Bell Stops Working on Xenix.

[Tony Olekshy]

I seem to have managed to have lost the original to which I was planning to
post this response, but I too have found that there are times when changing
multiscreens at the console, while the speaker is active (ASCII BEL), results
in the speaker being disabled.

I once thought that only a reboot would restore speaker operation, but on
occasion (twice?) I have left the machine alone, but running, for a couple
days and when I returned the speaker was operational again.

		1) Does this problem still occur (2.2.>)?
		2) What causes the problem?
		3) How can we make it stop (start ;-)?

Note that I have observed this on 2.1.3, but I think the previous poster of
these symptoms was on 2.2.?.  (Fact: I once sent a letter explaining this to
SCO and I received a response informing me that the ASCII BEL character has
octal value 07.  I suppose it just isn't reasonable to have the system experts
in the front-line support defense.  Oh well, thanks anyway. |-)

Now just in case any of you are wondering "bell, what for you want bell?", the
"^[[=f;tB" escape (OS Release Notes, 7.4, console(M-HW), page 26, TFM XG86/286-
1-27-86-2.1.0) allows you to make different noises with BEL (f is related to
the frequency of the noise, t the duration).  With 10 terminals available at a
keystoke each, I just start up processes in the foreground and change terminal.
I also append a ";alarm" to the command, and alarm sends out a different
"tune" for each of the terminals--I know not only when a job is done, but
where as well.  However, the BEL only makes a noise while you are viewing
the terminal it is writing on, so alarm opens up all 10 screens and blasts
'em.  Therefore, if you change ANY terminal while alarm is running, you are
risking the problem described in this article.

Yours, etc., Tony Olekshy (<smart>!alberta!oha!tony, +1 403 425 9657).