|
| 1 | +#🔊 Linux Audio Diagnostic Script |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +A comprehensive, read-only diagnostic tool for troubleshooting Linux audio issues across PipeWire, PulseAudio, and ALSA configurations. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +##✨ Features |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +-**Universal compatibility**: Works with PipeWire (WirePlumber/Media Session), PulseAudio, and ALSA |
| 8 | +-**Distro-agnostic**: Supports Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, and other major distributions |
| 9 | +-**Non-invasive**: Read-only operations, makes no system changes |
| 10 | +-**Comprehensive checks**: Services, devices, routing, profiles, and recent logs |
| 11 | +-**Smart detection**: Identifies common issues like dummy outputs, suspended nodes, and disabled profiles |
| 12 | +-**Test capability**: Optional audio playback test to verify output |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +##📋 Requirements |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +###Core Requirements |
| 17 | +- Linux system with systemd |
| 18 | +- One of: PipeWire, PulseAudio, or ALSA |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +###Optional Tools (auto-detected) |
| 21 | +-`wpctl` - PipeWire control (for PipeWire systems) |
| 22 | +-`pactl` - PulseAudio control |
| 23 | +-`aplay` - ALSA utilities |
| 24 | +-`journalctl` - System log access |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +##🚀 Quick Start |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +###One-line Install & Run |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +```bash |
| 31 | +curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FrameworkComputer/linux-docs/refs/heads/main/misc/audio-diagnostic/audio-diagnostic.sh -o audio-diagnostic.sh&& chmod +x audio-diagnostic.sh&& bash audio-diagnostic.sh |
| 32 | +``` |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +###Step-by-Step |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +```bash |
| 37 | +# Download the script |
| 38 | +curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FrameworkComputer/linux-docs/refs/heads/main/misc/audio-diagnostic/audio-diagnostic.sh -o audio-diagnostic.sh |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +# Make it executable |
| 41 | +chmod +x audio-diagnostic.sh |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +# Run basic diagnostic |
| 44 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +# Run with audio test |
| 47 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh -t |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +# Check recent issues (last 2 hours) |
| 50 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh --since"2 hours ago" |
| 51 | +``` |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +##📖 Usage |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +```bash |
| 56 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh [OPTIONS] |
| 57 | +``` |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +###Options |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +| Option| Description| Example| |
| 62 | +|--------|-------------|---------| |
| 63 | +|`-t`,`--test`| Play a test sound after diagnostics|`./audio-diagnostic.sh -t`| |
| 64 | +|`--since <time>`| Set journal time window (default: 45 minutes ago)|`./audio-diagnostic.sh --since "2 hours ago"`| |
| 65 | +|`-v`,`--verbose`| Show detailed log entries|`./audio-diagnostic.sh -v`| |
| 66 | +|`-h`,`--help`| Display help message|`./audio-diagnostic.sh -h`| |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +###Time Window Examples |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +```bash |
| 71 | +# Check logs from last 10 minutes |
| 72 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh --since"10 minutes ago" |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +# Check all of today's logs |
| 75 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh --since"today" |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +# Check since specific time |
| 78 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh --since"2024-01-15 14:00:00" |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +# Use environment variable |
| 81 | +SINCE="1 hour ago" ./audio-diagnostic.sh |
| 82 | +``` |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +##📊 What It Checks |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +###1. Core Audio Services |
| 87 | +- PipeWire/WirePlumber status |
| 88 | +- PulseAudio daemon status |
| 89 | +- Service health and activity |
| 90 | + |
| 91 | +###2. Default Devices & Routing |
| 92 | +- Current default output (sink) |
| 93 | +- Current default input (source) |
| 94 | +- Device routing (HDMI, Bluetooth, USB, built-in) |
| 95 | +- Dummy device detection |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +###3. Available Audio Devices |
| 98 | +- All audio sinks (outputs) |
| 99 | +- All audio sources (inputs) |
| 100 | +- Sound card profiles |
| 101 | +- Device states and volumes |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +###4. System-Specific Checks |
| 104 | +- Suspended audio nodes (PipeWire) |
| 105 | +- User audio group membership (Ubuntu/Debian) |
| 106 | +- ALSA card detection |
| 107 | +- TiMidity interference (Ubuntu) |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +###5. Recent System Logs |
