Dev1 Galaxy Forum / ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (Micronaut) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:56:41 +0000

Cinnamon is the one I have favored. It's most like the "standard" interface on Windows for a long time -- before the attempt to make desktops function like tablets (8.0 / 8.1) and then the switch to forcing everyone to use a kiosk full of advertising (10/11). It's great to hear that I can just install that and not have any of the buggy Poettering poo on my system.

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (fsmithred) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:22:59 +0000

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (igorzwx) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:01 +0000

On Gentoo, you can remove ALL pulseaudio (together with libs) with one command. It will recompile many packages to remove pulse dependencies. On Debian, there are developers scripts which are normally used to recompile all packages.

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (fsmithred) — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 23:08:00 +0000

The default installs of xfce and lxde pull in pulseaudio. KDE and mate pull in pipewire, but it doesn't work without some setup. See other recent discussions for details. I don't know what lxqt and gnome pull in.

If you install just the base system with no desktop, you can add whatever you want. Avoid the task-* packages if you want to be selective. You can have just alsa or alsa with either pipewire or pulseaudio.

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (Micronaut) — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 20:36:32 +0000

What's the status of Excalibur / 6 in regards to pulse audio? Can you have a completely Poettering-free system with a default install? Or do you have to remove it from that as well? Has anyone done it yet and figured out how hard it is? Would the steps discussed here already work the same for the new version?

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (igorzwx) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:29:43 +0000

1. apulse firefox works with zoom addon

2. apulse needs a fully functional ALSA software mixer.

3. zoom app works with ALSA, and you can also run it with apulse.

4. It may not work without a fully functional ALSA software mixer.

5. If you do not know how to configure ALSA, please start a new topic in Multimedia.

This topic is not for Linux newbies who do not want to learn how to compile and build Debian packages.

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (bai4Iej2need) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:13:59 +0000

from https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=59154#p59154
I deinstalled both sound servers pipewire and pulseaudio.
tested with zoom test conference.
sound output reproduction works in librewolf, firefox-esr and in chromium
micro input works only in chromium.
no apulse sh*t

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (igorzwx) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:41:48 +0000

A simple script to toggle ALSA configs:
_https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=56780#p56780

Remove pulse, pipewire, and pulse plugin
_https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=7523

Install fftrate
_https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=7142

Run arateconf to configure ALSA

$ cat ~/.asoundrc
# ALSA library configuration file managed by arateconf.
#
# MANUAL CHANGES TO THIS FILE WILL BE OVERWRITTEN!
#
# Manual changes to the ALSA library configuration should be implemented
# by editing the ~/.asoundrc file, not by editing this file.

#=====================================================
# Configuration for system
#-----------------------------------------------------

# Perform dmixer
pcm.dmixer_system
{
	type			dmix
	ipc_key			1024
	ipc_perm		0666

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Direct mixing of multiple audio streams (system)"
	}

	slave
	{
		pcm		"hw:system,0"

		rate		48000
		channels	2
		format		S16_LE

		period_size	1920
		buffer_size	7680
	}
}

# Perform dsnooper
pcm.dsnooper_system
{
	type			dsnoop
	ipc_key			1025
	ipc_perm		0666

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Recording from the same device for several applications simultaneously (system)"
	}

	slave
	{
		pcm		"hw:system,0"

		rate		48000
		format		S16_LE

		period_size	1920
		buffer_size	7680
	}
}

# Perform duplex
pcm.duplex_system
{
	type			asym
	playback.pcm		"dmixer_system"
	capture.pcm		"dsnooper_system"

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Full duplex for simultaneous playback and recording (system)"
	}
}

# Perform convert
pcm.convert_system
{
	type			rate
	converter		fftrate

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Sample rate converter (system)"
	}

	slave
	{
		pcm	"duplex_system"
		rate	48000
		format	S16_LE
	}
}

# Perform plug device
pcm.primary_system
{
	type			plug
	slave.pcm		"convert_system"
	hint.description	"Default device (system)"
}

#=====================================================
# Configuration for PCH
#-----------------------------------------------------

# Perform dmixer
pcm.dmixer_PCH
{
	type			dmix
	ipc_key			1026
	ipc_perm		0666

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Direct mixing of multiple audio streams (PCH)"
	}

	slave
	{
		pcm		"hw:PCH,0"

		rate		192000
		channels	2
		format		S32_LE

		period_size	7680
		buffer_size	30720
	}
}

# Perform dsnooper
pcm.dsnooper_PCH
{
	type			dsnoop
	ipc_key			1027
	ipc_perm		0666

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Recording from the same device for several applications simultaneously (PCH)"
	}

	slave
	{
		pcm		"hw:PCH,0"

		rate		192000
		format		S32_LE

		period_size	7680
		buffer_size	30720
	}
}

# Perform duplex
pcm.duplex_PCH
{
	type			asym
	playback.pcm		"dmixer_PCH"
	capture.pcm		"dsnooper_PCH"

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Full duplex for simultaneous playback and recording (PCH)"
	}
}

# Perform convert
pcm.convert_PCH
{
	type			rate
	converter		fftrate

	hint
	{
		show		off
		description	"Sample rate converter (PCH)"
	}

	slave
	{
		pcm	"duplex_PCH"
		rate	192000
		format	S32_LE
	}
}

#=====================================================
# Configuration for default audio device
#-----------------------------------------------------

