Ubuntu

what package is responsible for playing alert and event sounds?

Asked by michael perigard

What package is actually responsible for playing the alert sounds? I'm trying to troubleshoot/file a bug, but I'm not sure what package is taking the events from programs like gajim, the terminal (or terminator), and playing the sounds selected in the sound control panel. I'm also not sure it that is the same package that plays the log out sound.

Note, aplay, paplay, sound in totem, rhythmbox, banshee and firefox all work okay. Clicking the preview icon for each sound in the sound control panel also works, so I don't think the issue is with the underlying sound system. Somewhere along the line, instead of alert and event sounds playing, a pc speaker beep is heard instead. There are a few bugs for this issue, but none have been triaged to the right package, and I'm trying to fix that :)

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

To set and test your alert properties you can run the "gnome-sound-properties"
Menu System → Preferences → Sound

Please tell have already set and tested your alert sound from it...?

Thank you

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michael perigard (overprescribed) said : 		#2

"Clicking the preview icon for each sound in the sound control panel (gnome-sound-properties) works." I'm sorry, I must not have made that clear. I have not set any custom sounds, the sounds are all set to the default.

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Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#3

Take a look here:
/usr/share/sounds/

Since I use NScripts it tells me for example that
error.wav belongs to ubuntu-sounds package

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Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#4

Test in a terminal e.g.
aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Noise.wav

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Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#5

...belongs to the alsa-utils package

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michael perigard (overprescribed) said : 		#6

Sam: please note my original description said that aplay and paplay work. I can preview the sounds in the gnome-sound-properties, which uses alsa to play the previews.

using:
dpkg -S /usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/bell.ogg
(which is the default alert sound) I found that the sounds are owned by the ubuntu-sounds package.

apt-cache showpkg ubuntu-sounds

showed pulseaudio-module-x11 which suggests ubuntu-sounds.

the description of pulseaudio-module-x11 includes:
This module enables PulseAudio to publish itself as the default sound server to the X11 root window automatically upon startup. The is also a module to playback a sound file in place of the X11 bell beep.

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Newbie Dragon (spam-enterprisepacs) said : 		#7

This helps me with ubuntu 9.10. I dont like the quick ring of the bell alert when I have a calendar reminder. I want and need something longer ringing. I guess I can name another file bell.ogg and ubuntu will play that as an alert?