TDE produces no desktop sounds, Kmix volume control is dead, though mute works, and KControl Sound System Test Sound produces nothing regardless of selected device. OTOH, aplay works fine. Can anyone here suggest what's missing or errant so that TDE session can't connect to Pipewire, so pw-play produces:
error: pw_context_connect() failed: Host is down
There's also cannot connect and "Host is down": $ wpctl status Could not connect to PipeWire $ pw-cli list-objects Device Error: "failed to connect: Host is down" $ pw-cli list-objects Node Error: "failed to connect: Host is down" $
# dpkg-query -W | egrep 'alsa|arts|audio|codec|demul|dbus|fmpeg|gstr|jack|kodi|h26|mix|mpv|pavu|puls|sof-|sound|vlc|wire|xdg'|sort alsa-firmware-loaders 1.2.14-1 alsa-tools 1.2.14-1 alsa-ucm-conf 1.2.14-1 alsa-utils 1.2.14-1 dbus 1.16.2-2 dbus-bin 1.16.2-2 dbus-daemon 1.16.2-2 dbus-session-bus-common 1.16.2-2 dbus-system-bus-common 1.16.2-2 dbus-x11 1.16.2-2 firmware-sof-signed 2025.01-1 kdbusnotification-trinity 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 kmix-trinity 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 libarts1c2a-trinity:amd64 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 libartsc0-trinity:amd64 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 libasound2-data 1.2.14-1 libasound2t64:amd64 1.2.14-1 libaudio2:amd64 1.9.4-9 libaudiofile1:amd64 0.3.6-7+b1 libdbus-1-3:amd64 1.16.2-2 libdbus-1-tqt 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 libdbus-glib-1-2:amd64 0.114-1 libdbus-tqt-1-1c2 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 libjack0:amd64 1:0.126.0-4 libpipewire-0.3-0t64:amd64 1.4.2-1 libpipewire-0.3-modules:amd64 1.4.2-1 libpulse0:amd64 17.0+dfsg1-2+b1 libwebrtc-audio-processing-1-3:amd64 1.3-3+b1 libwireplumber-0.5-0:amd64 0.5.8-2 menu-xdg 0.7 pipewire-alsa:amd64 1.4.2-1 pipewire:amd64 1.4.2-1 pipewire-audio-client-libraries 1.4.2-1 pipewire-bin 1.4.2-1 pipewire-jack:amd64 1.4.2-1 pipewire-pulse 1.4.2-1 sound-theme-freedesktop 0.8-6~deb13u1 tdemultimedia-tdeio-plugins-trinity 4:14.1.5-0debian13.0.0+0 wireplumber 0.5.8-2 xdg-user-dirs 0.18-2 xdg-utils 1.2.1-2 # inxi -Aaz Audio: Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Oland/Hainan/Cape Verde/Pitcairn HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 7000 Series] vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 8 link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:aab0 class-ID: 0403 API: ALSA v: k6.12.57+deb13-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer Server-1: aRts v: 1.5.10 status: active with: artswrapper status: off tools: artsdsp Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.4.2 status: off with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: off 2: wireplumber status: off 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl $ systemctl -l --no-pager --global --user status pipewire.{service,socket} pipewire-pulse.{service,socket} wireplumber ○ pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: inactive (dead) TriggeredBy: × pipewire.socket
× pipewire.socket - PipeWire Multimedia System Sockets Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.socket; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: failed (Result: resources) since Fri 2025-12-26 16:58:51 EST; 16min ago Duration: 7min 59.281s Invocation: e757e540b8614c7fa94a5049727a8dd4 Triggers: ● pipewire.service Listen: /run/user/2000/pipewire-0 (Stream) /run/user/2000/pipewire-0-manager (Stream)
Dec 26 16:50:52 fi965 systemd[1230]: Listening on pipewire.socket - PipeWire Multimedia System Sockets. Dec 26 16:58:51 fi965 systemd[1230]: pipewire.socket: Failed to queue service startup job: Unit dbus.service not found. Dec 26 16:58:51 fi965 systemd[1230]: pipewire.socket: Failed with result 'resources'.
○ pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.service; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: inactive (dead) TriggeredBy: ○ pipewire-pulse.socket
○ pipewire-pulse.socket - PipeWire PulseAudio Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.socket; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: inactive (dead) Triggers: ● pipewire-pulse.service Listen: /run/user/2000/pulse/native (Stream)
○ wireplumber.service - Multimedia Service Session Manager Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/wireplumber.service; enabled; preset: enabled) Active: inactive (dead) $ alsactl info # # Sound card # - card: 0 id: HDMI name: HDA ATI HDMI longname: HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfbefc000 irq 26 driver_name: HDA-Intel mixer_name: ATI R6xx HDMI components: HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100300 controls_count: 14 pcm: - stream: PLAYBACK devices: - device: 3 id: HDMI 0 name: HDMI 0 * subdevices: - subdevice: 0 name: subdevice #0 - device: 7 id: HDMI 1 name: HDMI 1 subdevices: - subdevice: 0 name: subdevice #0 alsactl: rawmidi_device_list:109: snd_ctl_rawmidi_next_device: Inappropriate ioctl for device $ wpctl status Could not connect to PipeWire $ pw-cli list-objects Device Error: "failed to connect: Host is down" $ pw-cli list-objects Node Error: "failed to connect: Host is down" $ aplay -lL null Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture) pipewire PipeWire Sound Server default Default ALSA Output (currently PipeWire Media Server) hw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0 * Direct hardware device without any conversions hw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=7 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 1 Direct hardware device without any conversions plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0 * Hardware device with all software conversions plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=7 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 1 Hardware device with all software conversions hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=0 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0 * HDMI Audio Output hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=1 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 1 HDMI Audio Output dmix:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0 * Direct sample mixing device dmix:CARD=HDMI,DEV=7 HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 1 Direct sample mixing device **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices **** card 0: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0 *] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 $
Please do not suggest switching to pulseaudio. The idea behind pipewire, along with wireplumber, is they're supposed to be a superior replacement for pulseaudio.