Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

RankoKohime · 2015-03-26 04:41:28

I have added the following commands in my default.pa, and when Pulseaudio tries to start, it fails, because it is either trying to load the modules out of order, or trying to load them too fast, I'm not sure which. Loading each of these modules manually, one by one after the server has started, works fine, and produces no errors.

Additionally, removing the sink and source arguments for the loopbacks causes the server to start up without issue, but of course that defeats the purpose of having all this code in default.pa to begin with.

My default.pa

load-module module-null-sink sink_name=podcast_skype sink_properties=device.description="PodcastSkype"
load-module module-null-sink sink_name=muzak sink_properties=device.description="Muzak"
load-module module-loopback sink=alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.iec958-stereo source="muzak.monitor"
load-module module-loopback sink=alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.iec958-stereo source="podcast_skype.monitor"
load-module module-loopback sink="alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo-extra2" source=alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.iec958-stereo.monitor

Output when starting manually:

D: [pulseaudio] conf-parser.c: Parsing configuration file '/home/ranko/.pulse/client.conf'
E: [pulseaudio] main.c: Daemon startup failed.

ETA: Additionally, the loopbacks are all treated as the same thing, i.e., if I mute one loopback, the next time I load the modules, ALL of the loopbacks are muted. Is there some way around that?

Last edited by RankoKohime (2015-03-26 05:05:42)

Knute · 2015-03-26 21:12:43

If you list your sinks does it show your loopbacks? And what are the names specifically? Are they the same as what you used?

pactl list sinks short

should do it.

RankoKohime · 2015-03-26 22:34:08

Knute wrote:

If you list your sinks does it show your loopbacks? And what are the names specifically? Are they the same as what you used?
pactl list sinks short
should do it.

Well, it doesn't list anything, because the server fails to start.

And I did paste the file verbatim, so the names I use are as you see them.

To restate the problem, all of the sinks and loopbacks start perfectly fine when I feed them to pactl one at a time, it's when try to start the server with these lines in ~/.pulse/default.pa that the server fails to start.

Last edited by RankoKohime (2015-03-26 22:34:32)

Knute · 2015-03-26 22:52:27

Does the server start if you comment out the loopbacks?

RankoKohime · 2015-03-26 22:54:45

Knute wrote:

Does the server start if you comment out the loopbacks?

Yes, it starts up with no complaints.

Knute · 2015-03-26 23:19:04

Ok. That says that the part that's not working is the loopbacks.

And after looking up the module-null-sinks and what options that they have, (None btw.) the problem is that you haven't defined anything for pulse audio to monitor.

http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Softwar … /#index3h3

module-null-sink
Provides a simple null sink. All data written to this sink is silently dropped. This sink is clocked using the system time.
This module doesn't support any special parameters.

Have you considered using module-pipe-[source/sink]? They are listed on that same page.

RankoKohime · 2015-03-27 03:56:51

Knute wrote:

Have you considered using module-pipe-[source/sink]? They are listed on that same page.

I haven't, as those don't accomplish what I'm after.

I'm starting the Muzak sink, and the Skype sink, sending specific clients to each, and pulling from those with OBS-Studio, and then looping them both back to iec958, which is where my headphones are hooked up, so that I can hear what's actually occurring on those sinks.

The final sink is just a loopback from my headphone output, to the DisplayPort audio out to my monitor, which I un-mute whenever I don't feel like wearing headphones, and so I don't have to move client streams.

Last edited by RankoKohime (2015-03-27 04:04:43)

RankoKohime · 2015-09-20 21:48:39

As an update to this topic, my issue was that I was placing my commands in ~/.pulse/default.pa, but not including the lines from /etc/pulse/default.pa, as I did not realize that PulseAudio ignores the system file if a user file exists.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-03-26 04:41:28

Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#2 2015-03-26 21:12:43

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#3 2015-03-26 22:34:08

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#4 2015-03-26 22:52:27

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#5 2015-03-26 22:54:45

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#6 2015-03-26 23:19:04

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#7 2015-03-27 03:56:51

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

#8 2015-09-20 21:48:39

Re: Pulseaudio chokes when trying to run default.pa

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