Sound Setup on Void Linux

To set up sound on Void Linux, you usually need to install and configure ALSA, PulseAudio, or PipeWire, depending on your preferences. Here’s a full step-by-step guide to get basic and advanced audio working:

✅ 1. Check Your Audio Hardware

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lspci | grep -i audio

Or, for USB devices:

lsusb

✅ 2. Install Audio Packages

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Void Linux uses runit, so we’ll avoid systemd-specific commands.

🔹 For ALSA (basic sound):

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sudo xbps-install -S alsa-utils alsa-lib

You can test ALSA:

aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav

🔹 For PulseAudio (easier desktop audio control):

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sudo xbps-install -S pulseaudio pulsemixer pavucontrol

Enable PulseAudio at login by adding this to ~/.xinitrc or your desktop session autostart:

pulseaudio --start

🔹 For PipeWire (modern alternative to PulseAudio):

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sudo xbps-install -S pipewire wireplumber pipewire-pulse pavucontrol

Also, add to your autostart:

pipewire &
wireplumber &

Check PipeWire status:

pw-cli ls Node

✅ 3. Add Your User to the audio Group

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sudo usermod -aG audio $USER

Log out and log back in.

✅ 4. Unmute and Set Volumes with alsamixer

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Run:

alsamixer

• Press F6 to select the sound card
• Use arrow keys to raise volumes
• Press M to unmute anything muted

To save the settings:

sudo alsactl store

✅ 5. Test Audio Output

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Play a test sound:

speaker-test -c2 -t wav

Or use:

aplay somefile.wav
mpv somefile.mp3

✅ 6. Check Permissions and Devices

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Make sure your user can access /dev/snd/*:

ls -l /dev/snd

You should see audio as the group.

✅ 7. Troubleshooting Tips

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• Use pavucontrol to switch output devices.

• Check if HDMI or headphone output is selected.

• If Firefox or another app has no sound, try:

  pulseaudio -k
  pulseaudio --start

🧠 Optional: Autostart in runit

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Create runit services for PipeWire or PulseAudio if you want them system-wide:

sudo ln -s /etc/sv/pipewire /var/service/

Accessing the Sound Settings Via GUI

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pavucontrol