| 110 | +- Service lifecycle events (starts/stops/restarts) |
| 111 | +- Error messages and warnings |
| 112 | +- Bluetooth audio issues |
| 113 | +- Dummy output fallbacks |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +###6. Optional Audio Test |
| 116 | +- Plays system sound through default output |
| 117 | +- Verifies audio pipeline functionality |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +##🔍 Understanding the Output |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +###Status Indicators |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +- ✅**Green checkmarks**: Everything working correctly |
| 124 | +- ⚠️**Yellow warnings**: Potential issues that may need attention |
| 125 | +- ❌**Red X marks**: Critical problems requiring fixes |
| 126 | +- ℹ️**Info icons**: Important routing information |
| 127 | +- 🔊**Dim text**: Additional details and suggestions |
| 128 | + |
| 129 | +###Common Issues Detected |
| 130 | + |
| 131 | +| Issue| What It Means| Typical Fix| |
| 132 | +|-------|---------------|-------------| |
| 133 | +|**Dummy output**| No real audio device available| Restart audio service, check drivers| |
| 134 | +|**Profile OFF**| Sound card disabled| Set profile in Settings → Sound| |
| 135 | +|**Service inactive**| Audio daemon not running|`systemctl --user restart pipewire`| |
| 136 | +|**Suspended nodes**| Devices in power-save state| Restart WirePlumber| |
| 137 | +|**Bluetooth errors**| BT audio connection issues| Re-pair device, restart bluetooth| |
| 138 | +|**No default sink**| No output device selected| Select device in Settings → Sound| |
| 139 | + |
| 140 | +##💡 Example Outputs |
| 141 | + |
| 142 | +###Healthy System |
| 143 | +``` |
| 144 | +✅ PipeWire core: active (systemd) |
| 145 | +✅ WirePlumber session: active (systemd) |
| 146 | +✅ Default Output: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo (ID: 47) |
| 147 | +✅ Default Input: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo (ID: 48) |
| 148 | +✅ No service events or errors in recent logs |
| 149 | +✅ No critical issues detected - audio system appears healthy |
| 150 | +``` |
| 151 | + |
| 152 | +###Problem System |
| 153 | +``` |
| 154 | +❌ WirePlumber session: inactive |
| 155 | +❌ Default output is dummy device. Expect silence. |
| 156 | +⚠️ One or more audio devices have profile OFF |
| 157 | +❌ Found 12 concerning entries in wireplumber logs |
| 158 | +``` |
| 159 | + |
| 160 | +##🛠️ Troubleshooting |
| 161 | + |
| 162 | +###No Audio Output? |
| 163 | + |
| 164 | +1. Run the diagnostic: |
| 165 | +```bash |
| 166 | + ./audio-diagnostic.sh |
| 167 | +``` |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | +2. Follow the suggested fixes in the "Conclusions" section |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +3. Test audio after fixes: |
| 172 | +```bash |
| 173 | + ./audio-diagnostic.sh -t |
| 174 | +``` |
| 175 | + |
| 176 | +###Script Not Working? |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | +Check dependencies: |
| 179 | +```bash |
| 180 | +# For PipeWire systems |
| 181 | +which wpctl pw-cli |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +# For PulseAudio systems |
| 184 | +which pactl |
| 185 | + |
| 186 | +# For ALSA |
| 187 | +which aplay |
| 188 | +``` |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +###Need More Detail? |
| 191 | + |
| 192 | +Run in verbose mode: |
| 193 | +```bash |
| 194 | +./audio-diagnostic.sh -v --since"1 hour ago" |
| 195 | +``` |
| 196 | + |
| 197 | +##🤝 Contributing |
| 198 | + |
| 199 | +Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. |
| 200 | + |
| 201 | +###Testing on Different Systems |
| 202 | + |
| 203 | +Before submitting changes, please test on: |
| 204 | +-[ ] Ubuntu/Debian with PulseAudio |
| 205 | +-[ ] Fedora with PipeWire |
| 206 | +-[ ] Arch with PipeWire |
| 207 | +-[ ] System with Bluetooth audio |
| 208 | +-[ ] System with USB audio |
| 209 | +-[ ] System with HDMI audio |
| 210 | + |
| 211 | +##📜 License |
| 212 | + |
| 213 | +GPL-3.0-1 License -[See LICENSE file for details](https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/linux-docs/tree/main?tab=GPL-3.0-1-ov-file#readme) |
| 214 | + |
| 215 | +##🐛 Known Issues |
| 216 | + |
| 217 | +- Journal time window may include system-wide logs when user logs are empty |
| 218 | +- Some device names may be truncated in PipeWire listings |
| 219 | +- Bluetooth device detection relies on device naming patterns |
| 220 | + |
| 221 | + |
| 222 | +##❓ FAQ |
| 223 | + |
| 224 | +**Q: Is it safe to run this script?** |
| 225 | +A: Yes, the script is completely read-only and makes no system modifications. |
| 226 | + |
| 227 | +**Q: Why do I see "dummy output"?** |
| 228 | +A: This means your audio system couldn't find real hardware. Usually fixed by restarting the audio service or installing missing drivers. |
| 229 | + |
| 230 | +**Q: Can I run this via SSH?** |
| 231 | +A: Yes, but the audio test (-t) won't produce sound remotely. Diagnostics will still work. |
| 232 | + |
| 233 | +**Q: How often should I run this?** |
| 234 | +A: Only when experiencing audio issues. It's a diagnostic tool, not a monitoring service. |
| 235 | + |
| 236 | +**Q: Does this work with Bluetooth headphones?** |
| 237 | +A: Yes, it detects and reports Bluetooth audio devices and related issues. |
| 238 | + |
| 239 | +--- |
| 240 | + |
| 241 | +*For issues or questions, please open a GitHub issue.* |