# Perform plug device
pcm.!default
{
	type			plug
	slave.pcm		"convert_PCH"
	hint.description	"Default device"
}

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (Danielsan) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:23:57 +0000

Thanks good to know... The only limits I remember with dmix/alsa was the inability to switch from internal audio to hdmi audio, and thus I had to invoke a custom script shell, but for my battle laptop I could get rid off of both pulse and pipewire though... 🤔

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (igorzwx) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:12:43 +0000

The secret configs are here: /usr/share/alsa/

$ grep -r "defaults.pcm.dmix.rate" /usr/share/alsa/
/usr/share/alsa/pcm/dsnoop.conf:			name defaults.pcm.dmix.rate
/usr/share/alsa/pcm/dmix.conf:			name defaults.pcm.dmix.rate
/usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf:defaults.pcm.dmix.rate 48000

Debian Wiki:
Advanced features such as mixing should already be configured with sane defaults.
_https://wiki.debian.org/ALSA#Configuration

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (Danielsan) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:58:40 +0000

I saw there is a conf file but it is not active:

s -l /etc/alsa/conf.d/
total 4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  44 Jul 29  2024 10-rate-lav.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/10-rate-lav.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  46 Jul 29  2024 10-samplerate.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/10-samplerate.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  45 Jul 29  2024 10-speexrate.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/10-speexrate.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  48 Jul 29  2024 50-arcam-av-ctl.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/50-arcam-av-ctl.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  40 Jul 29  2024 50-jack.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/50-jack.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  39 Jul 29  2024 50-oss.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/50-oss.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  46 Jul 29  2024 50-pulseaudio.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/50-pulseaudio.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  47 Jul 29  2024 60-a52-encoder.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/60-a52-encoder.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  41 Jul 29  2024 60-speex.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/60-speex.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  41 Jul 29  2024 60-upmix.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/60-upmix.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  44 Jul 29  2024 60-vdownmix.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/60-vdownmix.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  46 Jul 29  2024 98-usb-stream.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/98-usb-stream.conf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 201 Jul  5  2022 99-pulseaudio-default.conf.example
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  38 Mar  9  2025 99-pulse.conf -> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf.d/pulse.conf

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (igorzwx) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:17:14 +0000

It seems to be a sort of "secret software mixer". It is not difficult to prove that it does exist, and it is enabled. See: _https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=7538

You may also try secret esoteric commands like these:

$ echo "Debian Default Sample Rate:  $(grep -r "defaults.pcm.dmix.rate" /usr/share/alsa/ | grep ":defaults" | cut -d\  -f2-) Hz"
Debian Default Sample Rate:  48000 Hz

$ grep -rE "defaults.pcm.dmix.rate|defaults.pcm.card|defaults.pcm.device" /usr/share/alsa/ | grep -E ":defaults.pcm.dmix.rate|:defaults.pcm.card|:defaults.pcm.device" | cut -d: -f2-
defaults.pcm.card 0
defaults.pcm.device 0
defaults.pcm.dmix.rate 48000

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (Danielsan) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 13:47:02 +0000

I was totally unaware about this, since pulse is set by default in Debian I was convinced audio was handled by it even in Devuan.

I just shared an old config I haven't used in years...

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (igorzwx) — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 16:35:57 +0000

@Danielsan

Don't you know that Debian/Devuan has already a very advanced dmix "configured with sane defaults"?

If you propose an alternative config, you may try to explain why your config is better than the default dmix config of Debian.

Debian/Devuan Defaults:

defaults.pcm.dmix.rate 48000
defaults.pcm.card 0
defaults.pcm.device 0

If you need 44.1 kHz sample rate and "card 1", you can set them in ~/.asoundrc

$ cat ~/.asoundrc
defaults.pcm.dmix.rate 44100
defaults.pcm.card 1

These two lines are enough to set "default card" and default sample rate. A self-made dmix config is not needed.

Gentoo Wiki: ALSA: Configuration
When multiple sound cards are in use, the device numbers could be reordered across boots, such that using a name is advantageous.
If the correct name is unclear, a list of valid names can be easily obtained with:
cat /sys/class/sound/card*/id
Here is output from a developer's system that has multiple sound cards:
$ cat /sys/class/sound/card*/id
Q1U
HDMI
PCH
C930e
Here we have the Q1U microphone as Q1U, the builtin HDMI as HDMI, the analog audio jacks as PCH and a webcam's builtin microphone as C930e. Any of these are valid names for the card.
! Warning
Specifying numbers instead of names when multiple sound cards are used can result in device reordering across boots, which will prevent sound from working properly until the configuration file is edited to use the new number.
_https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/ALSA#Configuration

Re: ALSA without PulseAudio and PipeWire

dummy@example.com (Danielsan) — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:31:24 +0000

Once I remember to use a basic settings to have a fully functional audio:

pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmixer"
}

pcm.dmixer  {
     type dmix
     ipc_key 1024
     slave {
        pcm "hw:1,0"
        period_time 0
        period_size 1024
        buffer_size 4096
        rate 44100
    }
    bindings {
        0 0
        1 1
    }
}

ctl.dmixer {
    type hw
    card 1
}