KDE Bedtime

I built this quickly....maybe too quickly.

It plays a random audio file and shows a desktop notification on KDE (or any Linux desktop with notify-send and PulseAudio/PipeWire).

Why

I needed something to remind me to go to bed. I don't always see the desktop clock, I keep my phone face down after work, and other reasons.

Why put this on GitHub? It backs it up and might be something someone else can use.

What it does

• Picks a random .ogg, .mp3, or .wav from a folder.
• Shows a critical notification with the file name (bypasses Do Not Disturb).
• Plays the audio with paplay.
• Can be installed as a systemd user service to run automatically at a scheduled time.

Requirements

• notify-send (usually in libnotify-bin)
• PulseAudio or PipeWire with paplay
• Audio files in a directory you control

Setup

Quick Installation (Recommended)

1. Run the installation script:

   chmod +x install.sh
   ./install.sh

   This will:

   • Copy the script to ~/.local/bin/bedtime-reminder.sh
   • Copy bundled sounds to ~/.local/share/bedtime-reminder/Sounds
   • Auto-configure your username and the default audio directory
   • Prompt for your bedtime and whether to use bundled sounds
   • Set AUDIO_DIR and install systemd service and timer files
   • Enable and start the timer at your chosen time (defaults to 23:00)
   • Play a test notification and sound to confirm everything works once installed

2. To customize the schedule later, edit ~/.config/systemd/user/bedtime-reminder.timer and change the OnCalendar value, then run:

   systemctl --user daemon-reload
   systemctl --user restart bedtime-reminder.timer

Manual Setup

1. Edit KDEBedtime.sh and set your username and audio directory (required for manual setup):

   USER_NAME="your_username"
   AUDIO_DIR="/path/to/your/audio/files"

2. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x KDEBedtime.sh

3. If you want the bundled sounds, copy them and set AUDIO_DIR to match:

   mkdir -p ~/.local/share/bedtime-reminder
   cp -r Sounds ~/.local/share/bedtime-reminder/

Usage

As a Service

Once installed, the timer runs automatically. Useful commands:

# Check timer status
systemctl --user status bedtime-reminder.timer

# List all active timers
systemctl --user list-timers

# Test the service manually
systemctl --user start bedtime-reminder.service

# View logs
journalctl --user -u bedtime-reminder.service

# Stop the timer
systemctl --user stop bedtime-reminder.timer

# Disable the timer (won't start on login)
systemctl --user disable bedtime-reminder.timer

# If it triggers on login, the service was enabled; disable it
systemctl --user disable --now bedtime-reminder.service

Manual Run

./KDEBedtime.sh

Using Your Own Sounds

The installer will ask if you want to use bundled sounds or provide your own directory during installation.

If you chose bundled sounds, they're located at:

~/.local/share/bedtime-reminder/Sounds

To switch to custom audio files after installation:

1. Put your .ogg, .mp3, or .wav files in a folder you control.

2. Edit ~/.local/bin/bedtime-reminder.sh and set AUDIO_DIR to that folder.

3. Restart the timer so the change applies:

   systemctl --user restart bedtime-reminder.timer

Uninstall

To remove the service:

./uninstall.sh

Notes

• This is Wayland-friendly and uses XDG_RUNTIME_DIR and the user D-Bus socket instead of Xorg variables.
• It works best as a systemd user service or when run from your logged-in session.
• If you are not logged in, the user runtime directory and session bus are not available, so notifications and audio will fail.

Troubleshooting

• "No audio files found": double-check AUDIO_DIR and file extensions.
• Notifications not showing: verify notify-send is installed and your DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and XDG_RUNTIME_DIR are correct.
• Audio not playing: confirm paplay works from your terminal and that your audio server is running.
• Triggers on login: make sure the service is not enabled and only the timer is enabled.

License

This project's code is licensed under GPL-3.0. See the LICENSE file for details.

Note: The bundled sound files in the Sounds/ directory have separate licenses from third-party sources. See Sounds/LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

• Quack sound: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/075176-duck-quack-40345/
• Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay
• Ducktoy: https://quicksounds.com/sound/22456/duck-toy-sound
• Inspiration: https://github.com/elly-code/reminduck
• First bug tester: Chris (Thank you)