Ubuntu
pulseaudio package

How to use remote speakers

Asked by tdn

One of my friends happens to be a Mac user. When he plays music in iTunes on his Mac Book, he can select that the sound should be played from the laptop speakers or from his remote speakers (i.e. his hifi stereo connected to an Airport Extreme wifi access point). If he chooses to play using the remote speakers, iTunes will stream sound via wifi to the Airport Extreme, which will then output to the hifi stereo speakers.

So, my question is, can I do something similar with Ubuntu/Kubuntu?

I have a setup like this:
 * I have three laptops running Kubuntu 10.04, Ubuntu 10.04 and Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.04.
 * I have a server (fit-PC) running Debian Lenny connected
All machines are connected to my local wifi network.
The server is connected to some good speakers.

So, what do I need to install/set up on the server and the clients in order to have, say, mplayer, stream sound to the server which will then output it through its sound card?

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Ubuntu pulseaudio Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

Please install, configure and run pulseaudio daemon ( i think also padevchooser and other related packages are useful )
(on the client /etc/pulse/client.conf and on the server audio pc) and you can send from the client pc to server pc the audio output

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PulseAudio

http://pulseaudio.org/wiki/PerfectSetup

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=983932

Hth

Revision history for this message
Stan Ionascu (stan-io) said : 		#2

I think this link has a more specific answer to the question.
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Lucid#Airport_Express

Also if you install KDE 4.5.0 from the backports you'll be able to manage remote device volume through the KMix.

Revision history for this message
tdn (spam-thomasdamgaard) said : 		#3

Stanislav: How do I install KDE 4.5.0 from backports in Lucid?

If I can manage remote devices through KMix, then I still need to set up the server manually, right?

Revision history for this message
Stan Ionascu (stan-io) said : 		#4

> How do I install KDE 4.5.0 from backports in Lucid?
http://www.kubuntu.org/news/kde-sc-45

Kubuntu = Ubuntu + KDE

> If I can manage remote devices through KMix, then I still need to set up the server manually, right?
I didn't try, but you would need to enable pulseaudio networking manually, because it's not enabled by default. It's covered in the ubuntuguide wiki page i've posted previously.

As soon as the sink in created, the device should appear in KDE System Settings->Multimedia->Phonon, where you can also setup the device priority, and also should appear in KMix, under the "Playback Devices" tab.

But be warned that there is a bug in pulseaudio integration with KDE in Lucid (it's related to packaging), be sure to check https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/lucid/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/563250.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask tdn for more information if necessary.

To post a message you must log in.