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I need to change my volume on my USB sound card (which is the default card) via the command line. I know alsamixer will do that but I need it to be a one line command so I can use it in a python script, e.g., os.system("volume up 1"), or something like that. Is there any way to do this?

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  • I haven't used it personally, but if you want to do this programmatically there's python bindings for alsa lib. That should be available as a package on Raspbian -- I don't have a Raspbian pi running right now but I'd guess the package is pyalsaaudio (check with apt-cache search alsa | grep python). That will mean reading the API docs a bit, so not as easy as os.system().
    – goldilocks
    Oct 9, 2015 at 17:49

1 Answer 1

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  1. Create a Bash file with the following code:

    amixer scontrols
    amixer sset 'Master' 50%
    
  2. Make the Bash file executable using chmod +x filename

  3. In Python, use the following:

    import os
    os.system("directorytobashfile/file")
    
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  • alsamixer is a GUI, not a one line command to change volume. Oct 9, 2015 at 17:27
  • @PatrickCook I think I got alsamixer mixed up with amixer
    – Kachamenus
    Oct 9, 2015 at 17:33
  • @PatrickCook added the correct code for alsamixer
    – Kachamenus
    Oct 9, 2015 at 17:37
  • amixer scontrols just prints the list of controls. And why don't you execute amixer directly?
    – CL.
    Oct 10, 2015 at 8:09
  • @CL. Sorry I just do that to make sure I have the right command. I don't execute it directly because this way he can add to the bash file. You could do it directly too!
    – Kachamenus
    Oct 10, 2015 at 15:42

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