volmix - Per-Application Audio Control

A lightweight system tray application for Linux that provides per-application volume control through PulseAudio. Inspired by volumeicon but extended to show individual audio streams from running applications.

Features

• System Tray Integration: Clean system tray icon with intuitive interaction
• Per-Application Control: Individual volume sliders for each audio-producing application
• Real-time Updates: Dynamic discovery of applications playing audio via PulseAudio
• Smart Interaction:
  • Left click: Toggle volume control window (show/hide)
  • Right click: Context menu with quit option
  • Mouse wheel: Adjust master volume
• Streamlined Interface: Clean UI without redundant buttons
• Lightweight: Minimal memory footprint and CPU usage

Installation

Option 1: Download Pre-built Package (Recommended)

Download the latest .deb package from the releases page:

1. Go to the releases page
2. Download the .deb file for your architecture:
   • volmix_*_amd64.deb for most desktop/laptop systems
   • volmix_*_arm64.deb for ARM-based systems (Raspberry Pi 4+, etc.)
3. Install the package:

   sudo dpkg -i volmix_*.deb
   sudo apt-get install -f  # Install any missing dependencies

Available Architectures:

• amd64 (x86_64) - Most desktop/laptop systems
• arm64 (AArch64) - ARM-based systems, Raspberry Pi 4+

Option 2: Build from Source

Build Dependencies

Required libraries:

• libpulse-dev - PulseAudio client library
• libgtk-3-dev - GTK3 GUI framework
• libglib2.0-dev - GLib utilities
• pkg-config - Package configuration tool
• build-essential - Compilation tools
• autotools-dev autoconf automake - Build system

Install build dependencies on Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install build-essential autotools-dev autoconf automake \
                 libpulse-dev libgtk-3-dev libglib2.0-dev pkg-config

Building Steps

1. Generate build configuration:

   ./autogen.sh

2. Configure the build:

   ./configure

3. Compile the application:

   make

4. Install (optional):

   sudo make install

Usage

Running after Installation

# Start volmix in the background
volmix &

Running from Build Directory

./src/volmix &

The & runs the application in the background, allowing you to continue using the terminal.

Controls

• Left Click: Toggle volume control window (show/hide)
• Right Click: Context menu with quit option
• Mouse Wheel: Adjust master volume
• Window Close: Use window controls or click tray icon to hide
• Ctrl+C: Quit application (when run in foreground)

Requirements

• PulseAudio: Audio system integration
• GTK3: GUI framework
• Linux Desktop: System tray support (GNOME, KDE, XFCE, etc.)

Current Status

This is a functional release with complete per-application volume control:

• ✅ System tray integration with toggle behavior
• ✅ Real-time PulseAudio application detection
• ✅ Individual volume controls for each audio stream
• ✅ Master volume control via mouse wheel
• ✅ Clean, streamlined interface
• ✅ Optimized window reuse for better performance

Development

The project uses standard autotools build system and follows C coding conventions. See CLAUDE.md for detailed development guidelines and architecture information.

Testing

Always test GUI applications in background mode to prevent terminal hanging:

./src/volmix &

To stop the application:

pkill volmix

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

System tray icon not appearing:

• Ensure your desktop environment supports system tray (most do)
• Try restarting your window manager/desktop environment
• Check that volmix process is running: ps aux | grep volmix

No applications shown in volume control:

• Make sure applications are actively playing audio
• Verify PulseAudio is running: pulseaudio --check
• Check PulseAudio applications: pactl list sink-inputs

Permission or dependency errors:

• Install missing dependencies: sudo apt-get install -f
• Ensure user is in audio group: sudo usermod -a -G audio $USER

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

• Bug Reports: Use the issue tracker
• Feature Requests: Open an issue with your ideas
• Development: See CLAUDE.md for architecture and development guidelines

Acknowledgments

Inspired by volumeicon - thanks to the original developers for the concept and design inspiration.