Why is my Ubuntu missing a GUI UX for switching the audio output?

Walter Stabosz

10/5/23, 4:22 PM

my level of expertise

I'm migrating to Ubuntu from Windows. I'm a computer scientist with 30 years experience, but this is my first time using a non-Windows desktop OS.

I'm very comfortable with the command line. About 20 years ago, I professionally coded console apps for a Redhat server.

what is this question about ?

I'm trying not to break the SO rules about "no discussion". But I'm not trying to actually solve a software problem. I think this question is about two things, which I will discuss in the section titled what answer am I looking for ?.

what was my specific Ubuntu problem ?

My PC has both:

analog speakers - plugged into the line-out of the sound card
microphone/headphone headset - plugged into a USB port

I wanted to listen to something, and the sound came out of the headphones instead of the speakers.

On Windows, to switch audio output, I would just open the drawer on the Speaker system tray icon, and select the correct output †.

On Ubuntu, I was surprised to find that there was no analogous drawer in its Speaker system tray icon.

I eventually changed the audio output via the command line, but only after attempting to install two different packages that would provide a GUI.

what answer am I looking for?

I'm trying to figure out why my Ubuntu installation is missing the UX for easily switching audio output.

Did I do something wrong?

Am I looking for the GUI in the wrong place?
Is it because I did a Minimal Installation ?

Do I not understand Ubuntu ?

Is it because there are bigger problems to solve in the Ubuntu bug/new feature database?
Is there some philosophical reason held by Ubuntu board of directors that certain features should be up to the user to install ? I guess you could call it a non-opinionated OS.

research

This page describes a process for opening an app named Sound from the Activities menu, but I don't have that app in my Activities menu. https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/sound-usespeakers.html.en
I found this (12 year old) question: Audio output device, fast switch?. The answers are all work arounds, and my

Footnotes

† I think this default Windows 10 UX of quickly switching audio outputs is terrible.

0 + 5

sound

ChanganAuto

10/5/23, 4:33 PM

The options are available at system settings. You can add a Gnome Extension to have them also in the system menu.

Walter Stabosz

10/5/23, 4:45 PM

Thanks for the comment. This is what my Activities menu shows for system settings. I see a suggestion to install a KDE app called `System Settings` https://imgur.com/a/tlEiJmt . Is that what I'm missing?

ChanganAuto

10/5/23, 4:49 PM

No, you're overcomplicating. At the top-right corner there's a menu. In that menu there's "settings". In settings there's "sound" (self-explanatory). This is for the standard Ubuntu (with Gnome) installation. As previously mentioned this extension https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/906/sound-output-device-chooser/ can be added to have it also in that same menu.

Walter Stabosz

10/5/23, 4:55 PM

This is what I see in my top-right menu (assuming you're taking about the analog of the Windows system tray). No Settings or Sound option. https://imgur.com/KNm2OIU

ChanganAuto

10/5/23, 5:00 PM

Indeed, it's missing for some unknown reason (at the time of this comment). "Settings should appear before "Lock". So, something went wrong with the OS installation or after due to some user action. You may try `sudo apt install --reinstall gnome-control-center`. That said Gnome Extensions are independent.

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Why is my Ubuntu missing a GUI UX for switching the audio output?

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