How To Send Audio From Pulseaudio Remote To Pipewire?

Apr 25, 2025 by ADMIN 54 views

How to Send Audio from PulseAudio Remote to Pipewire

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Introduction

In this article, we will explore the process of sending audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system. This is particularly useful for those who want to stream audio from a remote system to a local system, or for those who want to use Pipewire as their default audio system but still want to use PulseAudio on a remote system.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure that you have the following prerequisites:

A remote system running PulseAudio
A local system running Pipewire
The pulseaudio and pipewire packages installed on both systems
The module-zeroconf-discover and module-native-protocol-tcp modules loaded on the remote system

Configuring PulseAudio on the Remote System

To configure PulseAudio on the remote system, you will need to modify the ~/.config/pulse/default.pa file. Add the following lines to the end of the file:

.include /etc/pulse/default.pa
load-module module-zeroconf-discover
load-module module-native-protocol-tcp auth-ip-acl=127.0.0.1

This will load the module-zeroconf-discover module, which will allow PulseAudio to discover and connect to other PulseAudio systems on the network. The load-module module-native-protocol-tcp auth-ip-acl=127.0.0.1 line will load the module-native-protocol-tcp module, which will allow PulseAudio to connect to other PulseAudio systems using TCP.

Configuring Pipewire on the Local System

To configure Pipewire on the local system, you will need to modify the ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf file. Add the following lines to the end of the file:

[module-pulseaudio-remotes]
enabled = true

This will enable the module-pulseaudio-remotes module, which will allow Pipewire to connect to PulseAudio systems on the network.

Connecting to the PulseAudio Remote System

To connect to the PulseAudio remote system, you will need to use the pactl command. Run the following command on the local system:

pactl load-module module-pulseaudio-remotes

This will load the module-pulseaudio-remotes module, which will allow Pipewire to connect to the PulseAudio remote system.

Verifying the Connection

To verify the connection, you can use the pactl command to list the available audio devices. Run the following command on the local system:

pactl list short sinks

This will list the available audio devices, including the remote PulseAudio system.

Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing issues with the connection, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:

Check that the module-zeroconf-discover and module-native-protocol-tcp modules are loaded on the remote system.
Check that the module-pulseaudio-remotes module is enabled on the local system.
Check that the remote PulseAudio system is discoverable by running the following command on the remote system:

pulseaudio --discover

This will list available PulseAudio systems on the network.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored the process of sending audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system. We have covered the prerequisites, configuring PulseAudio on the remote system, configuring Pipewire on the local system, connecting to the PulseAudio remote system, verifying the connection, and troubleshooting common issues. With these steps, you should be able to successfully send audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system.

Additional Resources

For more information on PulseAudio and Pipewire, you can refer to the following resources:

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Q: What is the difference between PulseAudio and Pipewire?

A: PulseAudio and Pipewire are both audio systems, but they have different architectures and design goals. PulseAudio is a traditional audio system that uses a client-server architecture, where the client (e.g. a media player) sends audio data to the server (e.g. the PulseAudio daemon), which then sends the audio data to the audio hardware. Pipewire, on the other hand, is a more modern audio system that uses a peer-to-peer architecture, where the audio data is sent directly between the client and the audio hardware, without the need for a central server.

Q: Why would I want to send audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system?

A: There are several reasons why you might want to send audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system. For example, you might want to use Pipewire as your default audio system, but still want to use PulseAudio on a remote system. Alternatively, you might want to stream audio from a remote system to a local system, and Pipewire provides a more efficient and flexible way to do this.

Q: What are the system requirements for sending audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system?

A: The system requirements for sending audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system are as follows:

A remote system running PulseAudio
A local system running Pipewire
The pulseaudio and pipewire packages installed on both systems
The module-zeroconf-discover and module-native-protocol-tcp modules loaded on the remote system
The module-pulseaudio-remotes module enabled on the local system

Q: How do I configure PulseAudio on the remote system?

A: To configure PulseAudio on the remote system, you will need to modify the ~/.config/pulse/default.pa file. Add the following lines to the end of the file:

.include /etc/pulse/default.pa
load-module module-zeroconf-discover
load-module module-native-protocol-tcp auth-ip-acl=127.0.0.1

Q: How do I configure Pipewire on the local system?

A: To configure Pipewire on the local system, you will need to modify the ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf file. Add the following lines to the end of the file:

[module-pulseaudio-remotes]
enabled = true

This will enable the module-pulseaudio-remotes module, which will allow Pipewire to connect to PulseAudio systems on the network.

Q: How do I connect to the PulseAudio remote system?

A: To connect to the PulseAudio remote system, you will need to use the pactl command. Run the following command on the local system:

pactl load-module module-pulseaudio-remotes

This will load the module-pulseaudio-remotes module, which will allow Pipewire to connect to the PulseAudio remote system.

Q: How do I verify the connection?

A: To verify the connection, you can use the pactl command to list the available audio devices. Run the following command on the local system:

pactl list short sinks

This will list the available audio devices, including the remote PulseAudio system.

Q: What are some common issues that I might encounter when sending audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system?

A: Some common issues that you might encounter when sending audio from a PulseAudio remote system to a Pipewire system include:

The module-zeroconf-discover and module-native-protocol-tcp modules not being loaded on the remote system
The module-pulseaudio-remotes module not being enabled on the local system
The remote PulseAudio system not being discoverable
Issues with the network connection between the remote and local systems

Q: How do I troubleshoot common issues?

A: To troubleshoot common issues, you can try the following steps:

Check that the module-zeroconf-discover and module-native-protocol-tcp modules are loaded on the remote system
Check that the module-pulseaudio-remotes module is enabled on the local system
Check that the remote PulseAudio system is discoverable by running the following command on the remote system:

pulseaudio --discover