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  • Can I Have my System Alerts Flash in Ubuntu Linux?

Can I Have my System Alerts Flash in Ubuntu Linux?

January 10, 2022 / Dave Taylor / Linux Help / No Comments

I’m switching to Ubuntu Linux and need to set it up so that system alerts flash my screen rather than produce an audible beep. Is that possible? If so, where in the Ubuntu Linux settings can I make this change?

There are a lot of reasons to mute or otherwise change the system alert sounds on a modern computer. From notifications of incoming text messages and email to mistakes you’ve made as you type or use a program, most of the sounds aren’t actually something you want to share with people nearby. And beeps when you make a mistake? Definitely not something for everyone to hear! One solution is to just mute the system or device, but then you don’t know when something does happen, which is suboptimal.

Fortunately, Ubuntu Linux does indeed support visual alerts, along with just about every other tech device in the industry. Even before graphical interfaces, typed “terminal” devices had a “visual bell” feature that would flash the screen instead of sending a beep sound: you can still find the visual bell settings option in the tty settings in Linux if you really dig around.

But let’s start at the beginning with the system alert sounds themselves.

HOW TO CHANGE SYSTEM ALERT SOUND IN UBUNTU LINUX

Start by going to the same spot you head in Ubuntu for any system setting, the status info on the top right of the screen. A click and a small menu appears:

ubuntu linux - settings lock power menu

As shown, choose “Settings” to proceed.

This brings up the rather huge Ubuntu Linux Settings window. Find “Sound” on the left side and choose it. Now you’ll be here:

ubuntu linux - settings - sound

You can adjust System Sounds to zero, as I have done above, but scroll down further instead…

ubuntu linux - alert sounds change update pick new

There ya go, the main options: Default, Bark, Drip, Glass, and Sonar. Unlike Windows, it’s not at all easy to change or add new alert sounds, so if you do want audio feedback, I encourage you to pick from the listed options.

But what if you want that visual alert instead? That’s also a setting…

ENABLE VISUAL ALERTS IN UBUNTU LINUX

On the left column, scroll down until you find the entry “Universal Access“. Choose it, then scroll down the right pane just a bit to find the “Hearing” section with its single entry:

ubuntu linux - accessibility - sound audio alerts

Click on the word “Off” in the “Visual Alerts” box and a tiny window actually pops up:

ubuntu linux - universal access accessibility - visual alerts sounds setting preference

In the above, I’ve enabled this great feature and chosen the option to “Flash the entire screen”. Choose it, then click on the “Test flash” on the top left to see how it works. Too much? Switch to “Flash the entire window” instead.

That’s it. Now you have a system alert setup that will flash your screen or the active window without anyone else hearing any sound at all. Darn useful, really.

Pro Tip: I’ve been writing about Linux since the dawn of the OS. Please do check out my extensive Linux help area for lots of additional tutorial content while you’re visiting. Thanks!

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Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!
linux deaf, linux hearing impaired, linux visual alert, mute linux alerts, silent alerts

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