Quick preamble: prior to this, I was experiencing a similar audio-pausing problem as was discussed in this thread: Audio not working after recent update - #7 by megavolt
I followed the advice within the thread to disable pulseaudio and thereby stop it from perma-interrupting pipewire.
On March 24th, 2025, my package manager told me it had a bunch of updates to install. After ignoring lib32expat, in addition to a few other lib32 repository updates I had already been ignoring on account of them breaking dependencies (specifically libcap, libffi, and pcre2), I authorized the remaining updates with my password and restarted my computer.
After restarting, I, being a tad paranoid at the reliability of my access to sound since the pulseaudio issue, checked my settings so I could run a sound test for my speakers. . . . except I was unable to even start the test, as my sound settings had started reporting “no output devices,” despite my speakers still being connected. Unplugging and replugging the speakers, as well as rebooting my computer, didn’t seem to resolve this issue, either.
So now I turn to here: what happened, and how do I get my computer to see my speakers again?
Ok, define “similar”, please.
Is manjaro-pipewire installed?
Activate again, if pipewire-pulse is not available:
systemctl --user unmask pulseaudio.service
systemctl --user enable pulseaudio.service
systemctl --user start pulseaudio.service
Please post more information about system
inxi -SMAaz
and audio devices
pactl list cards
If pulseaudio.service is not active it should be possible to play audio direct to ALSA devices
aplay -L
~ inxi -SMAaz 1 ✘
System:
Kernel: 6.12.19-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 14.2.1
clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12-x86_64
root=UUID=0eb72c8f-b72d-494e-bbd5-72dcc5d8062e rw quiet splash apparmor=1
security=apparmor udev.log_priority=3
Desktop: GNOME v: 47.5 tk: GTK v: 3.24.49 wm: gnome-shell
tools: gsd-screensaver-proxy dm: GDM v: 47.0 Distro: Manjaro
base: Arch Linux
Machine:
Type: Desktop Mobo: Gigabyte model: B550M DS3H serial: <superuser required>
uuid: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: F14
date: 01/04/2022
Audio:
Device-1: NVIDIA GP108 High Definition Audio vendor: ASUSTeK
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 4
link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 04:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:0fb8
class-ID: 0403
Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Starship/Matisse HD Audio
vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s
lanes: 16 bus-ID: 06:00.4 chip-ID: 1022:1487 class-ID: 0403
API: ALSA v: k6.12.19-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
Server-1: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.4.1 status: active with: wireplumber
status: active tools: pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Server-3: PulseAudio v: 17.0-43-g3e2bb status: off tools: pacat,pactl
~ pactl list cards ✔
Connection failure: Connection refused
pa_context_connect() failed: Connection refused
~ aplay -L 1 ✘
null
Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
lavrate
Rate Converter Plugin Using Libav/FFmpeg Library
samplerate
Rate Converter Plugin Using Samplerate Library
speexrate
Rate Converter Plugin Using Speex Resampler
jack
JACK Audio Connection Kit
oss
Open Sound System
pipewire
PipeWire Sound Server
pulse
PulseAudio Sound Server
speex
Plugin using Speex DSP (resample, agc, denoise, echo, dereverb)
upmix
Plugin for channel upmix (4,6,8)
vdownmix
Plugin for channel downmix (stereo) with a simple spacialization
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=1
HDA NVidia, HDMI 1
HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=2
HDA NVidia, HDMI 2
HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
HDA NVidia, HDMI 3
HDMI Audio Output
usbstream:CARD=NVidia
HDA NVidia
USB Stream Output
default:CARD=Generic
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=Generic
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
Front output / input
surround21:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
HD-Audio Generic, ALC887-VD Analog
7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
usbstream:CARD=Generic
HD-Audio Generic
USB Stream Output
~
Any source of audio I would try to play, be it the test sounds in the settings or a Youtube video, would simply not start, even though my speakers were being recognized. After reading the thread describe a problem like my own, or “similar” to it, I took the steps described within it to resolve the conflict between pipewire and pulseaudio and, for a day, I had sound.
Yes.
Did this; also needed to
systemctl --user unmask pulseaudio.socket
first before it would work. My speakers were instantly found, but then I reverted to the problem where any audio I tried to play got cut off. Had to do some finagling to fix it but I seem to have sound now, so thank you!
~ systemctl --user start pulseaudio.service ✔
~ systemctl --user stop pulseaudio.socket ✔
~ systemctl --user start pulseaudio.socket ✔
~ systemctl --user stop pulseaudio.service ✔
Stopping 'pulseaudio.service', but its triggering units are still active:
pulseaudio.socket
~ systemctl --user stop pulseaudio.socket ✔
~ systemctl --user start pulseaudio.service ✔
~
Taz_pika:
Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.4.1 status: active with: wireplumber
status: active tools: pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Server-3: PulseAudio v: 17.0-43-g3e2bb status: off tools: pacat,pactl
That’s how it looks on my side:
Audio:
Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Hewlett-Packard
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl
bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:a348 class-ID: 0403
Device-2: Logitech Webcam C270 driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo type: USB
rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-5.1:4
chip-ID: 046d:0825 class-ID: 0102 serial: <filter>
API: ALSA v: k6.12.20-2-MANJARO status: kernel-api
tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: jack_control
Server-3: PipeWire v: 1.4.1 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
As you see: pipewire-pulse is operating. I would say: Remove pulseuadio completely. My advice seems to be wrong here. You need to remove pulseaudio completely, not just stopping the service.
Taz_pika:
Yes.
Strange that pipewire-pulse and pipewire-alsa is not running. I believe it is not installed.
BG405
28 March 2025 00:00
7
Installing manjaro-pipewire should actually also remove the pulseaudio components.
I have these
pamac search pipewire | grep Installed
manjaro-pipewire 20231009-1 [Installed] extra
libpipewire 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
lib32-pipewire 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] multilib
lib32-libpipewire 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] multilib
kpipewire 6.3.3-1 [Installed] extra
gst-plugin-pipewire 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
pipewire-pulse 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
pipewire-media-session 1:0.4.2-3 [Installed] extra
pipewire-audio 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
pipewire-alsa 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
pipewire 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
… But, probably due to experimentation on my part (had an issue at some point recently, can’t remember the details):
I also (still?) have these
pamac search pulse | grep Installed
libcanberra 1:0.30+r2+gc0620e4-4 [Installed] extra
lib32-libcanberra 1:0.30+r2+gc0620e4-3 [Installed] multilib
pipewire-pulse 1:1.4.1-1 [Installed] extra
libpulse 17.0+r43+g3e2bb8a1e-1 [Installed] extra
lib32-libpulse 17.0+r43+g3e2bb8a1e-1 [Installed] multilib
pulseaudio-qt 1.7.0-1 [Installed] extra
Most of us probably have that, as it is a required dependency for quite a few applications:
pamac info libpulse
Depends On : bash dbus glib2 glibc libasyncns libsndfile libxcb systemd-libs
Optional Dependencies : pulse-native-provider: PulseAudio backend [Installed]
Required By : ffmpeg ffmpeg4.4 firefox fluidsynth gst-plugins-good kinfocenter libcanberra libopenmpt mpv phonon-qt5
phonon-qt6 pipewire-pulse plasma-pa pulseaudio-qt qt5-multimedia qt6-multimedia
Optional For : alsa-plugins fastfetch mpg123 sdl3 vlc
Provides : libpulse-mainloop-glib.so=0-64 libpulse-simple.so=0-64 libpulse.so=0-64
Replaces : --
Conflicts With : --
1 Like
system
31 March 2025 01:02
9
This topic was automatically closed 3 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.