Provided by: libpipewire-0.3-modules_1.0.5-1ubuntu3_amd64 
NAME
libpipewire-module-protocol-pulse - Protocol Pulse
DESCRIPTION
This module implements a complete PulseAudio server on top of PipeWire.
This is only the server implementation, client are expected to use the original PulseAudio client
library. This provides a high level of compatibility with existing applications; in fact, all usual
PulseAudio tools such as pavucontrol, pactl, pamon, paplay should continue to work as they did before.
This module is usually loaded as part of a standalone pipewire process, called pipewire-pulse, with the
pipewire-pulse.conf config file.
The pulse server implements a sample cache that is otherwise not available in PipeWire.
MODULE NAME
libpipewire-module-protocol-pulse
MODULE OPTIONS
The module arguments can be the contents of the pulse.properties but it is recommended to make a separate
pulse.properties section in the config file so that overrides can be done.
PULSE.PROPERTIES
A config section with server properties can be given.
pulse.properties = {
# the addresses this server listens on
server.address = [
"unix:native"
#"unix:/tmp/something" # absolute paths may be used
#"tcp:4713" # IPv4 and IPv6 on all addresses
#"tcp:[::]:9999" # IPv6 on all addresses
#"tcp:127.0.0.1:8888" # IPv4 on a single address
#
#{ address = "tcp:4713" # address
# max-clients = 64 # maximum number of clients
# listen-backlog = 32 # backlog in the server listen queue
# client.access = "restricted" # permissions for clients
#}
]
#pulse.min.req = 128/48000 # 2.7ms
#pulse.default.req = 960/48000 # 20 milliseconds
#pulse.min.frag = 128/48000 # 2.7ms
#pulse.default.frag = 96000/48000 # 2 seconds
#pulse.default.tlength = 96000/48000 # 2 seconds
#pulse.min.quantum = 128/48000 # 2.7ms
#pulse.default.format = F32
#pulse.default.position = [ FL FR ]
# These overrides are only applied when running in a vm.
vm.overrides = {
pulse.min.quantum = 1024/48000 # 22ms
}
}
Connection options
...
server.address = [
"unix:native"
# "tcp:4713"
]
...
The addresses the server listens on when starting. Uncomment the tcp:4713 entry to also make the server
listen on a tcp socket. This is equivalent to loading libpipewire-module-native-protocol-tcp.
There is also a slightly more verbose syntax with more options:
....
server.address = [
{ address = "tcp:4713" # address
max-clients = 64 # maximum number of clients
listen-backlog = 32 # backlog in the server listen queue
client.access = "restricted" # permissions for clients
}
....
Use client.access to use one of the access methods to restrict the permissions given to clients connected
via this address.
By default network access is given the 'restricted' permissions. The session manager is responsible for
assigning permission to clients with restricted permissions (usually read-only permissions).
Playback buffering options
pulse.min.req = 128/48000 # 2.7ms
The minimum amount of data to request for clients. The client requested values will be clamped to this
value. Lowering this value together with tlength can decrease latency if the client wants this, but
increase CPU overhead.
pulse.default.req = 960/48000 # 20 milliseconds
The default amount of data to request for clients. If the client does not specify any particular value,
this default will be used. Lowering this value together with tlength can decrease latency but increase
CPU overhead.
pulse.default.tlength = 96000/48000 # 2 seconds
The target amount of data to buffer on the server side. If the client did not specify a value, this
default will be used. Lower values can decrease the latency.
Record buffering options
pulse.min.frag = 128/48000 # 2.7ms
The minimum allowed size of the capture buffer before it is sent to a client. The requested value of the
client will be clamped to this. Lowering this value can reduce latency at the expense of more CPU usage.
pulse.default.frag = 96000/48000 # 2 seconds
The default size of the capture buffer before it is sent to a client. If the client did not specify any
value, this default will be used. Lowering this value can reduce latency at the expense of more CPU
usage.
Scheduling options
pulse.min.quantum = 128/48000 # 2.7ms
The minimum quantum (buffer size in samples) to use for pulseaudio clients. This value is calculated
based on the frag and req/tlength for record and playback streams respectively and then clamped to this
value to ensure no pulseaudio client asks for too small quantums. Lowering this value might decrease
latency at the expense of more CPU usage.
