Love running Ubuntu Linux on my old PC laptop, but it’s too darn noisy. How do I mute the startup audio, system beeps, etc?
Another Linux fan, and you’re running Ubuntu Linux? Well played! It’s the version of Linux I run too, though I might be a bit more platform agnostic than most people with my Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and BSD Unix systems thrown into the mix. Still, the Ubuntu development team have done a lot to answer the concerns people have about whether Linux is as user friendly as the more common Mac and Windows systems.
Indeed it’s a testament to their success that you’re happy running Ubuntu and still aren’t sure about how to dig deep into the system and hack it to meet your needs and expectations. Yes, Linux is for more than just the nerdiest of users. 🙂
Having said that, its emulating both the Mac OS X and Windows environment so I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out already: It’s just a System Setting. Let’s have a look…
Here’s a typical Ubuntu Linux home screen with the strip of app icons along the left edge and two windows in view, the Ubuntu Software Center atop the file browser.
More importantly, check the tiny gear icon on the very top right of the screen. In fact, click on it…
You can see a number of interesting options from this system menu, but what you want to select is System Settings, as highlighted.
Once you do, you’ll see a Systems Settings for Ubuntu window that looks a whole heck of a lot like a Mac or Windows settings window, yes?
Click on “Sound” on the third row (I have no idea what the icon’s supposed to be, btw. If you know, please leave a comment!) and you’ll be able to see how to adjust your sound settings as desired:
I have to say that someone who has seen the movie Spinal Tap was involved in this window design. How else can you have “louder than 100%”? 🙂
Click on Mute, as shown:
Or, of course, slide the volume down so it doesn’t vanish completely.
Either way, that’s how you manage sound in your Ubuntu Linux laptop!
This tip tells how to make all sounds quieter. Perhaps like the poster, I want to mute all the annoying system sounds, and still have the ability to use video that has interesting sounds.
On my mac and windows it drives me crazy that every copy/paste has a system click which is hugely loud w hen my sound is on any kind of a reasonable volume to hear a video .
If linux or any system can fix this I would love to know about it! It seems like on linux we might have the best chance at fixing it. Maybe an app could be written, but I wouldn’t know where to start on it.
Thanks, Dave, for this. I also have Linux and love it. When I first got it, I also wondered how your sound can be greater than 100%. 🙂 When I turn mine up, it goes to a maximum of 152%.