AbsVolume
  Quick volume adjuster for Linux.


Two versions
One runs in the system tray, the other is great for use with Icewm toolbar (and other tolbars?) Both allow quick volume adjustments.

 I use an Icewm/Pcmanfm combination on Absolute Linux. I used to use Aumix from the menu to adjust details of my sound volumes, both input and output, but the practical reality is that when the phone rings or someone is repeating themselves for the third time because my music is too loud, I want to just be able to lower it or (when once again left alone) raise it up again. Quickly, easily, and not set it too low or high permanently (meaning even after a reboot).

To reiterate: AbsVolume does NOT set the volume permanently. If you reboot or log in again, the volume settings are returned to their previous state.

• Version 4.3 runs in the system tray (by your clock.) Has a quick-mute feature when you right-click on the tray icon rather than left-click to open the volume slider.
  
  Version 5.0 is NOT a system tray app (although I run it from icewm toolbar) and as such does not constantly use the 7-8 mb memory the tray version does. It also closes as soon as the volume slider loses focus.
  
  For the tray version:
  Using icewm (icewm-session) I put the following in the ice "startup" file:

  if [ -x /usr/bin/absvolume ]; then
  	absvolume
  fi
  

  
  
  For the NON-tray version:
  Using icewm I put the following in the ice "toolbar" file:

  prog "Volume" "volume" absvolume
  

  
  
  For the non-tray version icewm appreciates the volume.xpm file in /usr/share/icewm/icons. I could have incorporated an app icon, but ice (for toolbar apps) wants the external icon declared or you get a wide taskbar with the app name. Yuck.


• mixer application defaults to alsamixergui, but also looks for alsamixer. This can now be changed (browse for your preferred mixer app by right-click on the mixer button)

What I did:
 I grabbed the simplest OSS/Alsa compatible GPL app I could find (volumecontrol by Rob Eberts), which is written in C/GTK. [I usually work with Python, but it was a simple app and I wanted it to pop up instantly... so I did the C-code drudgery.] I then proceeded to strip it down and adapt it to general, lightweight, quick use. The single-file executable uses GTK but little else (not even glib.)

Below the ad are the screenshots.







Absvolume (system tray version)







Absvolume (non-tray version) on icewm taskbar

Download

You can compile the source code

Requires:
Gtk (and it's dependencies)
OSS or ALSA with /dev/mixer compatibility (OSS emulation)

To compile run the usual:

./configure
make
make install


System tray Version:

AbsVolume-4.3.tar.bz2
  135.6K     MD5SUM: db3cb809847534cec950b8107e9ff07b


Regular Version:

AbsVolume-5.0.tar.bz2
  101.5K     MD5SUM: f61402e4af468428e6142af3ad066152


if ./configure fails because you have a different version of automake, run ./autogen.sh THEN do the usual install

---

The Slackware Package Compiled on Absolute 12.6 (Slackware 12.2+ compatible)

Tray Version:

AbsVolume-4.3-i486-1AL.txz
  16.7K     MD5SUM: 0415f9c518dd62863db5272afa3d103f



Regular Version:

AbsVolume-5.0-i486-1AL.txz
  16.6K     MD5SUM: d5b97503ba715c2c11324dcd136c564e

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Changelog:

AbsVolume changelog


Sunday, 06/14/2009
	version 5.0
	Sytem tray use caused absvolume to consume 7-8 mb of memory,
		and Absolute Linux is meant to run as lean as possible...
		As such, I have dropped the tray usage and once again designed the app
		too run from mouse location, I set it in icewm toolbar.
	Will automatically close when focus is lost. Very intuitive.
	Quick mute was dropped.
	

Saturday, 05/30/2009
	version 4.3
	GUI update -- thinner, new icon
	fix - uses alsamixergui by default if present (earlier typo prevented this)
	fix - closes volume slider automatically when mixer is selected
	(had not done so when custom mixer was set)
	

Thursday, 05/28/2009
	version 4.1
	Open volume control NO LONGER takes up space on the taskbar. This 
	was done via GTK code and should be respected by most window managers.
		(Works on Icewm, that I use...)
	Click or key on opened control will close it
		(makes it a bit easier than hitting the little system tray icon)
	All volume checking/setting back to PCM
		(Slackware-based system kept resetting PCM to zero after use)


Tuesday, 05/26/2009
	version 4.0
	Changed app to run in system tray
	can now set mixer application to something other than the defaults


Saturday, 05/23/2009
	version 3.1 - Added MUTE button
	mixer button tries alsamixergui, 
	if not present, defaults to alsamixer


Monday, 04/13/2009
	version 3.0 - Master volume controlled, 
	mixer option: app called is alsamixer only


Monday, 08/18/2008
	version 2.0 - Added mixer button, opens qamix if present,
	alsamixer if not...


Thursday, 11/08/2007
	version 1.2 - changed control from master to PCM


Thursday, 09/28/2006
	version 1.0 - initial release