---
name: "saytime"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "saytime"
version: "1.0-36"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/saytime"
---

# saytime(1)

audio time check

## NAME

saytime - audio time check

## SYNOPSIS

**saytime** \[ **-ch** \] \[ **-d** *dir* \] \[ **-f** *fmt* \] \[ **-o** *dev* \] \[ **-t** *output-type* \]\

## DESCRIPTION

*saytime* speaks the current time through the computer's sound device.

## OPTIONS

- **-v** *factor*

  Increase volume level by factor. Directly passed on to sox.

- **-r** *sec*

  Repeat at the specified interval in background mode.

- **-c**

  Output to stdout.

- **-d** *dir*

  Use sounds from alternate directory (default /usr/share/saytime).

- **-f** *fmt*

  Specify format of time message. (see **FORMAT STRING** below).

- **-h**

  Display simple help.

- **-o** *dev*

  Output to alternate file.  If -t is not specified with -o, -t defaults to ossdsp.

- **-t** *output-type*

  Specify the output type (oss, alsa, etc.); this is passed directly to sox.  If neither -t nor -o is specified, saytime will pick a default destination via sox -d.

## FORMAT STRING

A format string can be specified to control the time message. Valid format characters are:

- %k

  hour, 24-hour clock (00..23)

- %l

  hour, 12-hour clock (01..12)

- %M

  minutes

- %P

  Introductory phrase ('The time is')

- %S

  seconds

- The default format string is %P%l%M%S.

  ## BUGS

Likely a few. It doesn't handle errors gracefully.

## CONTRIBUTORS

Jef Poskanzer (original author),

Patrick J. Edwards \<pje120@mail.usask.ca\>

Charles Briscoe-Smith \<cpbs@debian.org\>

David C Dawson \<beagle7@pacificcoast.net\> (the **-v** and **-r** options)