Solved Are there no system sounds and sound settings on any Linux distro or desktop?

[CaffeineAddict]

I noticed (rather late lol) that Linux does not play any sounds, I mean a sound when:

• system is done booting up
• sound when you log-in
• sound for desktop notifications (ex. desktop push notification from the web like from this site)
• sound when an error on system triggers and error message dialog is shown

etc. there are many other points when a sound plays on other OS's but not on Linux.

I did google out why are there no sounds and comments are rather silly, such as that sounds are irritating and disturbing or that OS should be quiet etc.

How do I configure system sounds? where are those settings?
I don't see them in KDE desktop, the only settings are to raise or lower the volume of speakers, but no sounds.

 

[Vektor]

Hey CaffeineAddict

I run Porteux with plasma 5 and there are a few settings in power mngt - advanced - config notifications.

Will look further.

Vektor

 

[CaffeineAddict]

@Vektor
Thanks, the only use I have of this is when mouse battery is low, but for desktop PC other options are useless because they apply to laptop battery.

There are also sound settings in Notifications -> Application-specific -> Configure -> select program -> configure events.
However problem with this is that not all programs support it, Firefox does not, qbittorrent does not and many other useful programs don't support it, only KDE programs seem to support this.

This is dissapointing.

 

[Vektor]

Try application settings - plasma workspace

Still looking,

Vektor

 

[Brickwizard]

I am on LMDE with Cinnamon at the moment and yes it has pings and dings

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Try application settings - plasma workspace

Thanks so much! I'd never figure this out, it works great!

Now if I could figure out how to set up firefox push notifications and that would be it.
Anyone knows firefox has this setting?

 

[ron.alan]

In Mate I can add a startup sound by going to Menu >> Startup Applications >> Startup programs tab. Click "Add," and then under "Name" add GNOME Login Sound (I don't know why GNOME, I just did what I was instructed), under "Command" add aplay /path/to/file/***.wav (must be a wave file with alsa), and then under "Comment" add Plays a sound whenever you log in.

 

[dos2unix]

In KDE Plasma.

Most are turned off by default. But the enabled ones work for me.

 

[EmilyMillington]

You can enable an old school startup beep by editing your /etc/default/grub file and uncommenting the line for GRUB_INIT_TUNE:

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

EDIT: and don't forget to update grub to apply the changes:

sudo update-grub

 

[Condobloke]

LM21.3....and I think the same in LM22

 

[CaffeineAddict]

In KDE Plasma.

Which plasma version do you run? mine is 5.27.5
Because I don't have "system notifications" section, but there is "plasma workspace" which has these options which @Vektor discovered.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@CaffeineAddict :-

Myself, I prefer NOT to hear all those irritating "pings & dings" (@Brickwizard ; I LIKE that!), although I have set my Puppies up to play a short 'jingle' on startup.......and at shutdown, they play the Win XP shutdown 'jingle'.

That's the extent of MY preferred 'system sounds'.


Mike.

 

[Aristarchus]

this is really funny (and I am just old): I had system notification sounds enabled for my laptop battery state but I realized this after I played the sounds and yes, these sounds are loud enough for me to notice that I need to plug in my laptop.

 

[Brickwizard]

they play the Win XP shutdown 'jingle'

At least you have chosen from the best Microsoft has ever been able to offer

 

[MikeWalsh]

At least you have chosen from the best Microsoft has ever been able to offer

^^^ Lol!!

I've always liked that particular one, mate. Simple as that!

This is my 'startup jingle'. I combed several sites before I found something that I could see myself being able to live with...

logon-1.mp3

drive.google.com

Mike.

 

[dos2unix]

Which plasma version do you run? mine is 5.27.5

 

[Condobloke]

No jingles, no sounds etc, either on startup, shutdown, or any other time.

i have spent sufficient time listening to kids and exwives, to be "all listened out"

 

[osprey]

No jingles, no sounds etc, either on startup, shutdown, or any other time.

To perhaps get many, most, or all of the sounds sounding sequentially in one go and have done with it, one could first change directory thus:

cd /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo

(or change directory to wherever freedesktop sound files are on the system).
Then run, for pulseaudio:

for i in $(ls);do paplay $i;done

For pipewire:

for i in $(ls);do pw-play $i;done

With mpv installed:

mpv *

With sox installed:

for i in $(ls);do play $i;done

All done, and back to pristine silence, or just the comforting low hum of a computer fan .
YMMV

 

[guiverc]

I noticed (rather late lol) that Linux does not play any sounds, I mean a sound when:

• system is done booting up
• sound when you log-in
• sound for desktop notifications (ex. desktop push notification from the web like from this site)
• sound when an error on system triggers and error message dialog is shown

etc. there are many other points when a sound plays on other OS's but not on Linux.

I did google out why are there no sounds and comments are rather silly, such as that sounds are irritating and disturbing or that OS should be quiet etc.

How do I configure system sounds? where are those settings?
I don't see them in KDE desktop, the only settings are to raise or lower the volume of speakers, but no sounds.

This system I'm using is dual boot; the two OSes I use are Ubuntu LTS (24.04) & Ubuntu development (currently oracular). If I boot the LTS install I get the traditional sounds Ubuntu has always had, which include booting & login sounds (reminding me I'm using my alternate system)... where as my development release is quiet for both.

Ubuntu oracular has re-enabled the Ubuntu startup sound I gather; quoting from here

Speaking of which, I see that now the 24.10 daily builds have the original Ubuntu startup sound. So nice to see Ubuntu having a startup sound again!

which Aaron responds as a "little anniversary easter egg!"

Sounds can still be enabled, they were popular long ago, and can still be used, though default for some time has been to not use them (they were enabled when more people found them useful/cute, today they're annoying to the majority)