Like all modern operating systems, Linux has a set of specifications for sound themes. Sound themes are sets of similar sounds coordinated into themes that sound good together. They signal events such as switching to a different workspace, opening a new application, plugging and unplugging hardware, and alerting you when your battery is low or fully charged. The sounds that play is determined by which themes you have installed and which ones you’re currently using. If your desktop tries to play a sound your theme doesn’t have, it will play a sound from another sound theme if it can find one.
How do I select a sound theme?
This is where things can get tricky. Most desktops make it easy to select a sound theme, but some are more challenging, and others can't do this at all. I’ll detail the steps for MATE[1], my personal favorite desktop. If you use another desktop, consult your desktop’s help by pressing F1.
MATE
To select a sound theme in MATE, open the sound settings by either pressing Alt+F1, or right-arrowing to the Settings menu, down-arrowing to Preferences, right-arrowing twice to the Hardware menu and selecting the Sound menu item. If you have a Search menu installed, such as MATE menu or Linux Mint[2] menu, simply open that menu, search for "Sound settings," and press Enter on the first result. Once the dialog is opened, tab over to the "Sound theme" combo box and select your sound theme. If you want sounds for windows and buttons to play, check the checkbox; if not, clear it. Then press Close.How many sound themes are available in Linux?
There are several sound theme options in Linux, but most are included only in select distros because those