Pulseaudio: setting volume from command line

26 August, 2011 / tom / 19 Comments

Update

Due to the very kind feedback and nice improvements i rewrote it a bit.
(mainly copy and pasted it from the input in the comments) :)

I did not add the unmute function to the plus and minus calls as ettam suggested in the comments.
coz i dont want this for various reasons.
i understand that this is usefull for most ppl.
so, if you want your sink to get unmuted if you increase or decrease the volume see ettam’s comment.

Setting Pulseaudio volume from command line
https://github.com/boredomwontgetus/pa-vol
3 forks.
5 stars.
0 open issues.

Recent commits:

Usage:

#get it from github

git clone https://github.com/boredomwontgetus/pa-vol.git

#increase volume by $VOL_STEP

./pa-vol.sh plus

#decrease volume by $VOL_STEP

./pa-vol.sh minus

#mute

./pa-vol.sh mute

#get fancy volumen bar

./pa-vol.sh get

Thanks to everybody who commented and improved the script a bit.

Outdated

This script is the original(old/outdated) version. its just kept here for reference reasons.

A quick shell script to in/decrease (and mute) my pulseaudio device.

#!/bin/bash

SINK_NAME="alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo"
VOL_STEP="0x01000"

VOL_NOW=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(.x.+)$/$1/'`

case "$1" in
	plus)
	VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW + VOL_STEP))
	if [ $VOL_NEW -gt $((0x10000)) ]
	then
		VOL_NEW=$((0x10000))
	fi
	pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`

	;;
	minus)
	VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW - VOL_STEP))
	if [ $(($VOL_NEW)) -lt $((0x00000)) ]
	then
		VOL_NEW=$((0x00000))
	fi
	pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`
	;;
	mute)

	MUTE_STATE=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(yes|no)$/$1/'`
	if [ $MUTE_STATE = no ]
	then
	        pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 1
	elif [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]
	then
		pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 0
	fi
esac

Usage:

copy and paste it to pa-vol.sh
chmod it executeable.
change the SINK_NAME to your device name.

#increase volume by $VOL_STEP

<del>./pa-vol.sh plus</del>

#decrease volume by $VOL_STEP

<del>./pa-vol.sh minus</del>

#mute

<del>./pa-vol.sh mute</del>

#linux#pulseaudio#volume

Comments

  1. mhasko
    28 February, 2012 - 19:49

    Thanks for the nice script, I took the liberty and tuned it up a bit.
    I’ve added possibility to very simply set the maximum allowed volume and number of steps to to be that volume divided to:

    #!/bin/bash

SINK_NAME="alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo"
VOL_MAX="0x20000"
STEPS="16" # 2^n
VOL_STEP=$((VOL_MAX / STEPS))

VOL_NOW=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(.x.+)$/$1/'`
MUTE_STATE=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(yes|no)$/$1/'`

function plus() {
        VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW + VOL_STEP))
        if [ $VOL_NEW -gt $((VOL_MAX)) ]; then
                VOL_NEW=$((VOL_MAX))
        fi
        pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`
}

function minus() {
        VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW - VOL_STEP))
        if [ $(($VOL_NEW)) -lt $((0x00000)) ]; then
                VOL_NEW=$((0x00000))
        fi
        pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`
}

function mute() {
        if [ $MUTE_STATE = no ]; then
                pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 1
        elif [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]; then
                pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 0
        fi
}

function get() {
        BAR=""
        if [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]; then
                BAR="mute"
                ITERATOR=$((STEPS / 2 - 2))
                while [ $ITERATOR -gt 0 ]; do
                        BAR=" ${BAR} "
                        ITERATOR=$((ITERATOR - 1))
                done
        else
                DENOMINATOR=$((VOL_MAX / STEPS))
                LINES=$((VOL_NOW / DENOMINATOR))
                DOTS=$((STEPS - LINES))
                while [ $LINES -gt 0 ]; do
                        BAR="${BAR}|"
                        LINES=$((LINES - 1))
                done
                while [ $DOTS -gt 0 ]; do
                        BAR="${BAR}."
                        DOTS=$((DOTS - 1))
                done
        fi
        echo "$BAR"
}

case "$1" in
        plus)
                plus
        ;;
        minus)
                minus
        ;;
        mute)
                mute
        ;;
        get)
                get
esac

    • tom
      29 February, 2012 - 08:25

      hey michael.

      i am glad that it is of any use for you.
      and thanks a lot for the nice improvement.

  2. KMC
    23 March, 2012 - 07:57

    very useful. tks.

