Arch Linux

ChesSeu

Member

Registered: 2016-10-27

Posts: 18

[SOLVED]Multimedia Keys in i3

I've found the command which interacts with my alsamixer:

amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB-

the issue is I can't bind it to the XF86AudioLowerVolume key in my i3 config file. I have tried the following:

#VolumeUp
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB+
#volumeDown
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB-

It does not work, but on the other hand my screen brightness commands work:

# Sreen brightness controls
bindsym XF86MonBrightnessUp exec xbacklight -inc 7 # increase screen brightness
bindsym XF86MonBrightnessDown exec xbacklight -dec 7  # decrease screen brightness

I've tried to bind my XF86Audio_____Volume in xbindkeysrc with the following commands with no progress on the matter:

#increase Volume
"exec p1amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB+"
        XF86AudioRaiseVolume

#Decrease Volume
"exec pamixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB-"
        XF86AudioLowerVolume

What do I have to do to enable these buttons?

Last edited by ChesSeu (2017-01-08 18:32:37)

HiImTye

Member

From: Halifax, NS, Canada

Registered: 2012-05-09

Posts: 1,072

Re: [SOLVED]Multimedia Keys in i3

are you using pulseaudio, or alsa? one set of commands is using amixer, which is for ALSA, and the other is using pamixer, which is for pulseaudio. also, in the last set of commands, your raise volume command contains a typo "p1amixer" which isn't anything

as for your i3 config, I'm not sure why that command isn't working. it looks identical to the command you initially listed for ALSA. the amixer man page says that the format for -c is hw:#, where # is a device number, but if it works in the shell directly, I'm not sure why it isn't when bound to a key. if you add quotes, and then use notify-send after the command, i.e

bindsym yourKey exec "amixer -yourSwitches; notify-send some text"

does your system notifier receive the notification?

Last edited by HiImTye (2017-01-07 22:53:22)

ChesSeu

Member

Registered: 2016-10-27

Posts: 18

Re: [SOLVED]Multimedia Keys in i3

No it does not.. tried the following with no notify-send output:

 bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec "amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB+; notify-send Is it working?" 

I also tried adding with "" on both sides of Is it Working which leads to an error.  I cant seem the post in but the errors is popping up cause of the extra "" which confuses the config reader I believe.

My errors seem to pop up in a rxvt terminal and I can't copy something from there..

Last edited by ChesSeu (2017-01-08 17:27:18)

Docbroke

Member

From: India

Registered: 2015-06-13

Posts: 1,433

Re: [SOLVED]Multimedia Keys in i3

I don't know why, but I know that some commands(or some keyboard keys) doesn't work with bindsym. You are left with two options here 1. use xbindkeys or 2. use something like "bindcode 121 'command to toggle mute'", "bindcode 122 'command to reduce volume'" and "bindcode 123 'command to raise voluem'" assuming your keyborad keys have same code as mine or you will need to find out the keycodes (search wiki for keycodes)

---

Arch is home!
https://github.com/Docbroke

Hund

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2010-03-22

Posts: 479

Website

Re: [SOLVED]Multimedia Keys in i3

I use this:

bindsym $mod+plus exec "amixer set Master Front 3+"
bindsym $mod+minus exec "amixer set Master Front 3-"

---

My website

ChesSeu

Member

Registered: 2016-10-27

Posts: 18

Re: [SOLVED]Multimedia Keys in i3

For some strange reason the issue was solved by simply using ' " ' on each side of the argument to the execute.

# Pulse Audio controls
bindsym XF86AudioRaiseVolume exec "amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB+"
#volume
bindsym XF86AudioLowerVolume exec "amixer -c 0 set PCM 3dB-"
#volume
bindsym XF86AudioMute exec "amixer set Master toggle"

It is strange how the i3reader sometimes needs ' " ' and other times not..
Thanks for the help guys!