A script I use for this occasionally: #!/usr/bin/env ruby done = Time.now + ARGV[0].to_i while(true) do sleep(10) `say "Time's up!"` if Time.now > done end Or the alarm clock version: #!/usr/bin/env ruby require 'time' done = Time.parse(ARGV[0]) while(true) do sleep(10) `say "Time's up!"` if Time.now > done end
$ sleep 28800; while :; do cat /etc/termcap; done > /dev/audio
These days /etc/termcap is disappearing from UNIX machines, but back then it was always available. I found it had just the right amount of structure to make a really annoying noise.