It would be very nice to have the default sound program have the ability to set a default sound device. Both my Linux boxes have USB head phones, Speakers, and Monitors with HDMI sound. Unfortunately, I never know which sound will be working as default when I turn on Linux Mint. Yes, I can go in and change it in sound. (I even have "sound" added to the panel for quick access. It finally upset me enough I looks for solutions, finding everything from adding a script to adding pavucontrol. (Which I am trying now, but using "Fall back Device" rather than default device is rather confusing.)
It can not be that hard to add to "Sound" when you select a different device, it asks, "Do you want this device to be your default device?" and if so, save it as a script or in the configuration file which device to use as the default device if it is available. Yes it would be nice if sound showed what device was default, and better yet, to have a default sound and a default sound communications device. But I think being able to change the sound device permanently in sound is a must and not hard to add.
While reading the forums, I read about someone wanted to set the default sound device to be a device that is not always on. That isn't my problem, but if we are changing sound, it would not be hard to combine that as well. Have where you can set default and an option to set default even if device is not on. That might only be able to be selected when the device is actually on... but it tells Linux that if this sound device is not working or not there, don't try to find another one, let the user fix the problem. Again, this should just be a flag added, and not hard to change. (Well this one maybe harder depending on how Linux looks for sound.)
Setting Default Sound
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rossdv8
- Level 7
- Posts: 1736
- Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:48 am
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Re: Setting Default Sound
There used to be another way to do this, but in my case I am using PulseAudio for my output, and since I can't fine what I used to Right Click on to set a default, I'll suggest you read through both of these:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1038490 ... -in-ubuntu
https://rastating.github.io/setting-def ... ntu-18-04/
The first one might be easier to follow, but it's probably worth taking the time to read both.
Not sure if they will fix your problem - but they might.
Unless you are using LMDE, and provided you are using PulseAudio they 'should' apply.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1038490 ... -in-ubuntu
https://rastating.github.io/setting-def ... ntu-18-04/
The first one might be easier to follow, but it's probably worth taking the time to read both.
Not sure if they will fix your problem - but they might.
Unless you are using LMDE, and provided you are using PulseAudio they 'should' apply.
Current main OS: MInt 21.3 with KDE Plasma 5.27 (using Compiz as WM) - Kernel: 6.5.0-15 on Lenovo m900 Tiny, i5-6400T (intel HD 530 graphics) 16GB RAM.
Sharks usually only attack you if you are wet
Sharks usually only attack you if you are wet
Re: Setting Default Sound
Changing the default.pa didn't work for me. Neither using the number or the device name, but
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1038490 ... -in-ubuntu worked for me.
The important part from there:
The simple workaround I found is adding the pactl set default sink command in startup applications.
Run: pactl list short sinks
Note the device name you want to use as default
Try to run: pactl set-default-sink <Your_Device_Name>
This should work without giving you an error message.
Open the application "Startup Applications" (Should be preinstalled on Ubuntu)
Click on "Add"
Give your startup item a name
Copy your command from above into the command field:
pactl set-default-sink 'Your-Device-Name'
Click on "Save".
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1038490 ... -in-ubuntu worked for me.
The important part from there:
The simple workaround I found is adding the pactl set default sink command in startup applications.
Run: pactl list short sinks
Note the device name you want to use as default
Try to run: pactl set-default-sink <Your_Device_Name>
This should work without giving you an error message.
Open the application "Startup Applications" (Should be preinstalled on Ubuntu)
Click on "Add"
Give your startup item a name
Copy your command from above into the command field:
pactl set-default-sink 'Your-Device-Name'
Click on "Save".
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rossdv8
- Level 7
- Posts: 1736
- Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:48 am
- Location: Within 2,000 kilometres of Alice Springs, Australia
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Re: Setting Default Sound
I've looked everywhere I can think of for the icon that I believe I used. I can't find it anywhere. It used to be just a click, or a right click, I can't remember which, but it iwas a 'Volume' icon. When clicked it displayed a drop-down list of all available sinks, and I'm sure I could pick one, for example HDMI or Pulse or Alsa or anything else the system could find.
Anyway - It doesn't seem to exist on this version of Mint.
However !
Currently I just set my preferences with PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol) with the profile I use for that particular computer, and a 'fallback'. So for example:
I Sometimes watch Youtube or other video stuff on the Lenovo, but it doesn't have any speakers plugged in, so I have pavucontrol set so HDMI is the dafault and it does its playback through HDMI over the 55 inch TV's built in speakers (the TV is my monitor for all my computers these days.
