OK, after quite a bit of digging, I found a solution that worked for me. I suppose it qualifies as a mere workaround, but here it is:
sudo gedit /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output- speaker.conf find "[Element Speaker]" got to "volume = merge" and place a ; in front of it, to comment the line. This basically tells pulse audio not to use the speaker controls for volume control. now restart pulseaudio: sudo killall pulseaudio if at this point you find that you get no sound at all, type "alsamixer" in the terminal, choose the card you want to control the volume of, and get all the volumes higher (speaker ones should be put to 100%, to make sure that your maximum volume isn't unnecessarily capped). Links that were of use: http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/Documentation/User/PulseAudioStoleMyVolumes -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to alsa-driver in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1037120 Title: [HP Pavilion dv6z Notebook PC, IDT 92HD81B1X5, Black Headphone Out, Front] volume slider problem Status in “alsa-driver” package in Ubuntu: New Bug description: Volume seems to work fine on the built-in laptop speakers (4 of them). When headphones are plugged in (two stereo headphone outputs), volume cuts to zero once the 16% level is reached in Master channel (as seen in alsamixer). I suspect that the headphones are not properly detected/setup, because I have no "analog headphones" profile to choose in pavu/sound settings, as I heard some other people have. This seems to be similar to the issue described at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1850159 (different hardware, but a similar two headphone plugs hardware), and partially with the issue described in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/429844 The solutions presented (ignore_dB=1, channel=PCM etc.,) didn't work. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04 Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-29.46-generic 3.2.24 Uname: Linux 3.2.0-29-generic x86_64 NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24. ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu12 Architecture: amd64 ArecordDevices: **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices **** card 1: Generic_1 [HD-Audio Generic], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC1: ldcdc 2930 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/pcmC1D0p: ldcdc 2930 F...m pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC0: ldcdc 2930 F.... pulseaudio Card0.Amixer.info: Card hw:0 'Generic'/'HD-Audio Generic at 0xf0344000 irq 52' Mixer name : 'ATI R6xx HDMI' Components : 'HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100200' Controls : 6 Simple ctrls : 1 Card0.Amixer.values: Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0 Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum Playback channels: Mono Mono: Playback [on] Card1.Amixer.info: Card hw:1 'Generic_1'/'HD-Audio Generic at 0xf0340000 irq 16' Mixer name : 'IDT 92HD81B1X5' Components : 'HDA:111d7605,103c358b,00100105' Controls : 16 Simple ctrls : 9 Date: Wed Aug 15 16:46:08 2012 InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta amd64 (20120328) PackageArchitecture: all ProcEnviron: TERM=xterm PATH=(custom, no user) LANG=en_US.UTF-8 SHELL=/bin/bash SourcePackage: alsa-driver Symptom: audio Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HD-Audio Generic Symptom_Jack: Black Headphone Out, Front Symptom_Type: Volume slider, or mixer problems Title: [HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC, IDT 92HD81B1X5, Black Headphone Out, Front] volume slider problem UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) dmi.bios.date: 11/29/2011 dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard dmi.bios.version: F.13 dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag dmi.board.name: 1805 dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard dmi.board.version: 33.55 dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Chassis Asset Tag dmi.chassis.type: 10 dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrF.13:bd11/29/2011:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPPaviliondv6NotebookPC:pvr0690210000204710000620100:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn1805:rvr33.55:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvrChassisVersion: dmi.product.name: HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC dmi.product.version: 0690210000204710000620100 dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-driver/+bug/1037120/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
