Shutting down OSX with a sound
For some unknown reason I got into my head that it would be really cool if my Macbook Pro would say something when shutting down.
This is how I went about it…
OSX doesn’t natively support configuring a shutdown sound so the first thing I needed to do was finding a plug-in that would bring me the magic.
This is taken care of by SystemSound plug-in (click to download) from Kiwi Fruitware
And setting it up is as easy as scratching your… … well you get the picture!
When download is completed locate the “SystemSound.prefPane” file with in the “SystemSound Extension” folder.
Double click the “SystemSound.prefPane” file to install the plug-in and choose if the plug-in should have an effect on your account only or all users…
Make sure to mark the “Use shutdown sound”
Unless you already have a sound suitable for this little tweak (remember the sound file needs to be in the .aiff format) this is what we need to find now…
My love fell on a soundfile suitably called
“Shutdown” (hold down [Alt] and click here to download)
In order to use our newly obtained and totally cool sound we need to convert it from a “.wav” file to a “.aiff file” . This is best done by using iTunes. In order to convert our sound-file to the right format we need to configure iTunes…
(If you are an experienced Mac user you might wanna skip the iTunes part)
Open iTunes and choose “iTunes Preferences”
Choose the “Import” button and select “Import Using: AIFF Encoder“ leave settings on “Automatic”
Now we are ready fore the actual conversion and to do so first drag the “shutdown.aif” file from the desktop in to iTunes…
…then (right-click on mouse) or (hold down [ctrl] and click) on the selected tune and choose “Convert Selection to AIFF”
Drag the newly converted .aiff file back to the desktop ready for use.
In order to make this work all fine and dandy you should go to your “Music ” folder on your hard-drive and make and create a new folder called “system fx” or what ever makes you happy and so you doesn’t accidently erase it under influence or something, leaving you very annoyed so you call me in the middle of the night screaming why the f..?#€&! is my Mac not saying goodnight to me as usual… phew… don’t wanna go there!
Finally we just need learn the plug-in and the sound-file to be buddies…
Go to the little blue apple in the upper left corner and choose “System Preferences”
In the bottom of the system preferences menu you’ll find the installed plug-in “SystemSound”
When opened choose the button“Shutdown Sound”
Go to the bottom and choose the “Add Sound” button and give the path Music>System FX>shutdown.aif
Done… Try to restart.
I hope you will have fun.
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Now that was easy. I believe that we need to decide where we want to go, and then we just need to figure out how to get there, using the available means.
And you did it! Good job!
Saw this tip at MacsOnly.com today, very nice… thanks!
It just works!
Wow Mr. Mac Fan… Look at all you had to go through to get a flippin’ shut-down sound. Now, it may have been easier than cake for those of us who know how to use computers well, but one of the Mac’s main target audiences - the computer illiterate - won’t have any kind of an easy time doing something so very simple.
Windows may not be much better, but at least you have complete control over such simple things… Next time you tout the superiority of OperationSucktotheeXtreme over Winblows, just think back to this article…
Just think back to this…
Buffoon Mac Zealots…
Leave it to a PC user to tout useless shit like this as evidence for PC superiority over Macs. Yay, PC’s have games and easy shutdown sounds. Big fuckin’ deal, dummy.
TruthBeacon: “Look at all you had to go through…”
Let’s put it this way: being a Mac user you could easily develop hundreds of these mods with the time you save by not constantly waiting for your PC to reboot.
Yeah, good thing PC makers included all those “easier than cake” functions…I’m sure its certainly worth it since you are still dealing with constant crashing and virus battling.
Unlike Windows users (most of which think AOL is the internet), a large percentage of Mac users WILL “have any kind of an easy time” doing this, as they are both computer-literate and also just plain literate - which is apparently more than we can say for you.
Next time you tout the superiority of your literacy, just think back to this article where you’ve used the two largest words in your vocabulary (buffoon, zealots).
Blind PC Lemmings - still enjoying those POS beige boxes?
I recant all my previous statements. I am an intellectually inferior individual with a hard on for bill gates, and I have a small penis.
Also, I like men…and girls under the age of 6.
Whenever i start my macbook it comes up with “do you want to open soundsystem.app it was downloaded off the internet” pop up box. its really annoying me. It happens every time. Any help would be appreciated, thanks
Having been a pc user and a linux user, and now a mac user, I can safely say, that as a web developer whose familiar with the industry, you really can’t afford an unstable machine. And even Mac users aren’t idiots. We have backup solutions integrated into the OS, such as Time Machine. What does PC have? Microsoft is pushing for a backup solution, but I sure don’t see it beating the functionality of .Mac or Mozy. (Note, Mozy is not affiliated with Apple.) Another thing, Mac users apparently don’t admit to being a pedophile over the internet. I’ve counseled people who have been abused, raped and molested, and if you had any idea of the trauma and emotional pain that they go through, you would probably think twice before making stupid jokes about that.
In all seriousness, UNIX beats windows hands down.
Whenever i start my macbook it comes up with “do you want to open soundsystem.app it was downloaded off the internet” pop up box. its really annoying me. It happens every time. Any help would be appreciated, thanks
reformat then
I used to have my computer play a sound bite from “Taps” when it shut down. Unhappily that computer finally became obsolete. My PowerBook G4 does not do that, but I wish it did.