[SOLVED] Unusual Behaviour - Sharing OS files and System Sounds via Startup Applications

[sydbat]

Even I am not sure of the title I just wrote!

A client/friend of mine asked me to do some upgrades with their hardware. They also wanted to try Linux Mint Mate 20.1. OK. So far so good. I added a SATA SD drive and installed LM Mate on it. His original OS (Ubuntu 18.04) was still an option on the old HDD in Grub. Both share the same Home folder (in it's own partition) on the old HDD.

Then things got weird.

After a couple of weeks, they told me they had been trying to get the startup sound working when booting up. They had looked up a bunch of things to try that should have gotten this to work. No joy. I said I would pop over and have a look.

When I was looking at what they had done (adding a Startup Sound entry to the Startup Applications app), things seemed fine, at least according to the articles they had referenced. So I checked to make sure the pathways were correct, which they seemed to be. At this point, they mentioned that they had lost the startup sound on their Ubuntu install as well. "That shouldn't happen, right?" No. It shouldn't.

I delved deeper and found that, in the Startup Sound entry, changing the pathway while in Ubuntu (in it's own partition on a separate drive) also changed the pathway in LM Mate. And vice versa. What the actual

I joke that it is because their computer is haunted, but I have never seen this behaviour before. What could be the cause? How can these two completely separate OS's, on different physical drives, effect anything like this with each other?

As far as I can tell, everything else is working perfectly fine. Only this weird behaviour, which was found because they like to hear a sound when they boot up.

Thanks in advance.

[Flemur]

(adding a Startup Sound entry to the Startup Applications app), things seemed fine, at least according to the articles they had referenced. So I checked to make sure the pathways were correct, which they seemed to be. At this point, they mentioned that they had lost the startup sound on their Ubuntu install as well. "That shouldn't happen, right?" No. It shouldn't.

Well, it should happen because Startup applications done per user and defined in $HOME.

[Moem]

After a couple of weeks, they told me they had been trying to get the startup sound working when booting up.

Mint has this by default and I have never ever witnessed it not working, so as far as I'm concerned, that's where the weirdness starts.

[sydbat]

(adding a Startup Sound entry to the Startup Applications app), things seemed fine, at least according to the articles they had referenced. So I checked to make sure the pathways were correct, which they seemed to be. At this point, they mentioned that they had lost the startup sound on their Ubuntu install as well. "That shouldn't happen, right?" No. It shouldn't.

Well, it should happen because Startup applications done per user and defined in $HOME.

Losing the startup sound for both OS's should not happen. If I change the path to the startup sound in Mint, when I boot into Mint the sound should be there. Or am I missing something?

After a couple of weeks, they told me they had been trying to get the startup sound working when booting up.

Mint has this by default and I have never ever witnessed it not working, so as far as I'm concerned, that's where the weirdness starts.

ikr. Startup sound that was working before in the Ubuntu install, now no longer works since introducing a separate OS.

[AndyMH]

They don't share the same home with the same username do they?

[sydbat]

They don't share the same home with the same username do they?

Yes they do. But that should not stop both from getting the startup sound.

[AndyMH]

Yes they do. But that should not stop both from getting the startup sound.

Yes it will, you have the same set of config files for both OSes. Change one and it will change the other. If you want to avoid this either use a different home partition for each OS or different user names. What you have done is not recommended.

[rickNS]

Mint has this by default and I have never ever witnessed it not working, so as far as I'm concerned, that's where the weirdness starts.

Mint "Cinnamon" has startup sound by default, yes, but op stated

They also wanted to try Linux Mint Mate 20.1

Mint MATE does not play sound on startup by default, (hasn't for at least a few versions ) It is easy enough to implement though.

As @AndyMH said;

What you have done is not recommended.

Sharing a /home between two completely different Linuxes, (yes Mint based on Ubuntu, but not the "same") I'm surprised this is the only problem you have come across.

[Moem]

Mint MATE does not play sound on startup by default, (hasn't for at least a few versions )

Thanks, I had no idea.

[sydbat]

It turns out that Mint does not come with sox pre-installed. As soon as I installed that, then added 'play' in front of the source string in the Startup Applications entry, everything works perfectly.