Q. I'm using CentOS Linux v5.x and I'd like to turn off the bell sound. How do turn off the beep?
A. Linux kernel has PC speaker beeper driver called pcspkr.ko. This driver is responsible for generating beeps while working at shell prompt / x terminal. To turn off the beep, simply remove driver from kernel. You also need to black list this driver so that it will not get loaded automatically.
Remove pcspkr driver
Login as the root user
Type the following command to unload the driver:
# rmmod -v pcspkr
Sample output:
rmmod pcspkr, wait=no
/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist file
Open /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist file:
# vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
You need to append a module here prevents the hotplug scripts from loading it:
blacklist pcspkr
Save and close the file. Alternatively, you can unload driver by appending following line into /etc/rc.d/rc.local:
# vi /etc/rc.d/rc.local
Append following line:
/sbin/rmmod pcspkr
Save and close the file. There are other ways to turn off beep sound under Linux, if you don't have root level access.
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- Last Updated: 03/20/08
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that removing the speaker driver is too strong an option. If the problem is that the terminal beeps at the bash prompt (I’m thinking about the user pressing TAB, with too many options you get a beep), it would be enough the following
$ echo “set bell-style none” > $HOME/.inputrc
After you open a new X terminal, it doesn’t beep
Thank you nixcraft, I basically camp the “reset mysql root password” page for cut and paste purposes, now the prompt doesn’t beep over pandora radio woo!
How to dissable pcspeaker in SUSE linux?
There is no pcskpr module!
I don’t want to do it via KDE, GNOME,… but in system way. Also I don’t want to dissable it only in console, but at all (in kernel or HAL). Is there some HAL way?
Many thanks
Thanks a lot dude.. that helped a lot..
Keep Rockin!
Thanks Miguel! That worked for me on my ubuntu box aswell.
I have to agree with Miguel in the case where users are complaining about beeps at the bash prompt. For one thing, I can tell my users to google “bell-style” and empower them to resolve the issue :-)
Thanks for both the original post and the comments, good to know both approaches.