Adjust volume via commandline so that volume notify pops up

Install the xdotool package, and try issuing

xdotool key XF86AudioLowerVolume

and

xdotool key XF86AudioRaiseVolume

You could bind a shortcut to this script I've found in the Arch forums (needs the package libnotify-bin):

#!/bin/sh

usage="usage: $0 -c {up|down|mute} [-i increment] [-m mixer]"
command=
increment=5%
mixer=Master

while getopts i:m:h o
do case "$o" in
    i) increment=$OPTARG;;
    m) mixer=$OPTARG;;
    h) echo "$usage"; exit 0;;
    ?) echo "$usage"; exit 0;;
esac
done

shift $(($OPTIND - 1))
command=$1

if [ "$command" = "" ]; then
    echo "usage: $0 {up|down|mute} [increment]"
    exit 0;
fi

display_volume=0

if [ "$command" = "up" ]; then
    display_volume=$(amixer set $mixer $increment+ unmute | grep -m 1 "%]" | cut -d "[" -f2|cut -d "%" -f1)
fi

if [ "$command" = "down" ]; then
    display_volume=$(amixer set $mixer $increment- unmute | grep -m 1 "%]" | cut -d "[" -f2|cut -d "%" -f1)
fi

icon_name=""

if [ "$command" = "mute" ]; then
    if amixer get Master | grep "\[on\]"; then
        display_volume=0
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-muted"
        amixer set $mixer mute
    else
        display_volume=$(amixer set $mixer unmute | grep -m 1 "%]" | cut -d "[" -f2|cut -d "%" -f1)
    fi
fi

if [ "$icon_name" = "" ]; then
    if [ "$display_volume" = "0" ]; then
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-off"
    elif [ "$display_volume" -lt "33" ]; then
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-low"
    elif [ "$display_volume" -lt "67" ]; then
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-medium"
    else
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-high"
    fi
fi
notify-send " " -i $icon_name -h int:value:$display_volume -h string:synchronous:volume

Seems to work fine in Ubuntu 10.10.

Control Sound Volume

You can use amixer to control the sound volume, e.g.

amixer set 'Master' 50%
amixer set 'Master' 10%+
amixer set 'Master' 2dB-

You may need to set the soundcard using e.g. -c 1 for the second soundcard, see man amixer.

Play Sound

Sounds can be played using a player like aplay or paplay, e.g.

paplay /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/audio-volume-change.oga

You might want to have a look at this question: Where do I find system sounds?

Display On-Screen Notification

You can reproduce the on-screen notification using the X On-Screen Display library XOSD. The package is called xosd-bin and the command osd_cat is used to display text, status bars etc. on the screen.

osd_cat -b percentage -P 20 -T Status: -f "-adobe-helvetica-bold-*-*--34-*-*-*-*"

displays

See this German wiki page for options and examples and man osd_cat for more.

This is an improved version of the script htorque posted.

It works for me on 14.04. Let me know if it works on 16.04 or newer.

It requires libnotify-bin installed.

#!/bin/sh
# Adjust the volume, play a sound, and show a notification.
#
# Replacement for default Ubuntu volume adjustment behaviour.
#
# Based on https://askubuntu.com/a/12769/301745

command=""
device="pulse"
display_volume=0
icon_name="error"
increment=5
mixer="Master"
usage="usage: $0 [-d device] [-i increment] [-m mixer] (up|down|mute)"

# For compatibility with SSH sessions.
export DISPLAY=:0

_amixer(){
    # amixer alias
    local set_get="$1"
    shift
    amixer -D "$device" "$set_get" "$mixer" "$@"
}

_get_display_volume(){
    # grep alias
    grep -Pom 1 '(?<=\[)[0-9]+(?=%\])'
}

while getopts d:hi:m: opt; do
    case "$opt" in
        d)
            device="$OPTARG"
            ;;
        h)
            echo "$usage"
            exit 0
            ;;
        i)
            increment="$OPTARG"
            ;;
        m)
            mixer="$OPTARG"
            ;;
        ?)
            echo "$usage"
            exit 1
            ;;
    esac
done

shift "$(($OPTIND - 1))"
command="$1"

case "$command" in
    down)
        display_volume="$(
            _amixer set "$increment%-" unmute |
                _get_display_volume
            )"
        ;;
    mute)
        if _amixer get | grep -q "\[on\]"; then
            display_volume=0
            icon_name="notification-audio-volume-muted"
            _amixer set mute > /dev/null
        else
            display_volume="$(
                _amixer set unmute |
                    _get_display_volume
                )"
        fi
        ;;
    up)
        display_volume="$(
            _amixer set "$increment%+" unmute |
                _get_display_volume
            )"
        ;;
    *)
        echo "$usage"
        exit 1
        ;;
esac

if [ "$icon_name" = "error" ]; then
    if [ "$display_volume" = "0" ]; then
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-off"
    elif [ "$display_volume" -lt "33" ]; then
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-low"
    elif [ "$display_volume" -lt "67" ]; then
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-medium"
    else
        icon_name="notification-audio-volume-high"
    fi

    # In a subshell in the background to minimize latency.
    ( canberra-gtk-play --id=audio-volume-change & )
fi

notify-send "Volume: $display_volume%" -i "$icon_name" -h "string:synchronous:volume" -h "int:value:$display_volume"

I installed xmacro and added following lines to .lircrc:

begin
        prog = irexec
        button = KEY_VOLUMEUP
        repeat = 1
        delay = 2
        config = echo KeyStrPress XF86AudioRaiseVolume KeyStrRelease XF86AudioRaiseVolume | xmacroplay $DISPLAY
end
begin
        prog = irexec
        button = KEY_VOLUMEDOWN
        repeat = 1
        delay = 2
        config = echo KeyStrPress XF86AudioLowerVolume KeyStrRelease XF86AudioLowerVolume | xmacroplay $DISPLAY
end
begin
        prog = irexec
        button = KEY_MUTE
        config = echo KeyStrPress XF86AudioMute KeyStrRelease XF86AudioMute | xmacroplay $DISPLAY
end