LXDE Forums

Hi all,

I am an OpenSUSE LXDE user, and I really need some help getting a particular media indicator up on my panel. The principle files involved are called indicator-sound, and indicator-sound-gtk2, and work in tandem to act as a system sound indicator - providing easy, drop-down-menu control of the PulseAudio sound daemon. Moreover, this little jewel's sound menu also provides integration with several multimedia players - I've used it, on-and-off for years. Yesterday, I noticed that indicator-sound, along with its indicator-sound-gtk2, still exists in the semi-official software repos - so I installed them, and their half-dozen, tiny, dependencies.

My work situation calls for a quick-control feature, of some sort, and his little app has the ability to toggle the active media player's volume and pause features - as if it were a full-fledged system tray. Three days ago, I upgraded to the stable Linux desktop-client for Spotify - which no longer sports a system tray controller - therefore, I must get this indicator for displaying a drop-down, unified sound menu. The few sites providing help, to get it to show up on the panel, explain that - although it used to work for everyone, right out-of-the-box, Unity took it over; and now non-Unity users merely have to change the executive command to get it to launch for their precise distro. Well, I am familiar with that concept - and pointed to the file, and such - but to no avail.

I know it can be done successfully; because I read where Lubuntu users still enjoy it; and due to the fact that it is still in the regular OpenSUSE repos, I am assuming that some of them are also utilizing this on-the-job necessity.

Here is a post where LXDE users (but not I) found success - maybe I missed something:
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs...onger_working/

I was really hoping one of you gurus would take it under your wing and save the day for a few LXDE on-the-job, Spotify users - who need this app to quickly control their music when the phone rings, or the boss or a client walks in, etc. After researching why the new Spotify desktop-client is missing a system tray, I simultaneously found out that many Spotify users were forced to go back to the beta desktop-client because of this new deficit.

My panel is not the standard lxpanel, but alternatively, lxpanelx.

Thank you!

I downloaded indicator-sound-switcher-2.1.1.tar.gz from https://yktoo.com/en/software/indicator-sound-switcher and followed the installation instructions in the package to install it on a Debian based openbox system (SparkyLinux 5.0 MinimalGUI) to find that I needed something called "Appindicator3." So I did a little research and ended with the following: .
After which everything worked.

I also successively installed it on an Ubuntu-based openbox distro (https://unit193.net/icebox/) using the repository: .

The package you show in code: is not coming up available currently in any OpenSUSE repos. My research is indicating that it is alive and well in Deb/Ubuntu Land but Suse must use something else to fulfill the function of this dependency. It was, interestingly, somewhere, over here in Lizard Land back in Aug 2014, because I found only one Suse reference, and it was one where they put it in a Suse box from back then.

The app I was trying to get to work is one I have used before - goes on any GTK panel - and I need it because it has the small drop-down that sports those convenient volume/pause/play/stop buttons I relied on. What it is, is that there are two files that do the work in tandem with D-Bus, so the code has to be precise - but once somebody discovers the little command, we will see that it is mindlessly simple - judging from all of the outdated ones on the net that used to work.

I don't know what to say, seppalta,I will take any panel drop-down media controller, I'm not picky - and believe me I have looked at all the major GTK and Linux sites; but I am only finding KDE, GNOME3, and archived stuff.

I really appreciate your efforts in helping with my quest!

Why not use passystray?

Why not use passystray?

Hi again seppalta,

Pasystray allows setting the default PulseAudio source/sink and moving streams on the fly between sources/sinks without restarting the client applications; but what I need is the pause/play/stop buttons plus volume. There is a volume feature with Pasystray; but, like I said earlier, my LXpanelX already furnishes that much, by default. What I really need is for, maybe, someone to check out the link I posted up top - here it is again: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/co ... r_working/; and help me see what I am missing with the LXDE solution presented right there. Or, perhaps a configuration is simply a tiny bit different now, since that link is a few years old. The panel app I need and have used in the past is available - I just need help getting it to show up on my panel, and then work.

Now if today's Pasystray sports those needed control buttons - like this app I have been struggling with - then I'll happily install it and shut-up already, hahaha! It never did before though - do you know?

pause/play/stop buttons plus volume

There are numerous simple ways to achieve play-pause-stop connected to your player without a GUI. For example, vlc has pause/play bound to the space key, mute bound to the m key, ctrl+arrowup for 5% volume increase, ctrl+arrowdown for 5% volume decrease, etc. If you want a panel button to achieve these ends, use xdotool to create a simple bash script, put it on the path and then call it up from a panel icon. For play-pause, use as command xdotool key "space" . The only problem here is that keybindings like this probably only work when the player is open on the desktop.

xdotool really seems like a nifty apparatus; I am giving it a look, here: http://tuxradar.com/content/xdotool-script-your-mouse. It does offer bash help regarding media player stuff; but I can perhaps see this tool helping me achieve other goals as well. Not sure if I want to try to make it work in lieu of the the panel app thing though. Needing it as a 'panic button' for work scenarios, I guess until I get a simple drop-down controller, I'll just keep muting it - I do, at least still have that quick-action volume function from the panel (versus the other control buttons).

You have been been a terrific partner in my quest, seppalta - we just didn't strike gold, that's all. If no one comes up with the re-write of the little script, to get the original app on the panel - something else will pop into the picture - and I will post it here.

Thank you again for all of you effort, my friend!

Hi again seppalta,

Even though I strictly use Suse, I went on ahead and temporally installed Lubuntu on a laptop of mine - owing to the fact that it is Ubuntu-based - just like the panel app. Plus, the whole set of these same indicator packages is already pre-installed on that model of LXDE. Nevertheless, nothing happens when you click on Lubuntu's version of my needed audio-app either; so I just uninstalled that temporary OS out of frustration (instead of spending another several hours tearing Lubuntu apart looking for their fix - which isn't even my type of LXDE to begin with - yielding me the potential for new, additional, crossover tweaks - absolute madness).

I'll re-visit all of this - as I generally do with these sorts of things - soon enough; and I'll get you going again - if you have interest in the progress of such an elusive quest as this have proven to be.

Thanks!

so op is just asking for a way to control media volume?
various systray apps exist for that, i'm sure opensuse (which i have no experience with) will have something in their repos. it should not pose a problem to choose one that just works.
alternatively, a hotkey, yes, depending on the media player. most media players are remote controllable (audacious, deadbeef, mocp, mpd...).
openbox allows you to define keybinds.