As mentioned in a comment, I couldn't get the mentioned metronomes (existing for Linux/Ubuntu) working on 16.04, at least not out of the box. I didn't spend much time in getting it to work, since practically all of them give the impression to be abandoned.

Time to write one...

This answer (work in progress) should eventually lead to a metronome, including GUI. A good time to mention possible features you'd like.

1. CLI metronome

Creating a straightforward metronome turns out to be shockingly simple:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import subprocess

import sys

import time



bpm = int(sys.argv[1])

pauze = 60/bpm



while True:

    time.sleep(pauze)

    subprocess.Popen(["ogg123", "/usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/stereo/bell.ogg"])

How to use

1. The metronome needs vorbis-tools, to play the sound

   
   
   

   sudo apt-get install vorbis-tools
   
   



2. Copy the script above into an empty file, save it as metronome.py



3. Run it with the bpm as argument:

   
   
   

   python3 /path/to/metronome.py <bpm>
   
   

   
   
   

   e.g.:

   
   
   

   python3 /path/to/metronome.py 100
   
   

   
   
   

   To run it with 100 beats per minute

Note

For the sound, I used the file /usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/stereo/bell.ogg, which should be on your system by default (tested 14.04/16.04). You can however use any (.ogg) sample you like. In the final version, A number of options (sounds) will be available.

2. Shockingly simple GUI version

As a next step, a very basic version, the last version without an installer:

The script

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import gi

gi.require_version('Gtk', '3.0')

from gi.repository import Gtk

import sys

import subprocess

import time

from threading import Thread

import os



path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))



class MetroWindow(Gtk.Window):

    def __init__(self):

        Gtk.Window.__init__(self, title="Shockingly simple Metronome")

        self.speed = 70

        self.run = False

        # maingrid

        maingrid = Gtk.Grid()

        maingrid.set_column_homogeneous(True)

        maingrid.set_row_homogeneous(False)

        maingrid.set_border_width(30)

        self.add(maingrid)

        # icon

        image = Gtk.Image(xalign=0)

        image.set_from_file(os.path.join(path, "icon.png"))

        maingrid.attach(image, 0, 0, 1, 1)

        # vertical slider,  initial value, min, max, step, page, psize

        self.v_scale = Gtk.Scale(

            orientation=Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL,

            adjustment=Gtk.Adjustment.new(self.speed, 10, 240, 1, 0, 0)

            )

        self.v_scale.set_vexpand(True)

        self.v_scale.set_digits(0)

        self.v_scale.connect("value-changed", self.scale_moved)

        maingrid.attach(self.v_scale, 1, 0, 2, 1)



        self.togglebutton = Gtk.Button("_Run", use_underline=True)

        self.togglebutton.connect("clicked", self.time_out)

        self.togglebutton.set_size_request(70,20)

        maingrid.attach(self.togglebutton, 3, 3, 1, 1)



        # start the thread

        self.update = Thread(target=self.run_metro, args=[])

        self.update.setDaemon(True)

        self.update.start()



    def scale_moved(self, event):

        self.speed = int(self.v_scale.get_value())



    def time_out(self, *args):

        if self.run == True:

            self.run = False

            self.togglebutton.set_label("Run")

        else:

            self.run = True

            self.togglebutton.set_label("Pauze")



    def pauze(self):

        return 60/self.speed



    def run_metro(self):

        soundfile = "/usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/stereo/bell.ogg"

        while True:

            if self.run == True:

                subprocess.Popen([

                    "ogg123", soundfile

                    ])

            time.sleep(self.pauze())



def run_gui():

    window = MetroWindow()

    window.connect("delete-event", Gtk.main_quit)

    window.set_resizable(False)

    window.show_all()

    Gtk.main()



run_gui()

The image

How to use

1. Like the cli version, this one needs vorbis-tools:

   
   
   

   sudo apt-get install vorbis-tools
   
   




2. Copy the script into an empty file, save it as metro.py



3. Right- click on the image above, save it In one and the same directory as the script (exactly) as: icon.png.



4. Simply run the metronome by the command:

   
   
   

   python3 /path/to/metro.py
   
   

3. PPA for the Orange Metronome

It is done!

The metronome is ready for installation.

The Orange Metronome comes with a set of different sounds to choose from, and the beats can be grouped. All changes are applied immediately on the running metronome:

To install:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:vlijm/orangemetronome

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install orangemetronome

Work to do

• Currently, the metronome comes with four different sounds to choose from. Probably a few will be added in the next few days, some of them will be replaced/updated




• On the longer term
  
  For the longer term, I am thinking of adding the option for (custom) complex structures like 3+3+2, 2+2+2+3 etc., which I always missed in existing metronomes.

Finally

The latest (current) version 0.5.3 adds a number of sounds, but more importantly, the option to run irregular (composite) beats. In this version, they are hard coded. Will be customizable from version > 1.