I use the BRIX (connected via VNC to the same monitor, keyboard and rodent as the Lenovo and the Pi4) to play multimedia, so pavucontrol on that has everything set as Default to play to the (connected) DAC which sends it to my surround speakers.
That's the only way I know at the moment to easily choose a Default Sound device. Similarly, when I boot the Pi4, it has pavucontrol set to play Audio via Bluetooth to a bluetooth receiver.
All of them boot in the config I have set, each time they start.
PulseAudio Volume Control for some reason is NOT installed by default in Mint.
But it ABSOLUTELY MUST be installed to use Mint
'If your desktop (Cinnamon or Mate) uses Pulse Audio' for sound as Xfce does.
A simple
sudo apt install pavucontrol
In a terminal gives you access, and if you can add the PulseAudio Applet into your Panel it will make life a lot easier.
Just a note if you check this.
The TABS in PulseAudio Volume Control are the wrong way around if you are setting up.
Configuration is at the far Right - but it is the FIRST Tab you need to configure.
Then Output Devices
Then Playback
Make sure you have started playing something when you decide to set it up, so there is something happening in 'playback', and so you can adjust the various output sliders.
Be careful of the First Button at the end of each slider. It is the MUTE Button !!
If you are using VLC to play something to do the PulseAudio setup, go to:
Tools > Effects and Filters
Audio Effects TAB > Equalizer Tab
Disable the Equalizer !! This step is very important for you to be able to set the volumes.
You can [x] Enable the Equalizer later if you want it. But if you have it enabled in VLC for setup, it will stuff up your sound in everything else..
Anyway - It doesn't seem to exist on this version of Mint.
However !
Currently I just set my preferences with PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol) with the profile I use for that particular computer, and a 'fallback'. So for example:
I Sometimes watch Youtube or other video stuff on the Lenovo, but it doesn't have any speakers plugged in, so I have pavucontrol set so HDMI is the dafault and it does its playback through HDMI over the 55 inch TV's built in speakers (the TV is my monitor for all my computers these days.
I use the BRIX (connected via VNC to the same monitor, keyboard and rodent as the Lenovo and the Pi4) to play multimedia, so pavucontrol on that has everything set as Default to play to the (connected) DAC which sends it to my surround speakers.
That's the only way I know at the moment to easily choose a Default Sound device. Similarly, when I boot the Pi4, it has pavucontrol set to play Audio via Bluetooth to a bluetooth receiver.
All of them boot in the config I have set, each time they start.
PulseAudio Volume Control for some reason is NOT installed by default in Mint.
But it ABSOLUTELY MUST be installed to use Mint
'If your desktop (Cinnamon or Mate) uses Pulse Audio' for sound as Xfce does.
A simple
sudo apt install pavucontrol
In a terminal gives you access, and if you can add the PulseAudio Applet into your Panel it will make life a lot easier.
Just a note if you check this.
The TABS in PulseAudio Volume Control are the wrong way around if you are setting up.
Configuration is at the far Right - but it is the FIRST Tab you need to configure.
Then Output Devices
Then Playback
Make sure you have started playing something when you decide to set it up, so there is something happening in 'playback', and so you can adjust the various output sliders.
Be careful of the First Button at the end of each slider. It is the MUTE Button !!
If you are using VLC to play something to do the PulseAudio setup, go to:
Tools > Effects and Filters
Audio Effects TAB > Equalizer Tab
Disable the Equalizer !! This step is very important for you to be able to set the volumes.
You can [x] Enable the Equalizer later if you want it. But if you have it enabled in VLC for setup, it will stuff up your sound in everything else..
Current main OS: MInt 21.3 with KDE Plasma 5.27 (using Compiz as WM) - Kernel: 6.5.0-15 on Lenovo m900 Tiny, i5-6400T (intel HD 530 graphics) 16GB RAM.
Sharks usually only attack you if you are wet
Sharks usually only attack you if you are wet
Re: Setting Default Sound
Setting the default sound devices for input and output is absolutely a thing. I think the 'Set as fallback' tooltip for the associated button is the problem, at least in my version of
That's what it looks like for me. I can't remember how it is in Cinnamon. If Cinnamon uses something totally different, disregard this post, other than to know it's possible, at least under the hood.
pavucontrol (the 'mixer'), because it doesn't suggest the default at all, only that the selected device is the fallback. Anyway, that button will I believe set a default device, as it seems to have done for me. I have multiple devices, so it's important for me to have the default set correctly.That's what it looks like for me. I can't remember how it is in Cinnamon. If Cinnamon uses something totally different, disregard this post, other than to know it's possible, at least under the hood.
I'm also Terminalforlife on GitHub.