Python script not playing audio when run through systemd

Question

After trying every possible solution online I am posting this question. I have a python script that runs on boot with the help of systemd. Everything worked fine till I installed a fresh raspian buster. Now I am able to run the python program via both systemd and through Thonny Editor. But the difference is that systemd doesn't give any audio output while the editor does. I tried to run my python script via terminal and the audio was playing without any issues.

Now please note that I have another raspberry pi which is still running the older version of the OS with the same systemd configuration and everything works fine in it. Now I could have easily cloned that sd card and used it but that sd card is 16 GB and I want to migrate to a 32 GB sd card(I tried cloning, pi didn't boot up)

This is the systemd service file

[Unit]
Description=My Service
After=network.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 -u Main.py
WorkingDirectory= /home/pi/xyz
StandardOutput=inherit
StandardError=inherit
Restart=always
User=pi
[Install]
WantedBy = default.target

Systemd runs the python file without any errors but with no audio output. Please help me out.

• Ingo: What does the script do? Does it endless play a sound in the background? Do you use pulseaudio?
• Nitesh Singh: @Ingo The script plays a welcome sound when started and then will play sound whenever the push buttons are clicked. Very basic stuff.
• Peter Wiley: I am having the same problem exactly. Was a solution ever found? I can get it to work via a .desktop file, but I'd really like to use functionality of systemd.
• Nitesh Singh: @PeterWiley No solution was found. I had to shift to the older version of Raspian OS. Because after updating this problem started for me.
• Peter Wiley: I know, I'm the one who submitted the answer.

Answer 1

The answer to this issue can be found here:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=278665

The solution presented worked for me to get sound while running a python program from system.

What one has to do is to add defaults to the asound.conf file at /etc/asound.conf. I did sudo nano on file and found nothing in it, so I added

 defaults.pcm.card 1
 defaults.pcm.card 1

Why "1"? It's the number given when one does

 pi@xxxx:~ $ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [b1 ]: bcm2835_hdmi - bcm2835 HDMI 1
 bcm2835 HDMI 1
 1 [Headphones ]: bcm2835_headphonbcm2835 Headphones - bcm2835 Headphones
 bcm2835 Headphones

In my case I wanted sound out of the headphone jack.

• Nitesh Singh: Thank you so much for the answer.

Answer 2

This service file worked for me... Note how it starts after After=sound.target

[Unit]
Description=FireHouse Game
After=sound.target
[Service]
Type=simple
Environment="DISPLAY=:0"
Environment="XAUTHORITY=/home/pi/.Xauthority"
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 /home/pi/FireGame/fire_game.py
Restart=on-abort
KillMode=process
SendSIGHUP=nos
[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target