[sf-lug] Ubuntu (lack of) sound

[Michael Paoli]

If you'd not checked, you might also want to
(double/triple) check the hardware buttons/settings.
Most notably laptops generally have some type(s) of
volume controls.

 From newer/newest, to oldest, general trend and behaviors, etc.:

The newer laptops tend to have a few buttons,
typically a mute - or mute toggle, and volume up/down buttons[1]
These generally just work as software buttons[1], that request the
installed Operating System (OS) do the desired thing - rather just
like typing some stuff on keyboard, and OS handling it from there.

Somewhat older laptops would typically have buttons quite similar
to the above ... but they'd act very directly on the sound hardware,
having their effects immediately, and regardless of OS - or even if
OS was loaded/running, or not.

Yet older laptops would have a direct potentiometer[2][3] - essentially
a dial volume control - like ye olde transistor radios of past millennium.

references/excerpts/footnotes:
1. These tend to annoy me - often they don't respond, or respond only
    after much delay, or worse yet, some stupid software that thinks it
    knows better what humans want than mere humans, will disregard/override
    the volume settings - e.g. insist upon making damn annoying sounds
    even when the audio is very explicitly set to mute by the button.
    Okay, I also miss a having a reset button, and a power switch, which
    when switched off instantly dropped power - no delay ... sometimes
    you just want/need to drop power hard fast and cold.  Don't think
    I much miss hex/octal/binary data entry keys/switches, though.
2. A type of variable resistor[4].
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer
3. Dang, I keep having to use
    /usr/share/dict/american-english-{large,huge,insane} for spell checks.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistor

> From: "Norma Harrison" <normaha at pacbell.net>
> Subject: [sf-lug] FW: hello
> Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2017 09:18:51 -0700

> I have a specific problem.  Through a series of needs and requests I've got
> linux - I guess - on my other computer. A couple of years ago I had it
> working as I needed it.  Now, I can't get the sound.  I could get it if it
> were the other system - is that Windows, ? well anyway - I need someone to
> walk me through tapping whatever it is on this system that shows I have
> Ubuntu, to get the sound, again.  I am much debilitated - can't really get
> around with the computer - although I suppose I'd try and make it someplace
> not far - the Berkeley site - if it can't be done by phone.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Norma J F Harrison    1312 Cornell Ave.    Berkeley, ca. 94702   510
> 526-3968