pulseaudio
Sound server for Linux desktop audio
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
pulseaudio [--start] [-k|--kill] [--check] [-L module]
DESCRIPTION
pulseaudio is a sound server that provides a software mixing layer between applications and audio hardware. It allows multiple applications to share audio devices and provides features like per-application volume control.The daemon runs per-user and is typically started automatically by desktop sessions. It supports network audio streaming and various audio processing modules.
PARAMETERS
--start
Start the daemon in background-k, --kill
Kill the running daemon--check
Check if daemon is running (exit code)--dump-modules
List available modules-L, --load _module_
Load a module into running daemon--dump-conf
Dump default configuration-D, --daemonize
Daemonize after startup
CONFIGURATION
~/.config/pulse/default.pa
Per-user startup script that loads modules, sets default sinks/sources, and configures audio routing./etc/pulse/daemon.conf
System-wide daemon settings controlling sample rate, buffer sizes, resampling method, and resource limits./etc/pulse/default.pa
System-wide startup script defining which modules to load and their configuration.
CAVEATS
Being replaced by PipeWire on modern systems. May conflict with JACK for pro audio. User daemon, not system-wide by default. Configuration in ~/.config/pulse/.
HISTORY
PulseAudio was created by Lennart Poettering at Red Hat to provide a modern sound server for Linux desktops. It became the default audio system for most distributions before PipeWire emerged as its successor.
SEE ALSO
pactl(1), pavucontrol(1), pipewire(1)