pavucontrol

pavucontrol [options]

--help
    Display a help message with available command-line options.

--version
    Show the program's version information.

--tab=tab_name
    Open pavucontrol directly to a specific tab. Valid tab_name values include `playback`, `recording`, `output`, `input`, and `configuration`. For example, `pavucontrol --tab=configuration` will open the Configuration tab.

pavucontrol is a GTK-based graphical user interface (GUI) application designed to provide comprehensive control over the PulseAudio sound server. It allows users to manage various aspects of their audio setup with ease and precision, going beyond the basic functionalities of standard desktop volume applets. Through its intuitive interface, users can adjust volume levels for individual playback and recording streams, switch between available output and input devices, and configure per-application audio settings.

The application also offers the ability to set device profiles (e.g., stereo, surround sound, analog/digital output) and visualize audio levels for both input and output, aiding in troubleshooting and optimal setup. It is an essential tool for anyone running a Linux system with PulseAudio, providing granular control over sound routing, mixing, and device management, making it an indispensable component for a polished audio experience.

pavucontrol is a GUI application and thus requires a graphical environment to run. It directly interacts with the PulseAudio sound server, meaning PulseAudio must be running for the application to function correctly. It is not suitable for command-line scripting or use on headless servers; for those scenarios, pactl or pacmd are more appropriate alternatives.

pavucontrol organizes its functionalities into several distinct tabs, each serving a specific purpose:

• Playback: Manages all currently playing audio streams, allowing per-application volume control and output device selection.
• Recording: Controls active recording streams, enabling input source selection and per-application input volume adjustment.
• Output Devices: Displays and allows configuration of all available audio output devices (speakers, headphones), including their volume and mute states.
• Input Devices: Lists and configures all available audio input devices (microphones, line-in), managing their volume, mute states, and input sources.
• Configuration: Enables setting profiles for each audio device, allowing users to select between different modes like stereo analog output, surround sound, or digital output, depending on the device's capabilities.

pavucontrol emerged as a crucial component of the PulseAudio project, designed to provide a much-needed user-friendly graphical interface for managing the advanced capabilities of the sound server. Prior to its development, managing PulseAudio often involved using less intuitive command-line tools like pactl or simple, often limited, desktop environment-specific volume applets.

Its creation addressed the demand for granular control over individual streams, devices, and profiles in a visual manner, significantly improving the user experience for PulseAudio users. It quickly became the standard graphical mixer for many Linux distributions that adopted PulseAudio, solidifying its role as an indispensable utility for audio management.

pulseaudio(1), pactl(1), pacmd(1), alsamixer(1), amixer(1)