Xubuntu System Sounds - How To

[cottfcfan]

Reinstalled Xubuntu today, and none of the above gets system sounds back in 12.04.
Music plays fine, can even enable sounds in gnome-games. Added login-sound to autostart, but just no system sounds (button press etc...).
If anyone has managed this could they please explain how.
This has been an issue i've wrestled with since beta 1 with no joy, and yet in 11.10 they worked fine.

[bartnortthwest]

Installed the mixer package and still no system sounds. Also installed all recent updates. Maybe it's now a configuration issue. The mixer UI seems to make the volume bar move, but no sound. I do hear a popping sound when I adjust volume using Pulse Audio Volume control, but no other System sounds play. Do I need to uninstall Pulse Audio?

[bartnortthwest]

Definitely no joy here either. Hoping this bug is addressed.

[Toz]

Okay - I've got event sounds working in my 12.04/Xfce 4.10 install. Only I'm not sure exactly what the secret piece of the puzzle was. Hoping someone can test it to see exactly what it was.

I think it is related to the fact that GTK_MODULES is not being properly set/exported in 12.04 anymore. In 11.10, the following files exist:

cat /etc/X11/Xsession.d/52libcanberra-gtk-module_add-to-gtk-modules 
# This file is sourced by Xsession(5), not executed.

if [ -z "$GTK_MODULES" ] ; then
	GTK_MODULES="canberra-gtk-module"
else
	GTK_MODULES="$GTK_MODULES:canberra-gtk-module"
fi

export GTK_MODULES

...and

cat /etc/X11/Xsession.d/52libcanberra-gtk3-module_add-to-gtk-modules 
# This file is sourced by Xsession(5), not executed.

if [ -z "$GTK_MODULES" ] ; then
	GTK_MODULES="canberra-gtk-module"
else
	GTK_MODULES="$GTK_MODULES:canberra-gtk-module"
fi

export GTK_MODULES

These files were missing in my 12.04 install (in fact, they are no longer part of the libcanberra-gtk-module package - which seems to have migrated to gconf) and as a result, there is no GTK_MODULES environment variable being set. In addition to the steps from post #1, creating these two files and rebooting has brought sound effects back for me.

I also installed a number of packages. But can someone try creating these files on their system to see if they are the key?

[wkrekik]

I also installed a number of packages. But can someone try creating these files on their system to see if they are the key?

Indeed creating this files enabled sounds (after installation of gnome-session-canberra and sox). Thanks

[Toz]

Indeed creating this files enabled sounds (after installation of gnome-session-canberra and sox). Thanks

Interesting, I don't have gnome-session-canberra installed. Sounds work without that package for me.

[cottfcfan]

I too can concur.
After creating the 2 files & installing sox & gnome-session-canberra, system sounds now work.
Wish they were just included in the stock install, rather than 3 months of trial & error.

[bark50]

Following the first post, I now have a log-in sound. Can somebody please tell me how to create the files from Toz's post, what to name the files, and where to put them? Thanks.

[Toz]

Following the first post, I now have a log-in sound. Can somebody please tell me how to create the files from Toz's post, what to name the files, and where to put them? Thanks.

Here is how. From a terminal window:

sudo leafpad /etc/X11/Xsession.d/52libcanberra-gtk-module_add-to-gtk-modules

...enter your password when prompted and copy/paste the following code:

# This file is sourced by Xsession(5), not executed.

if [ -z "$GTK_MODULES" ] ; then
	GTK_MODULES="canberra-gtk-module"
else
	GTK_MODULES="$GTK_MODULES:canberra-gtk-module"
fi

export GTK_MODULES

...and save the file.


Then,

sudo leafpad /etc/X11/Xsession.d/52libcanberra-gtk3-module_add-to-gtk-modules

...copy/paste the following code:

# This file is sourced by Xsession(5), not executed.

if [ -z "$GTK_MODULES" ] ; then
	GTK_MODULES="canberra-gtk-module"
else
	GTK_MODULES="$GTK_MODULES:canberra-gtk-module"
fi

export GTK_MODULES

...and save the file.

IIRC, you need to log out and back in for it to take effect.

[bark50]

Worked! Thanks so much Toz!!