How to get audio output on Ubuntu - speakers silent?

[Bo Berglund]

On Mon, 22 Feb 2021 12:43:59 +0100, Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 21 Feb 2021 at 22:49, Bo Berglund <bo.berglund at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> 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.
>
>Is it exactly the same problem, though? How do you know?

Well it shows up "exactly" the same, with no audio on two laptops in related
families...

>Bo, I saw you posting recently over on the FreePascal mailing lists.
>You do not seem to be a beginner or a newbie!

I have been programming for most of my active life (since the end of the
1970:es), but it has either been low level stuff directly on the silicon or else
application level on Windows. Not digging into the underlying system functions
unless absolutely necessary...
I have no deep knowledge of Linux even though I can do general work on it.

>You must know that we will need a lot more information than this to
>try to diagnose anything!
>
>[...]
>> Both of these were manufactured about 10 years ago.
>
>Have you checked that their firmware is current, as I suggested?
I think they have the latest f/w available for them. I tried keeping them
updated from HP while they ran Windows. After I scrapped them and put Ubuntu on
them I have no idea how to update the f/w.

>
>Information you have not told us yet:
>
>• What sound chips do they have?
Don't know how to find out...

>• Are both laptops using the same sound chip?
Don't know, probably not. But they are both HP.

>• Is it being correctly detected by Linux?
Probably not, I had to install rhythmbox application with clementine and then it
started working on 8560w. Before that both laptops behaved identically. This did
not work on 8440w, though.

>• What sound output device does Linux say it is using?
HP 8440w: High Definition Audio Controller
HP 8560w: GF108 High Definition Audio Controller

>• Can you change the output device in the audio mixer?
No
HP 8440w: Dummy Output
HP 8560w: Built-in Analog Stereo

>• Does the sound work immediately after a reboot?
HP 8440w: No
HP 8560w: Yes

>• Does the sound work with a guest account?
Don't know what you mean...

>• Does the sound work if you use a bootable USB with a different
>distro? (E.g. openSUSE or Fedora)
Have not tested.

>• Have you tried with different programs, e.g. a local MP3 file just
>via the default media player?
No, but since the preferences/sound shows output being Disabled it is pointless
I believe.



-- 
Bo Berglund
Developer in Sweden