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config/media/pipewire.md: document use of wireplumber #738

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93 changes: 89 additions & 4 deletions src/config/media/pipewire.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ $ pipewire

When pipewire works as expected, use the autostarting mechanism of your desktop
environment or [startx](../graphical-session/xorg.md#startx). The `pipewire`
package provides `pipewire` and `pipewire-pulse` system services, but they are
not recommended for a typical setup.

The `pipewire` package ships [Desktop
package ships [Desktop
Entry](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/) files
for `pipewire` and `pipewire-pulse` in `/usr/share/applications`. If your
environment supports the [Desktop Application Autostart
Expand All @@ -26,6 +23,94 @@ directory:
# ln -s /usr/share/applications/pipewire.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/pipewire.desktop
```

## Session Management

In PipeWire, a session manager assumes responsibility for interconnecting media
sources and sinks as well as enforcing routing policy. Without a session
manager, PipeWire will not function. The reference
[`pipewire-media-session`](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/media-session)
package was originally provided and, in Void, configured to run by default to
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I think this sounds better?

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package was originally provided and, in Void, configured to run by default to
package was originally provided and, in Void and configured to run by default to

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I reworded to

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package was originally provided and, in Void, configured to run by default to
package was originally provided in the Void `pipewire` package and configured to run by default to

satisfy this requirement. However, `pipewire-media-session` is deprecated and
the authors recommend using
[WirePlumber](https://pipewire.pages.freedesktop.org/wireplumber/) in its place.
Install the `wireplumber` package to use this session manager with PipeWire.

The standard Void configuration, which causes `pipewire` to launch
`pipewire-media-session` automatically, must be overridden to use `wireplumber`.
The only change necessary is to comment out the `pipewire-media-session`
invocation in the `context.exec` section, which can be done with a single `sed`
substitution. To make this configuration change visible to all users, place the
new configuration file in `/etc/pipewire`:

```
# mkdir -p /etc/pipewire
# sed '/path.*=.*pipewire-media-session/s/{/#{/' \
/usr/share/pipewire/pipewire.conf > /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf
```

Alternatively, place the new configuration file in the expected location for a
single user:

```
$ : "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:=${HOME}/.config}"
$ mkdir -p "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/pipewire"
$ sed '/path.*=.*pipewire-media-session/s/{/#{/' \
/usr/share/pipewire/pipewire.conf > "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/pipewire/pipewire.conf"
```

> A custom `pipewire.conf` in either `/etc/pipewire` or
> `${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/pipewire` will prevent entirely the use of the default
> system configuration. Users who override the default configuration to enable
> `wireplumber` are encouraged to monitor the default configuration and
> reconcile any changes with each `pipewire` update.

Now, configure `wireplumber` to start alongside `pipewire`. If your window
manager or desktop environment auto-start mechanism is used to start
`pipewire`, it is recommended to use the same mechanism for starting
`wireplumber`. The `wireplumber` package includes a `wireplumber.desktop`
Desktop Entry file that may be useful in this situation.

> Be aware that `wireplumber` must launch *after* the `pipewire` executable.
> The Desktop Application Autostart Specification makes no provision for
> ordering of services started via Desktop Entry files. When relying on these
> files to launch `pipewire` and `wireplumber`, consult the documentation for
> your window manager or desktop environment to determine whether proper
> ordering of services can be achieved.

If proper ordering of separate `pipewire` and `wireplumber` services is
infeasible, it is possible to configure `pipewire` to launch the session
manager directly. This can be accomplished by running

```
# mkdir -p /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d
# echo 'context.exec = [ { path = "/usr/bin/wireplumber" args = "" } ]' \
> /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-wireplumber.conf
```

for system configurations or, for per-user configurations, running

```
$ mkdir -p "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d
$ echo 'context.exec = [ { path = "/usr/bin/wireplumber" args = "" } ]' \
> "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-wireplumber.conf"
```

With either of these configurations, launching `pipewire` should be sufficient
to establish a working PipeWire session that uses `wireplumber` for session
management.

In its default configuration, WirePlumber requires an active [D-Bus
session](../session-management.md#d-bus). If your desktop environment or window
manager is configured to provide a D-Bus session as well as launch `pipewire`
and `wireplumber`, no further configuration should be required. Users wishing
to launch `pipewire` on its own, *e.g.*, in a `.xinitrc` script, may find it
necessary to configure `pipewire` to launch `wireplumber` directly and wrap the
`pipewire` invocation as

```
dbus-run-session pipewire
```

## PulseAudio replacement

Before starting `pipewire-pulse`, make sure that the PulseAudio service is
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