---
name: "grandfatherclock"
section: "6"
platform: "linux"
package: "grandfatherclock"
version: "1.0.2-4"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/grandfatherclock"
---

# grandfatherclock(6)

report time acoustically

## NAME

grandfatherclock - report time acoustically

## SYNOPSIS

**grandfatherclock** \[**-v**\] \[**-f** *config-file*\] \[**-l** *lock-file*\] \[**-q**\] \[**-t** *HHMM*\] \[**-c** *play-command*\] \[**-a** *device*\] \[**-g** *gain*\] \[**-p** *toll-count*\] \[**-d** *audio-dir*\] \[**-1** *audio-file*\] \[**-2** *audio-file*\] \[**-3** *audio-file*\] \[**-4** *audio-file*\] \[**-h** *audio-file*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**grandfatherclock** plays audio files to sound the nearest hour or quarter as directed. Command line arguments and an optional configuration file determine the location of the audio files, and the commands to play them. The file is usually executed every hour or quarter hour by a cron(1) job.

## OPTIONS

Options are set by reading an optional configuration file and then modifying options set by command line arguments.  No more than one configuration file is read.  The configuration file name is the first of: the one named in the command line, the one named in the environment variable, the first readable one named in the FILES section.

- **-f file**

  Specify a configuration file to read.

- **-l file**

  Specify a lock file whose presence inhibits execution.

- **-v**

  Report debugging information.

- **-q**

  Sound the nearest quarter hour.

- **-a device-address**

  **AUDIO\_DEVICE** Write the audio files to this device.

- **-g gain-float**

  **PLAY\_GAIN** Set an overall gain available as %g in the play command.

- **-p toll-count**

  **PAUSE\_BETWEEN\_TOLLS** If nonzero, after each count of tolls, pause for an additional second.

- **-c shell-command**

  **PLAY\_COMMAND** This shell command plays the audio file %f with gain %g to device %a.

- **-d directory**

  **AUDIO\_DIRECTORY** The relative addresses among the audio files are relative to this directory.

- **-1 file**

  **Q1\_FILE** Play this file at the first quarter of the hour.

- **-2 file**

  **Q2\_FILE** Play this file at the half hour.

- **-3 file**

  **Q3\_FILE** Play this file at the third quarter of the hour.

- **-4 file**

  **Q4\_FILE** Play this file at the hour.

- **-h file**

  **TOLL\_FILE** Play this file for each toll.

## EXAMPLES

- **grandfatherclock -?**

  Display the latest options, keys, and defaults.

- **grandfatherclock -q**

  Play the nearest quarter hour and toll the hour if appropriate.

- **grandfatherclock -p 4**

  Toll the hour with a pause between each 4 tolls.

- **crontab -e**

  (Add) 0,15,30,45 \* \* \* \* grandfatherclock -q\
   Emulate a grandfather clock.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **GRANDFATHERCLOCKRC**

  If set, read the configuration from this file.  Command line arguments override the settings in this file.

## FILES

- *$HOME/.grandfatherclockrc*

  Personal configuration file

- */etc/grandfatherclockrc*

  System wide configuration file

## SEE ALSO

**[crontab(1)](/crontab/1.md),** **[crontab(5)](/crontab/5.md)**

## COPYRIGHT

grandfatherclock is Copyright (C) 2000 by Dr. Robert J. Meier\
 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.\
 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.\
 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.