How do I restore the Gnome Panel volume control in Ubuntu?

I use alsa, and I don't have a volume control applet on my Gnome Panel.

When I right click and select "add to panel", there is nothing that has to do with "sound", "audio" or "volume" in the list, and the "Indicator Applet" or "Indicator Applet Session" things have no volume controls, or properties that would let you enable any sort of volume control.

How can I get a volume control in Ubuntu, so I don't have to run aumix in a terminal or something?

So I've got the thing working now. But does anyone know why the new, fancy "Indicator Applet" volume control doesn't appear? The Gnome Volume Control Applet isn't as nicely featured, although it actually works.

I've been using Linux since Redhat 5, it's beyond me why these sorts of problems are still around. Someone should just put a damn "Volume Control" element in the list of things to add to the panel, even if it doesn't work, perhaps showing an error message.

Neil

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 4 761

One of the changes in 10.04 is a rearrangement of the way the panel works. See page 2 of this review.

– Paused until further notice. – 2010-05-25T05:00:48.827

Answers

Click on System > Preferences > Startup Applications. When that loads, click on Add, then add the following:

Name: Volume control
Command: gnome-sound-applet
Comment: Launch volume control applet

That will launch the applet every time you start up and give you the icon in the notification area.

Tony

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 316

This is the most complete answer. I actually found this in a forum as well. – Neil – 2010-05-26T15:48:00.247

3Just upgraded from 11.10 to 12.04, the executable is now called gnome-sound-applet. – Martin Foot – 2012-08-16T09:32:12.780

The volume control is no longer a panel applet. It now sits in the system tray. Run gnome-volume-control-applet to start it.

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 100 516

This works, but only when you use pulseaudio, which makes my speakers pop, but I can live with that for now. Maybe some day pulseaudio won't be crap. – Neil – 2010-05-26T15:47:12.123

This worked for me:

Source: http://www.virtualhelp.me/linux/107-volume-controlicon-is-gone-ubuntu-1004

Right-click on the panel where you'd like the volume controller to appear and select "Add to panel"
Choose "Indicator Applet" from the list and click on "Add" and you're done.

The volume control should be back.

eddy147

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 143

Right Click on the Panel >> Click Add to Panel >> Search Indicator Applet >> Click Add then Close the window.

Now you will get the volume indicator on the panel.

Mohamed Jafer Ali

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 21

Try this in terminal:

gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.sound visible true

Trung Ng

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 11

Should work, but seems similar to this answer on Ask Ubuntu.

– JakeGould – 2015-09-07T06:26:09.437

-2

Just add the indicator applet and this should solve the problem.

You are right that the Gnome Volume Control is nothing like the one you have with the indicator applet.

Nassim

Posted 2010-05-25T04:15:13.553

Reputation: 1

1This just shows you an email icon, and some other irrelevant things. It's useless in the context of volume control. – Neil – 2011-02-02T17:34:53.763