[sf-lug] system beep

[Alex Kleider]

The recent thread re the 'dreaded system beep' prompted me to ask the following which has been a puzzle for me for a long time:

if at the linux command line (bash shell) I type
$ echo $'\a'
the bell rings

if I create a file bell.sh with the following content
    #!/bin/bash
    echo $'\a'
and do the appropriate chmod
and then type
$ ./bell.sh
the bell rings.

So far so good.
But: if I type
$ at <time in the very near future> ./bell.sh
nothing happens.

I assume the problem is that a new shell is created to run the command, and that shell's output does not get to stdout and hence the bell doesn't ring.

Does anyone happen to know how the bell can be made to ring?
I'm guessing that I need a call directly to the system bell (?kernel level?) rather than to just send a control character to stdout.

cheers,
alex