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Hi everyone,
After fours years of Fedora I decided to switch to Arch. Before I make the full switch I wanted to learn a bit more about configuring and controlling my new system so I am using a spare Dell 7040 Micro that I had to become more familiar. After going over the Arch installation guide and also setting up my window manager I decided it was time to follow up with the sound system. I followed the Arch Wiki guide and I alsa-utils, alsa-firmware, pipewire, pipewire-audio, pipewire-pulse and wireplumber. After that I enabled and and started all the relevant service units. Specifically: alsa-restore.service, pipewire.service, pipewire-pulse.service and the wireplumber.service. system. Systemctl shows them as active:
● alsa-restore.service - Save/Restore Sound Card State
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/alsa-restore.service; static)
Active: active (exited) since Fri 2025-10-17 16:03:35 EDT; 6min ago
Invocation: 5d4684ba4ca5469189cb3345959abace
Process: 481 ExecStart=/usr/bin/alsactl restore (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 481 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Mem peak: 1.7M
CPU: 9ms ● pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-10-17 16:03:42 EDT; 6min ago
Invocation: 5c8ecce38fb94f5b81991dbbf09dcaa4
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire-pulse.socket
Main PID: 549 (pipewire-pulse)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 9292)
Memory: 3.1M (peak: 3.4M)
CPU: 26ms
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire-pulse.service
└─549 /usr/bin/pipewire-pulse
Oct 17 16:03:42 dell-client-1 systemd[536]: Started PipeWire PulseAudio.
● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; disabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-10-17 16:03:42 EDT; 6min ago
Invocation: 3b64b14217364fc9b942eb2c1e702e63
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire.socket
Main PID: 547 (pipewire)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 9292)
Memory: 6.6M (peak: 6.9M)
CPU: 46ms
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire.service
└─547 /usr/bin/pipewire
Oct 17 16:03:42 dell-client-1 systemd[536]: Started PipeWire Multimedia Service.
● wireplumber.service - Multimedia Service Session Manager
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/wireplumber.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-10-17 16:03:42 EDT; 6min ago
Invocation: de196f4eead042afae790303a34a5fd4
Main PID: 548 (wireplumber)
Tasks: 6 (limit: 9292)
Memory: 11.3M (peak: 12.1M)
CPU: 208ms
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/wireplumber.service
└─548 /usr/bin/wireplumberAfter installing what I needed based on the wiki and checking that the services are running I proceeded to test the build-in speaker of the dell as well as the HDMI/DP output to my monitor where I have my headphones connected. For testing I used the speaker-test utility. I first found the card and device names using aplay -Ll. You can see the output:
null
Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
pipewire
PipeWire Sound Server
default
Default ALSA Output (currently PipeWire Media Server)
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
Front output / input
surround21:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, ALC3234 Analog
7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
HDA Intel PCH, S34J55x
HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=2
HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
HDMI Audio Output
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC3234 Analog [ALC3234 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [S34J55x]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0The speaker-sound test passed with both the build-in speaker and the headphones performing the sound test. Which based on my understanding establishes that the devices can operate properly. Now when I used wpctl status to see what sinks I have available I got the following output:
PipeWire 'pipewire-0' [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, cookie:2841250233]
└─ Clients:
32. WirePlumber [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:548]
33. pipewire [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:549]
46. WirePlumber [export] [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:548]
57. xdg-desktop-portal [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:688]
58. xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:738]
59. Firefox [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:764]
60. Firefox [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:764]
61. wpctl [1.4.9, test-user@dell-client-1, pid:2426]
Audio
├─ Devices:
│ 47. Built-in Audio [alsa]
│
├─ Sinks:
│ * 54. Built-in Audio Analog Stereo [vol: 0.40]
│
├─ Sources:
│ 55. Built-in Audio Analog Stereo [vol: 1.00]
│
├─ Filters:
│
└─ Streams:
Video
├─ Devices:
│
├─ Sinks:
│
├─ Sources:
│
├─ Filters:
│
└─ Streams:
Settings
└─ Default Configured Devices:I cannot see the HDMI connection as a sink. I assumed that would be the case since my desktop PC that runs fedora shows it and I can change and control it with wpctl. The output from my desktop is:
PipeWire 'pipewire-0' [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, cookie:160040734]
└─ Clients:
32. uresourced [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2030]
33. WirePlumber [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2034]
34. pipewire [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2036]
48. libcanberra [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:5546]
49. WirePlumber [export] [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2034]
50. kwin_wayland [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2041]
51. libcanberra [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2192]
86. [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:5546]
88. plasmashell [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:5546]
92. [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2192]
97. xdg-desktop-portal [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2063]
102. Firefox [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:3481]
103. [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:2192]
104. Firefox [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:3481]
108. speech-dispatcher-dummy [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:9573]
121. wpctl [1.2.8, user@desktop-pc, pid:25917]
Audio
├─ Devices:
│ 59. NexiGo N930AF FHD Webcam [alsa]
│ 66. USB Audio [alsa]
│ 93. Navi 31 HDMI/DP Audio [alsa]
│
├─ Sinks:
│ 55. USB Audio Front Headphones [vol: 1.00]
│ * 72. USB Audio Speakers [vol: 1.00]
│ 89. USB Audio S/PDIF Output [vol: 0.40]
│ 111. Navi 31 HDMI/DP Audio Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) [vol: 0.56]
│
├─ Sources:
│ * 46. NexiGo N930AF FHD Webcam Mono [vol: 1.00]
│ 83. USB Audio Line Input [vol: 1.00]
│ 84. USB Audio Microphone [vol: 1.00]
│
├─ Filters:
│
└─ Streams:
41. speech-dispatcher-dummy
105. output_FL > USB Audio:playback_FL [init]
107. output_FR > USB Audio:playback_FR [init]
99. Firefox
98. output_FR > USB Audio:playback_FR [init]
123. output_FL > USB Audio:playback_FL [init]
Video
├─ Devices:
│ 36. NexiGo N930AF FHD Webcam: NexiG [libcamera]
│ 90. NexiGo N930AF FHD Webcam [v4l2]
│ 96. NexiGo N930AF FHD Webcam [v4l2]
│
├─ Sinks:
│
├─ Sources:
│ * 47. NexiGo N930AF FHD Webcam (V4L2)
│
├─ Filters:
│
└─ Streams:
61. plasmashell
64. input_1 < kwin_wayland:output_1 [init]
110. plasmashell
120. input_1 < kwin_wayland:output_1 [init]
114. kwin_wayland
126. output_1 > plasmashell:input_1 [init]
116. kwin_wayland
101. output_1 > plasmashell:input_1 [init]
Settings
└─ Default Configured Devices:
0. Audio/Sink alsa_output.usb-Generic_USB_Audio-00.HiFi__Speaker__sinkOn my desktop the whole configuration was not done by me since I use Fedora KDE so the desktop environment was pre-configured. So far with wpctl I can control the build-in speaker but I cannot change the output to the HDMI/DP connection that I have. I went over the documentation for WirePlumber and PipeWire but while I am okay reading technical documentation they both went a bit over my head and I could not figure out what I possibly have mis-configured or not configured at all. I have tried for the last two days to figure out what is going on using playing alsa with tools like amixer and alsamixer, searching online in case this has already happened and someone else solved it but I could not find something that solved my problem so far.
Has anyone encountered the same problem and solved it or can guide me as to what I might need to do further to complete or correct the current configuration?
Last edited by johndavis (Yesterday 20:45:42)
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Hi. How about just copy/paste working all fedora/kde configs from there to arch. then just edit a bit if needed?
Otherwise sound stack is too complex even for technical people im afraid.
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