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pipewire: recommend WirePlumber as session manager #702

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94 changes: 85 additions & 9 deletions src/config/media/pipewire.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -10,22 +10,24 @@ $ pipewire
```

When pipewire works as expected, use the autostarting mechanism of your desktop
environment or [startx](../graphical-session/xorg.md#startx). The `pipewire`
package provides `pipewire` and `pipewire-pulse` system services, but they are
not recommended for a typical setup.
environment or [startx](../graphical-session/xorg.md#startx).

The `pipewire` package ships [Desktop
Entry](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/) files
for `pipewire` and `pipewire-pulse` in `/usr/share/applications`. If your
environment supports the [Desktop Application Autostart
Specification](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html),
you can enable pipewire by symlinking the desktop files to the autostart
we recommend enabling pipewire by symlinking the desktop files to the autostart
directory:

```
# ln -s /usr/share/applications/pipewire.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/pipewire.desktop
```

*Warning*: the `pipewire` package provides `pipewire` and `pipewire-pulse`
system services, but they are experimental and we discourage their use except in
rare cases.

## PulseAudio replacement

Before starting `pipewire-pulse`, make sure that the PulseAudio service is
Expand All @@ -46,11 +48,85 @@ Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 0.3.18)
[...]
```

Once you confirmed that `pipewire-pulse` works as expected, it's recommended to
autostart it from the same place where you start PipeWire. It is possible to
modify [pipewire.conf(5)](https://man.voidlinux.org/pipewire.conf.5) for
auto-starting the PulseAudio server, but it's not recommended keep the PipeWire
configuration file unmodified for smoother future upgrades.
Once you confirmed that `pipewire-pulse` works as expected, we recommend to
autostart it via a PipeWire configuration drop-in:

```
context.exec = [
{ path = "/usr/bin/pipewire" args = "-c pipewire-pulse.conf" }
]
```

Place the above content in a file at either path:

- for per-user configuration (recommended):
`~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-exec-pipewire-pulse.conf`
- for system-wide configuration:
`/etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-exec-pipewire-pulse.conf`

See [pipewire.conf(5)](https://man.voidlinux.org/pipewire.conf.5) and
`/usr/share/pipewire/pipewire.conf` for further details.

Alternatively, you may use the Desktop Application Autostart mechanism:

```
# ln -s /usr/share/applications/pipewire-pulse.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/pipewire-pulse.desktop
```

## Media session

PipeWire is not useful without a session manager.

We recommend using WirePlumber as your session manager, however advanced users
may find utility in the "example PipeWire session manager", media-session.

### WirePlumber

To use WirePlumber, install the `wireplumber` package.

Then, use a PipeWire configuration drop-in to autostart the daemon:

```
context.exec = {
{ path = "/usr/bin/wireplumber" args = "" }
}
```
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@oreo639 oreo639 Jan 23, 2023

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Suggested change
context.exec = {
{ path = "/usr/bin/wireplumber" args = "" }
}
```
context.exec = [
{ path = "/usr/bin/wireplumber" args = "" }
]


Place the above content in a file at either path:

- for per-user configuration (recommended):
`~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-exec-wireplumber.conf`
- for system-wide configuration:
`/etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-exec-wireplumber.conf`

See [pipewire.conf(5)](https://man.voidlinux.org/pipewire.conf.5) and
`/usr/share/pipewire/pipewire.conf` for further details.

Alternatively, you may use the Desktop Application Autostart mechanism:

```
# ln -s /usr/share/applications/wireplumber.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/wireplumber.desktop
```

*Warning*: the `wireplumber` package provides a `wireplumber` system service,
but it is experimental and we discourage its use except for rare cases.

### Example PipeWire session manager

The PipeWire developers publish a PipeWire Media Session program that they
describe as an "example session manager".

The PipeWire developers recommend using WirePlumber instead of this program.

Nevertheless, the example session manager may still be useful to some users
(perhaps those who encounter bugs in WirePlumber).

To use this session manager, install the `pipewire-media-session` package, then
configure the daemon to autostart.

You can use the same autostart mechanisms as `wireplumber`, but use
`/usr/bin/pipewire-media-session` as the daemon path or
`pipewire-media-session.desktop` as the Desktop Application file name.

## Bluetooth audio

Expand Down