How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

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somelurker
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How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by somelurker »

On my installation of Mate 18.3, a microphone icon seems to have appeared at the bottom right of my screen in the panel. It's between the network manager icon and my sound output icon. It wasn't there when I first installed Mint. I don't want to accidentally turn on my microphone, and it's taking up space in any case.

Why has it suddenly appeared, and is there a way I can safely get rid of it? In the picture, the icon I want gone is 2nd from the left.

Thanks
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Ozo

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by Ozo »

Right click it and select "Quit". Then make sure it is not on the list of Startup Applications (in Settings). Also, you might be able to configure it to not appear in the tray if you can find the General Settings for the ap.
somelurker
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Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by somelurker »

There is no "Quit" option. The only 2 options when I right-click it are "Mute" and "Sound Preferences". I also see no general preferences. Picking "Sound Preferences" opens up the Sound Preferences App. It's the same app as the volume output adjustment icon, which I do want, so I can't kill the app completely. How do I get the volume (output) adjustment icon to show but hide the microphone icon?

I still have htis problem. Please help!
Ozo

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by Ozo »

A last resort if no solution is found would be to reset the panel. An other alternative is to wait till you change to 19.

Would be nice to find out what that microphone icon is so you can dismiss it properly. :)
Ozo

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by Ozo »

To reset the panel of the Mate system, copy/paste the following into the Terminal:

Code: Select all

gsettings reset-recursively org.mate.panel
Umm, you have not installed an audio recorder on your system have you?
Last edited by Ozo on Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:59 am, edited 2 times in total.
gm10

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by gm10 »

Ozo wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:49 am To reset the panel of the Mate system, copy/paste the following into the Terminal:

Code: Select all

gsettings reset-recursively org.mate.panel
Umm, you have not installed an audio recorder on your system have you?
Resetting won't do a thing, that icon is displayed in the Notification Area applet, if you want it gone without losing all the other notification icons around it, too, you need to change that in the program that's putting it there.
Ozo

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by Ozo »

That is the question. What is putting it there :?:

Perhaps if Startup Applications was purged it might remove the culprit.

Here is all I have in Startup Applications.
Image
gm10

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by gm10 »

Ozo wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:53 am That is the question. What is putting it there :?:
I blame you for making me look this up (I never use my microphone on this device). According to the source code of the MATE volume control:

Code: Select all

      /* Enable the input icon in case there is an input stream present and there
         * is a non-mixer application using the input */
So, the answer is that it's showing up because there is an active input stream, i.e. some application is receiving audio input. Once you stop that, the icon disappears automatically.

Don't you love open source?
Ozo

Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by Ozo »

I agree. That is why I asked earlier if there had been an audio recorder installed. Got no reply on that. I think the OP is a working person and will respond to all this tomorrow or Sunday.
somelurker
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Re: How to get rid of the microphone icon at bottom right?

Post by somelurker »

I apologize for the delay. I didn't explicitly install any programs that I intended to use for recording audio, if I understood the question correctly. So nothing like Audacity or similar programs. I installed the exact same programs on another system that didn't show this icon.

But your reply made me remember that I occasionally plug an earphone into this computer. I plugged it in and no icon appeared, so I will test with the microphone already plugged in, reboot, and see if the icon appears. Edit: It didn't.

Update: The icon has not reappeared in days. It has disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared. It really irks me when there's no clear solution to a problem, but at least it's gone now. My best guess? Some buggy package update. I will reopen this topic if the icon returns, but I haven't seen it for a while now.
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