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Questions tagged [alsa]

Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) provides audio and MIDI functionality to the Linux operating system.

272 questions
94
votes
2 answers

What do ALSA devices like "hw:0,0" mean? How do I figure out which to use?

I've searched over and over and can't find any explanation of what "hw:0,0" means. How do I determine the number of my USB audio card? MPD requires me to enter something like this: audio_output { type "alsa" name …
endolith
  • 7,704
47
votes
6 answers

How to make Alsa pick a preferred sound device automatically?

I bought an USB sound card. I'd like to set up my Linux desktop so that it prefers the USB device, if it is plugged in and automatically switches as the device is (un)plugged. Is it possible, and how?
Petr
  • 3,273
38
votes
6 answers

linux arecord: capture sound card output rather than microphone input

I am trying to capture sound card output and encode it in Vorbis ogg format using the following command: arecord -f cd -t raw | oggenc - -r -o file.ogg However, the computer's microphone input is recorded rather than the sound card output. The…
user001
  • 3,994
31
votes
3 answers

How to disable Auto-Mute Mode?

In alsamixer, there is an option called "Auto-Mute Mode", and it's enabled by default. But now I want to disable it. I've tried different keys but failed. Any idea? 0_0
Determinant
  • 1,320
26
votes
3 answers

How to create a dummy sound card device in Linux server?

I want to run Linux program that require a soundcard, on a server, which has no soundcard. Is it possible to create a dummy soundcard? I am totally unaware of Linux sound system internals. Please point me in right direction. I have followed this…
ssapkota
  • 1,383
24
votes
4 answers

How can I find out what programs are using sound in Linux?

Is there anyway of knowing what binaries are using the sound system/server ? Like seeing something in the /proc directory (or /dev) ? After a while ALSA stops working , and I would like to know why.
Geo
  • 468
22
votes
8 answers

How to make Raspberry Pi use an external USB sound card as a default

Does anyone know how to change the sound card boot priority? All tutorials are telling me to edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf, but the file is missing in Raspbian Jesse.
Carl Hudson
  • 323
21
votes
3 answers

Headset microphone not detected by Pulse und Alsa

I have an Acer Aspire V15 Nitro Laptop that only sports a combo jack for both microphone and headphones at the same time. It was always a bit tricky but worked until I reinstalled Arch Linux recently. Since then the microphone part has not been…
Nobody moving away from SE
  • 1,945
16
votes
1 answer

Linux - Creating Virtual Audio Device

My question here is rather simple. How does one create a purely virtual audio device in ALSA that would be capable of: being used as an audio output destination, being used as an audio input source, outputting whatever has been sent to it. What…
Samuel Moriarty
  • 277
15
votes
4 answers

Skype 4.3 without PulseAudio, only ALSA. Any options?

I have been using Skype for over 10 years now, almost since the initial release, and most of my friends/family/colleagues use it too. So switching IM is not an option. Microsoft has recently changed Skype protocol to force users to update to newer…
Art Gertner
  • 7,429
14
votes
3 answers

List all ALSA devices

I'm using PulseAudio on my system, and I followed the instructions for adding a monitor device as per the PulseAudio wiki. The monitor device itself works and registers/functions properly in apps like Audacity, but I'm not able to get the device to…
timothyb89
  • 191
12
votes
1 answer

Force downmix to mono on Linux

For personal reasons (I'm hearing impaired) I need my linux machine to produce mono downmixed sound. Downmixed, not just single channel. Is there any possibility to force such behavior in ALSA / PulseAudio server? Hardware mixing (short-circuiting L…
Neo
  • 2,097
11
votes
2 answers

Prevent applications to control master volume on Linux

Whenever I change the volume in VLC, Rhythmbox, or a video on YouTube, it change the master volume, i.e. the system volume. How can I prevent this from happening? I'm running Debian 7.0.0 (wheezy) with xfce4, it seems to use PulseAudio, which I'm…
Alex
  • 2,106
9
votes
3 answers

How to listen to microphone output on Linux?

I would like to hear the microphone output during Skype calls. I have tried fiddling with alsamixer settings and made sure that the mike is unmuted but still cannot get to hear the mike in either headphones or speakers. Is this achievable with alsa?
ccpizza
  • 8,241
9
votes
2 answers

How to configure ALSA?

After switching from Unity to XFCE, I ran into difficulties with my sound configuration. I have multiple sound cards on my system, the one that I want to use is the last one to be loaded by the kernel. ALSA appears to be using the first one by…
Gearoid Murphy
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