Unable to change audio volume for the speakers

[francesco]

Hi everyone,
from a fresh install of Ubuntu 23.04, I cannot change the audio volume for the speakers. Formally, the audio is either at minimum (lowest part of the volume control bar) or at maximum (every other part of the audio control bar). I can mute the speakers.

However, audio works perfectly for headphones. The Bluetooth pairing is instant, and I can change the volume.

HW information for the audio device is the following:
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Lenovo driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl
    bus-ID: 00:1f.3
  Sound API: ALSA v: k6.2.0-39-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: no
  Sound Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 running: yes

Other info:
System:
  Kernel: 6.2.0-39-generic arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A Desktop: GNOME
    v: 44.3 Distro: Ubuntu 23.04 (Lunar Lobster)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 82Y7 v: Yoga Pro 7 14IRH8

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better.

Bug reporting is about finding & fixing problems thus preventing future users from hitting the same bug.

I suspect a Support site would be more appropriate, eg. https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu. You can also find help with your problem in the support forum of your local Ubuntu community http://loco.ubuntu.com/ or asking at https://askubuntu.com or https://ubuntuforums.org, or for more support options please look at https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/community-support/709

FYI: A fresh install of Ubuntu 23.04? The warning notices of its pending EOL this month went out awhile back (eg. https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2023/12/15/ubuntu-23-04-lunar-lobster-reaches-end-of-life-on-january-25-2024/).

You've also not filed this bug report against any package? so chances of this being looked at, in the few days of 23.04 being support are minimal. This bug report can be changed into a question (upper right of screen) which makes this about support.

[francesco (u-user-prop)]

Hi @guiverc for your suggestion.

I think this is indeed a bug since I searched extensively on the internet and I found several people with the same problem, but I haven't found any solution so far. Actually, some time ago I opened a question on askubuntu (link: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1485233/lenovo-yoga-7i-intel-i7-13700h-cannot-change-volume-on-the-speakers, https://askubuntu.com/questions/1466286/lenovo-yoga-slim-7-pro-volume-cannot-be-changed, ...)

I've been using this PC since November, so it's not a fresh install. However, I encountered the problem since the first usage bet report here only now, so yeah, this "bug" is from a fresh installation of 23.04

The package in question is pulseaudio, I've updated the bug description.

[francesco (u-user-prop)]

Hi @guiverc, I confirm this issue also on 23.10.

Strangely, I can change the volume through other apps, like youtube and Spotify.

[francesco (u-user-prop)]

I have the same problem in a clean install of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

[francesco (u-user-prop)]

Found a solution here (https://askubuntu.com/a/1487587/920914), which I report for self-containment:

Current workaround is by configuring ["api.alsa.soft-mixer"] = true in /usr/share/wireplumber/main.lua.d/50-alsa-config.lua

then, systemctl --user restart wireplumber.service