Sound Configuration

kim can play sounds with notifications. You can use the system default sound or specify a custom sound file.

Sound Settings

In ~/.kim/config.json:

{
  "sound": true,
  "sound_file": null
}

Field	Type	Default	Description
sound	boolean	true	Enable/disable sound globally
sound_file	string/null	null	Path to custom sound file

Supported Formats

Platform	Supported Formats
Linux	wav, ogg, flac, mp3 (via paplay/aplay/ffplay/mpv)
macOS	wav, mp3, aiff, m4a, aac (via afplay)
Windows	wav only (via winsound/PowerShell), other formats via Windows Media Player

Managing Sound via CLI

Show Current Configuration

kim sound

Set Custom Sound File

kim sound --set /path/to/sound.wav

The file is validated for existence and supported extension.

Revert to System Default

kim sound --clear

Test Current Sound

kim sound --test

Plays the configured sound (custom or default).

Enable/Disable Sound

kim sound --enable
kim sound --disable

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

Requires one of the following audio players: - paplay (PulseAudio) - aplay (ALSA) - ffplay (FFmpeg) - mpv - cvlc (VLC)

Default system sound: canberra-gtk-play --id=bell or /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/bell.oga.

macOS

Uses afplay (built-in). Default system sound: Glass.

Windows

• wav files: Uses winsound module (stdlib) or PowerShell SoundPlayer
• Other formats: Uses Windows Media Player via PowerShell
• Default system sound: Windows default beep

Custom Sound Examples

Linux

kim sound --set /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/complete.oga

macOS

kim sound --set ~/Music/sounds/glass.aiff

Windows

kim sound --set "C:\Windows\Media\Windows Notify System Generic.wav"

Troubleshooting

Sound Not Playing

1. Check if sound is enabled: kim sound
2. Verify sound file exists and is readable
3. Test with kim sound --test
4. Check logs: kim logs

Permission Issues

Ensure the sound file is readable by the user running kim.

Missing Audio Players (Linux)

Install one of the supported players:

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install pulseaudio-utils alsa-utils ffmpeg mpv vlc

# Arch
sudo pacman -P pulseaudio alsa-utils ffmpeg mpv vlc