  3. ettam
    20 December, 2012 - 09:21

    Hello,
    VERY USEFUL!!! you have solved my issue with volume keyboard control! THANK YOU!
    I have also added the “unmute” to Volume up/down.


    #!/bin/bash
    SINK_NAME="alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo"
    VOL_STEP="0x01000"
    VOL_NOW=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(.x.+)$/$1/'`
    case "$1" in
    plus)
    MUTE_STATE=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(yes|no)$/$1/'`
    if [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]
    then
    pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 0
    fi
    VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW + VOL_STEP))
    if [ $VOL_NEW -gt $((0x10000)) ]
    then
    VOL_NEW=$((0x10000))
    fi
    pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`

    ;;
    minus)
    MUTE_STATE=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(yes|no)$/$1/'`
    if [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]
    then
    pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 0
    fi
    VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW - VOL_STEP))
    if [ $(($VOL_NEW)) -lt $((0x00000)) ]
    then
    VOL_NEW=$((0x00000))
    fi
    pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`
    ;;
    mute)

    MUTE_STATE=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(yes|no)$/$1/'`
    if [ $MUTE_STATE = no ]
    then
    pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 1
    elif [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]
    then
    pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 0
    fi
    esac

  4. Gashapon
    17 June, 2013 - 07:31

    Hi, i really found this script useful as a workaround of LXDE mute/unmute keyboard key issue, and also (as a token of grattitude) i modified a bit the script. Now it autodetects the SINK_NAME


    #!/bin/bash

    SINK_NAME=$(pacmd dump | grep -m 1 -o "alsa.*stereo")
    VOL_STEP="0x01000"

    VOL_NOW=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(.x.+)$/$1/'`

    case "$1" in
    plus)
    VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW + VOL_STEP))
    if [ $VOL_NEW -gt $((0x10000)) ]
    then
    VOL_NEW=$((0x10000))
    fi
    pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`

    ;;
    minus)
    VOL_NEW=$((VOL_NOW - VOL_STEP))
    if [ $(($VOL_NEW)) -lt $((0x00000)) ]
    then
    VOL_NEW=$((0x00000))
    fi
    pactl set-sink-volume $SINK_NAME `printf "0x%X" $VOL_NEW`
    ;;
    mute)

    MUTE_STATE=`pacmd dump | grep -P "^set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME\s+" | perl -p -i -e 's/.+\s(yes|no)$/$1/'`
    if [ $MUTE_STATE = no ]
    then
    pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 1
    elif [ $MUTE_STATE = yes ]
    then
    pactl set-sink-mute $SINK_NAME 0
    fi
    esac

    • Konrad
      11 July, 2013 - 08:52

      i find
      $(pactl stat | grep "alsa_output" | awk '{split($0,output,": "); print output[2]}')
      to be a more reliable source for the current sink

  5. kurtis
    14 December, 2013 - 21:38

    This is great!

    Thanks!

  6. Kitsunenobaka
    3 January, 2014 - 09:29

    Detecting default sink is at fault – it detects alsa only.
    Now, when I make combined sink as default then everything goes down.

    Then this is how it should be done:
    SINK_NAME=`pacmd dump | mawk ‘/set-default-sink/ {print $2}’`
    (I’m using MAWK as it’s lighter than GAWK, but AWK could be used here as it’s symlink to what is current default AWK in system)
    It could be done with one “pacmd dump” command to gather all needed information, so will address that later.

    • tom
      5 January, 2014 - 15:28

      hey Kitsunenobaka!

      thanks for your input.
      obv, you are right. i, for myself never used combined sinks.

      however…i changed the detection of the default sink to what you suggested. just perlified it coz i simply prefer it over awk :)

  7. Kitsunenobaka
    6 January, 2014 - 18:03

    And it’s not only for combined.
    if you connect bluetooth headset then it will work witt it also.

  8. oliver
    30 January, 2014 - 13:18

    This is good work. Thank you.

  9. Walter Schmidt
    26 February, 2014 - 05:02

    Hi,

    I use these commands. I hope to help:

    [plus]
    pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -- +10%
    (the characters ‘--’ can be omitted in this case)

    [minus]
    pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -- -10%

    [mute]
    pactl set-sink-mute @DEFAULT_SINK@ toggle

    pd: Sorry if my english is not good. I speak spanish :)

  10. Robin
    10 March, 2014 - 12:37

    Thank you so much, great script, saved me a LOT of time!

  11. PX
    21 August, 2014 - 13:00

    Thanks dude! this script saved my skin here! thanks a lot.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published / Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.