? 20.04 is the current LTS and is
>>nearly a year old now.
>>
>
>OK, I bit the bullet and executed the upgrade so I am now on Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS.
>
>But the audio output problem persists...
>Is there some config file where one can enable the audio output?

Now I also fired up another HP notebook this time an 8560w, on which I had
already installed Ubuntu Mate 20.04 LTS.

Exactly the same problem on this notebook too, disabled audio.

So now I searched the Internet a bit more and found this thread:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1042318/no-sound-in-ubuntu-18-04-hp-notebook

They reported the same problem and proposed a workaround:

sudo apt install rhythmbox clementine

I do not use such software but I tried anyway and after a reboot I had audio
working on this notebook!

So I tried also on the 8440w I started this thread about, but unfortunately on
this box it does NOT work.

So the case is still open:
What is the basic problem here and how to solve it. It seems repeatable since I
have it on two different models of HP notebooks and the StackExchange thrtead
also shows people having the same issue.

Both of these were manufactured about 10 years ago.


-- 
Bo Berglund
Developer in Sweden