Pipewire
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Pipewire is the new sound system on Linux, meant to replace Pulseaudio.
Links
References
Configuration files:
- /usr/share/pipewire
- /usr/share/wireplumber
Commands
# View status
systemctl --user status pipewire
# Use PipeWire instead of JACK
pw-jack SOMEAPP
# PipeWire process viewer (quantum usage...)
pw-top
# Setup sinks, sources, audio devices
pw-link
qjackctl # Graphical tool, leveraging on JACK
qpwgraph # Alternative, pipewire native
# Get settings
pw-metadata -n settings
# Set settings
pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.rate 48000
pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.allowed-rates '[ 48000, 96000, 44100 ]'
# Command line
pw-cli
> info all
Configuration
- Package configuration files are located in /usr/share/pipewire and /usr/share/wireplumber.
- To change them, copy and edit them in /etc/pipewire (system-wide) or ~/.config/pipewire (local changes).
- pipewire-pulse.conf
- A single section can also be updated through a file in /etc/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/ or ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/
cat /usr/share/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf
# # PulseAudio config file for PipeWire version "0.3.50" #
# #
# # Copy and edit this file in /etc/pipewire for system-wide changes
# # or in ~/.config/pipewire for local changes.
# #
# # It is also possible to place a file with an updated section in
# # for system-wide changes or in
# # ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/ for local changes.
- One can see current module configuration with
pactl
:
pactl list modules # See active modules and their config
Troubleshooting
Setting and keeping bluetooth profile for headset
We want to use the profile sbc sbc_xq
for our BT headset Sony WH-1000XM3.
- Set the profile manually - profile should be persistent on reboot / reconnect.
- In principe WirePlumber should remember the last selected profile.
- See [1]
# See available profile and device id with 'pactl list'
pactl set-card-profile bluez_card.38_18_4C_4B_6A_3A a2dp-sink-sbc_xq
- Configure profile
- When using pipewire-media-session, the default profile could be selected in bluez-monitor.conf, but this file no longer exists with WirePlumber.
- (UPDATE - Archlinux - Pipewire) Edit /etc/wireplumber/bluetooth.lua.d/51-bluez-config.lua (or ~/.config/wireplumber/bluetooth.lua.d/51-bluez-config.lua):
bluez_monitor.properties = {
["bluez5.enable-sbc-xq"] = true,
["bluez5.enable-msbc"] = true,
["bluez5.codecs"] = "[sbc sbc_xq]",
}
Crackling / Stuttering audio
This applies in a VM. Not sure these apply when PipeWire is run on the host.
- https://superuser.com/questions/1646216/fedora-34-vmware-workstation-vm-upgraded-from-fedora-33-has-audio-crackling
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/issues/469
Note that recent PipeWire already supports different auto-config if running in a vm [2].
Enable multi-user / network audio
- References
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/wikis/Network
- Multi-user audio sharing with PipeWire - archlinux forum
- PipeWire issue 847
- Sharing unix socket between multiple users
- TODO An advanced config that allows to share the unix socket, for even lower latency. Use case was specifically for streaming audio coming from a VM!
Currently PipeWire support sharing through network using Pulse, but auth-anonymous is always turned on (auth-ip-acl
not implemented).
- (pipewire 0.3.50+) On the main user, create file ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/multi-user-zeroconf.conf
# This config file is a refinement of config file /usr/share/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.
# We listen to network socket to enable multi-user / network playback.
# LIMITATION: The laptop speaker is advertised by zeroconf, but playback fails. Playback through BT headset is ok though.
