How to use the command 'beep' (with examples)

The ‘beep’ command is a utility used to produce beeps through the PC speaker. It can be useful in various scenarios such as generating audio alerts, testing the speaker functionality, or even creating basic musical tones.

Use case 1: Play a beep

Code:

beep

Motivation: This simple command is used to play a single beep sound through the PC speaker. It can be used as a basic audio alert to grab the user’s attention or to indicate the completion of a specific task.

Example output: A single beep sound is played through the PC speaker.

Use case 2: Play a beep that repeats

Code:

beep -r repetitions

Motivation: By specifying the number of repetitions, we can make the beep play in a repetitive manner. This can be useful when we need a continuous audio alert that persists until a specific condition is met.

Example output: The beep sound plays repeatedly based on the specified number of repetitions.

Use case 3: Play a beep at a specified frequency and duration

Code:

beep -f frequency -l duration

Motivation: In certain scenarios, we might need to customize the frequency and duration of the beep sound. By using this command, we can specify the desired frequency in Hz and the duration in milliseconds to generate a beep tailored to our specific needs.

Example output: A beep sound is played at the specified frequency and duration.

Use case 4: Play each new frequency and duration as a distinct beep

Code:

beep -f frequency -l duration -n -f frequency -l duration

Motivation: In situations where we require multiple beeps with different frequencies and durations, we can use this command. By including the “-n” option between each frequency and duration pair, we can ensure that each combination is played as a distinct beep.

Example output: Multiple beep sounds are played sequentially, with each sound having its own frequency and duration.

Use case 5: Play the C major scale

Code:

beep -f 262 -n -f 294 -n -f 330 -n -f 349 -n -f 392 -n -f 440 -n -f 494 -n -f 523

Motivation: As an interesting use case, the ‘beep’ command can also be used to generate simple musical tones. By specifying different frequencies corresponding to the notes of the C major scale, we can play a basic melody.

Example output: The ‘beep’ command plays the C major scale, producing the melody associated with the scale.

Conclusion:

The ‘beep’ command is a versatile utility that can be used to generate beeps with various configurations. Whether it’s for audio alerts, sound testing, or even basic music generation, this command provides flexibility in producing different tones through the PC speaker.