bgsounds.sh: Toggle macOS Background Sounds on or off.

bgsounds.sh

#!/bin/sh --

# Toggle macOS Background Sounds on or off.
#
# See the System Settings panel for Accessibility > Audio to change settings
# like the sound played, volume level, and automatic stop.

# `read` returns an integer, but…
if [ $(defaults read com.apple.ComfortSounds 'comfortSoundsEnabled') = 0 ]
then
  newState='true'
  echo 'Starting \c'
else
  newState='false'
  echo 'Stopping \c'
fi
echo 'Background Sounds'

# …`write` only works with Boolean value strings `true` or `false`

# Anecdotally, the sound may not start until it's been turned off, then on again
#defaults write com.apple.ComfortSounds 'comfortSoundsEnabled' -bool false

defaults write com.apple.ComfortSounds 'comfortSoundsEnabled' -bool ${newState}
defaults write com.apple.ComfortSounds 'lastEnablementTimestamp' $(date +%s)
launchctl kill SIGHUP gui/${UID}/com.apple.accessibility.heard

# add logic to test success of the `kill SIGHUP` command above
# if it fails, it may be necessary to force the service to start with the command…
#launchctl kickstart gui/${UID}/com.apple.accessibility.heard

# Or maybe that command should come BEFORE the `SIGHUP`.