Disabling system sounds in Ubuntu Mate 18.04

Support & Help Requests
1

I have installed Ubuntu Mate 18.04 as a virtual machine under VMWare on a CentOS 7 host. I have been exploring the new environment. So far, so good. The one annoyance I have is the system sounds. I can generally find a way to turn them off and do so on a new install after hearing them about twice.

On 18.04 I have not found a way to do this. Searches indicate that this can be done with ubuntu-tweak. However, that package is not in the Mate repos (that I can find). Mate-tweak has no option to deal with system sounds.

Using my usual BIG HAMMER approach I deleted ALL .wav and .ogg files from the system. This has quieted things down except when I select the shutdown option. I get a “ding” which I suspect is simply a CHR(7) Bell character being processed.

Is there a better way???

TIA

Ken

2

Go to the “Sound” application (via Brisk menu or by clicking on the sound button-> sound settings). Then select “No sounds” in the sound theme dropdown menu.

1 Like
3

Thanks german-h,

That was too easy :slight_smile: To be honest that is where it is in 16.04 as well. I don’t use the 16.04 VM too often and I have the sound card disabled unless I need it. My other 16.04 installation is on an ancient mini-notebook which my juke box out in the shop. I disabled the system sounds on that but it has been so long ago I forgot how. In fact I think it was upgraded from 12.04 so it has been a LONG time since I turned off the noise so I could hear the NOISE I want to hear.

Thanks again,

Ken

p.s. You wouldn’t know how to determine the version of network-manager-applet on Ubuntu Mate would you? I have a post open over on linuxquestions.org but had yet to post it here. On CentOS 7 with Mate I can simply right click on the icon on the panel and choose About. Not so on Ubuntu.

4

Glad to help! And no, I don’t know how. Sorry!

5

I spoke too soon. I restored my VM to its state before I whacked the sound files. I set the sound theme to “No sounds” and shut down the machine. I just called it up to test something else. And the &%$&#@ sounds are back :disappointed: I checked [X] Mute on the Alert volume setting and things are quiet (for the moment). If the noise returns, I will whack the files again. I used to do that on Windoze rather than remember the “correct” way to do it.

Ken

1 Like
6

AFAICT this is bugged in Ubuntu 18.04. I can change the way it sounds in mate-volume-control but even when selecting the sound theme “No sounds” e.g. hitting backspace in an empty text box makes the same sound as when selecting Ubuntu. I noticed something strange though: when selecting any other sound than that of the Ubuntu profile that sound is overlayed with the “bump” sound of the Ubuntu profile… so my guess is that the thing selected by mate-volume-control is only played additionally to whatever makes the sound of the Ubuntu profile play.

However, to just get rid of that, one can simply mute it at the same place (mate-volume-control in the sound effects tab).

7

Thanks stefanct,

Brilliant! That is just what I was looking for (needed to clean my glasses I guess). Muting sound effects turns off all the Ubuntu speak crap which I do not want to hear. However, if an application wishes to make a sound which I WANT to hear, it works. I just confirmed this by playing “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel with VLC :-))

Cheers,

Ken

8

...unless that application happens to be Thunderbird playing a reminder sound. If you mute sound effects it mutes this as well. :frowning:

I just created a bug in Launchpad about the "No sound" theme bug: Bug #1783865 “sound theme “No sounds” still plays sounds” : Bugs : mate-media package : Ubuntu
There is also this one: Bug #1736889 “Alert volume take no effect” : Bugs : Ubuntu MATE related to alert volume