# LIMITATION: auth-ip-acl might not work
# LIMITATION: We listen to ipv4 0.0.0.0 only, and use firewall to further restrict access to private network only.
context.exec = [
{ path = "pactl" args = "load-module module-native-protocol-tcp auth-ip-acl=127.0.0.1 listen=0.0.0.0" }
{ path = "pactl" args = "load-module module-zeroconf-publish" }
]
# # Below, an alternative way for multi-user / network (however we still need zeroconf above)
# # Note that this method doesn't load the native-protocol-tcp module
# pulse.properties = {
# # the addresses this server listens on
# server.address = [
# "unix:native"
# "tcp:4713" # IPv4 and IPv6 on all addresses
# # "tcp:127.0.0.1:4713" # IPv4 on a single address
# #
# #{ address = "tcp:4713" # address
# # max-clients = 64 # maximum number of clients
# # listen-backlog = 32 # backlog in the server listen queue
# # client.access = "restricted" # permissions for clients
# #}
# ]
# # vm.overrides = {
# # pulse.min.quantum = 1024/48000 # 22ms
# # }
# }
- Note: we CANNOT edit pipewire-pulse.conf or any system-level file (like in /etc/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.d) because the TCP socket would already be used, and service would fail to load.
- Now, restart pipewire-pulse, and check it works:
# We must restart the SOCKET (this also restart the SERVICE)
systemctl --user restart pipewire-pulse.socket
PULSE_SERVER=tcp:127.0.0.1:4713 pactl info
PULSE_SERVER=unix:/run/user/1000/pulse/native pactl info
- On the secondary user:
# We can either export this variable
export PULSE_SERVER=127.0.0.1 # OR ...
export PULSE_SERVER=tcp:127.0.0.1:4713
PULSE_SERVER=127.0.0.1 pactl info
- Or we can edit ~/.pulse/client.conf like we did with PulseAudio:
default-server = 127.0.0.1
- Note: make sure the port is allowed in the firewall as well.
- On the remote client, use the module PipeWire Module: Pulse Tunnel:
# ################# NOT TESTED #############################
context.modules = [
{ name = libpipewire-module-pulse-tunnel
args = {
tunnel.mode = playback
# Set the remote address to tunnel to
pulse.server.address = "tcp:192.168.1.126"
#audio.rate=<sample rate>
#audio.channels=<number of channels>
#audio.position=<channel map>
#node.target=<remote target node>
stream.props = {
# extra sink properties
}
}
}
]
- We can also use the PipeWire Module: Zeroconf Discover, that will automatically create sinks/sources to/from remote PulseAudio servers.
context.modules = [
{ name = libpipewire-module-zeroconf-discover
args = { }
}
]
- VMWare VM
- We cannot get audio to work on VMWare VM, under user vbox, although same user can play audio file with eg
mplayer
. - Instead we share the pipewire unix socket, as explained here.
- Pipewire unix socket for main user is located at /run/user/1000/pipewire-0:
ss -lpn | grep pipewire-0
# u_str LISTEN 0 4096 /run/user/1000/pipewire-0 26175 * 0 users:(("pipewire",pid=2207,fd=3),("systemd",pid=2190,fd=32))
- We must share this socket with user
vbox
, but keeping some access control. - We create a folder /mnt/pipewire, with access for group
audio
, and we add uservbox
to that group.
sudo mkdir /mnt/pipewire
sudo chgrp audio /mnt/pipewire
sudo chmod 750 /mnt/pipewire
sudo gpasswd -a vbox audio
- We add a binding mount point in fstab, that can be mounted by user (option
user
):
# Pipewire audio sharing (for user vbox). This requires:
# sudo mkdir /mnt/pipewire
# sudo chgrp audio /mnt/pipewire
# sudo chmod 750 /mnt/pipewire
# sudo gpasswd -a vbox audio
/run/user/1000/pipewire-0 /mnt/pipewire/pipewire-0 none bind,rw,user,noauto 0 0
- We add systemd override to
pipewire.socket
, to mount/umount that point automatically.
systemctl edit --user pipewire.socket
# [Socket]
# ExecStartPost=/bin/mount /mnt/pipewire/pipewire-0
# ExecStopPre=/bin/umount /mnt/pipewire/pipewire-0
- As user vbox, simply add to ~vbox/.profile:
export PIPEWIRE_RUNTIME_DIR=/mnt/pipewire