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I've installed Ubuntu 12.04 LTS from a minimal cd on a netbook (Asus 1001 PXD). I've installed the ubuntu-desktop package using the --no-install-recommends option.

Everything works fine, except the "sound test" for headphones or analog speakers.

Clicking on the "test" buttons (front left and front right) I don't hear any sound. Despite this, the audio is working properly.

I've checked the audio levels with alsamixer; I have also checked that the test sounds actually exist in /usr/share/sounds/alsa.

I tried an installation of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS made with the desktop-cd, and in this case the speaker test works properly.

I suppose, therefore, that the problem could depend on the lack of a package, but I have not identified which one.

jokerdino
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Pacquo
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3 Answers3

31

I've found the solution:

it is needed to install the libcanberra-pulse package, that is recommended for the gnome-session-canberra package, which is one of the packages on which depends ubuntu-desktop.

jokerdino
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Pacquo
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    still relevent after I reinstalled sound packages (and apparently forgot to reinstall some) on Ubuntu 19.10 – Maarten Dec 03 '19 at 15:16
  • The test always plays to S/PDIF even when HDMI is selected as output and system sounds are playing through HDMI. Ubuntu 20.04 with latest libcanberra-pulse installed. – msc Oct 10 '20 at 06:11
  • @Maarten LOL, I concur, in 2022 :) – Maarten Bodewes Aug 02 '22 at 17:31
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I had the same problem after updating to Ubuntu 20.04. and rebooted.

I solved using:

sudo apt-get install -y libcanberra-pulse

Ebert Alvares
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Not a permanent solution, but I've had really weird behaviour on Ubuntu 20.04 in which chrome would play sound, when I adjust volume it would make the "tok tok tok" sound, but firefox and the speaker tests in settings both didn't work. It was driving me crazy but I realized it seems to have to do with the fact that I'm using a thunderbolt cable with multiple screens. When I unplugged and replugged that in it solved the problem.

No idea what the underlying problem was, but seems to try to route the audio through the thunderbolt incorrectly for certain applications.

zeebo
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