Format options
pulse.default.format = F32
Some modules will default to this format when no other format was given. This is equivalent to the
PulseAudio default-sample-format option in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf.
pulse.default.position = [ FL FR ]
Some modules will default to this channelmap (with its number of channels). This is equivalent to the
PulseAudio default-sample-channels and default-channel-map options in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf.
VM options
vm.overrides = {
pulse.min.quantum = 1024/48000 # 22ms
}
When running in a VM, the vm.override section will override the properties in pulse.properties with the
given values. This might be interesting because VMs usually can't support the low latency settings that
are possible on real hardware.
Quirk options
pulse.fix.format = "S16LE"
When a stream uses the FIX_FORMAT flag, fixate the format to this value. Normally the format would be
fixed to the sink/source that the stream connects to. When an invalid format (null or '') is set, the
FIX_FORMAT flag is ignored.
pulse.fix.rate = 48000
When a stream uses the FIX_RATE flag, fixate the sample rate to this value. Normally the rate would be
fixed to the sink/source that the stream connects to. When a 0 rate is set, the FIX_RATE flag is ignored.
pulse.fix.position = "[ FL FR ]"
When a stream uses the FIX_CHANNELS flag, fixate the channels to this value. Normally the channels would
be fixed to the sink/source that the stream connects to. When an invalid position (null or '') is set,
the FIX_CHANNELS flag is ignored.
COMMAND EXECUTION
As part of the server startup sequence, a set of commands can be executed. Currently, this can be used to
load additional modules into the server.
# Extra commands can be executed here.
# load-module : loads a module with args and flags
# args = "<module-name> <module-args>"
# flags = [ "no-fail" ]
pulse.cmd = [
{ cmd = "load-module" args = "module-always-sink" flags = [ ] }
#{ cmd = "load-module" args = "module-switch-on-connect" }
#{ cmd = "load-module" args = "module-gsettings" flags = [ "nofail" ] }
]
STREAM SETTINGS AND RULES
Streams created by module-protocol-pulse will use the stream.properties section and stream.rules sections
as usual.
APPLICATION SETTINGS (RULES)
The pulse protocol module supports generic config rules. It supports a pulse.rules section with a quirks
and an update-props action.
pulse.rules = [
{
# skype does not want to use devices that don't have an S16 sample format.
matches = [
{ application.process.binary = "teams" }
{ application.process.binary = "teams-insiders" }
{ application.process.binary = "skypeforlinux" }
]
actions = { quirks = [ force-s16-info ] }
}
{
# speech dispatcher asks for too small latency and then underruns.
matches = [ { application.name = "~speech-dispatcher*" } ]
actions = {
update-props = {
pulse.min.req = 1024/48000 # 21ms
pulse.min.quantum = 1024/48000 # 21ms
}
}
}
]
Quirks
The quirks action takes an array of quirks to apply for the client.
• force-s16-info makes the sink and source introspect code pretend that the sample format is S16 (16
bits) samples. Some application refuse the sink/source if this is not the case.
• remove-capture-dont-move Removes the DONT_MOVE flag on capture streams. Some applications set this flag
so that the stream can't be moved anymore with tools such as pavucontrol.
• block-source-volume blocks the client from updating any source volumes. This can be used to disable
things like automatic gain control.
• block-sink-volume blocks the client from updating any sink volumes.
update-props
Takes an object with the properties to update on the client. Common actions are to tweak the quantum
values.
EXAMPLE CONFIGURATION
context.modules = [
{ name = libpipewire-module-protocol-pulse
args = { }
}
]
pulse.properties = {
server.address = [ "unix:native" ]
}
pulse.rules = [
{
# skype does not want to use devices that don't have an S16 sample format.
matches = [
{ application.process.binary = "teams" }
{ application.process.binary = "teams-insiders" }
{ application.process.binary = "skypeforlinux" }
]
actions = { quirks = [ force-s16-info ] }
}
{
# speech dispatcher asks for too small latency and then underruns.
matches = [ { application.name = "~speech-dispatcher*" } ]
actions = {
update-props = {
pulse.min.req = 1024/48000 # 21ms
pulse.min.quantum = 1024/48000 # 21ms
}
}
}
]