In the world of Ubuntu, the terminal is a powerful tool that allows you to perform complex tasks with simple commands. However, some processes can take a considerable amount of time to complete. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a sound notification when a process is complete? In this article, we will explore several methods to achieve this.
To get notified with a sound when a process is complete in Ubuntu Terminal, you can use various methods such as the beep command, the aplay command to play a sound file, the paplay command to play a sound file using pulseaudio, the espeak or spd-say command to make the terminal speak a message, or by printing the ASCII Bell character (\a). Choose the method that suits your needs and preferences.
Using the beep Command
The beep command is a simple way to get a notification sound. It makes a beep sound through the PC speaker. To use it, you first need to install the beep package. Open your terminal and type the following command:
sudo apt-get install beepAfter the installation is complete, you can use the beep command at the end of your process. Here’s an example:
long-running-command; beepIn this command, long-running-command is a placeholder for your actual command. The semicolon (;) ensures that the beep command runs after the first command, regardless of whether it succeeds or fails.
Using the aplay Command
The aplay command allows you to play a sound file in WAV format. You can specify any sound file that your system recognizes. Here’s an example:
long-running-command; aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Side_Right.wavIn this command, /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Side_Right.wav is the path to the sound file. Make sure to replace it with the path to your preferred sound file.
Using the paplay Command
The paplay command is part of the pulseaudio-utils package. It enables playback of sound files. You can use any sound file that your system recognizes. Here’s an example:
long-running-command; paplay /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/complete.ogaIn this command, /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/complete.oga is the path to the sound file. Make sure to replace it with the path to your preferred sound file.
Using the espeak or spd-say Command
The espeak and spd-say commands allow the terminal to speak a message. You can customize the message as needed. Here’s an example:
long-running-command; espeak "Process complete"or
long-running-command; spd-say "Process complete"In these commands, "Process complete" is the message that the terminal will speak. You can replace it with your preferred message.
Using the ASCII Bell Character
You can make the terminal emit a sound by printing the ASCII Bell character (\a). This will produce a beep sound on most terminals. Here’s an example:
long-running-command; echo -e "\a"In this command, -e enables interpretation of backslash escapes. \a is the ASCII Bell character.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored several methods to get a sound notification when a process is complete in the Ubuntu terminal. Choose the method that suits your needs and preferences. Remember to install any necessary packages before using the corresponding commands. Happy coding!
To install the beep package, open your terminal and type sudo apt-get install beep. This command will install the beep package on your system.
To play a sound file using the aplay command, you can use the following syntax: aplay /path/to/sound/file.wav. Replace /path/to/sound/file.wav with the actual path to your sound file.
To play a sound file using the paplay command, you can use the following syntax: paplay /path/to/sound/file.wav. Replace /path/to/sound/file.wav with the actual path to your sound file.
To make the terminal speak a message using the espeak command, you can use the following syntax: espeak "Your message here". Replace "Your message here" with your desired message.
To make the terminal speak a message using the spd-say command, you can use the following syntax: spd-say "Your message here". Replace "Your message here" with your desired message.
To make the terminal emit a sound using the ASCII Bell character, you can use the following syntax: echo -e "\a". The -e flag enables interpretation of backslash escapes, and \a represents the ASCII Bell character.
