Linux (ALSA) command line alarm clock

gistfile1.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby

# Linux (ALSA) command line alarm clock
# written in Ruby, but you can use any language you like.

# store original volume and set volume to 100%
original_volume = `amixer get Master | grep 'Front Left' | cut -d ' ' -f 6`.chop.to_i
`amixer set Master front 65536`

# I'm using 'Alarm Clock 2' from http://www.pacdv.com/sounds/domestic_sounds.html
`aplay ~/Downloads/alarm_clock_2.wav > /dev/null`
# it only lasts twelve seconds, so you may wish to wrap it in a 5.times {} block.

# set volume back to original
`amixer set Master front #{original_volume.to_s}`

# you can invoke this from a crontab or use the 'at' command (look it up
# in the man pages