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Terminology

  • Source: A source is an input device. It is an active unit that produces samples. (microphone)
  • Source output: A source output is a recording stream. It is a passive unit that is connected to a source and consumes samples from it. (recording stream opened by an application)
  • Sink: A sink is an output device. It is an active unit that consumes samples. (output sound device, e.g. headphones)
  • Sink input: A sink input is a playback stream. It is a passive unit that is connected to a sink and produces samples for it. (playback stream opened by an application)
  • Card: A card represents a physical audio device, like a sound card or Bluetooth device
  • Device port: A device port represents a single input or output port on the card
  • Device: A device represents an active sample producer (input device) or consumer (output device).
  • Stream: A stream represents a passive sample consumer (recording stream) or producer (playback stream).

Commands

man pulse-cli-syntax

Listing

List sinks 

pacmd list-sinks
pactl list sinks
pactl list short sinks

Get sink ID 

pactl list short sinks | grep -i hdmi

Set default sink 

pactl set-default-sink "$( pactl list short sinks | grep -i hdmi | cut -f 2 )"

Sources of sound 

pactl list sink-inputs | cut -f 1

Move all sources of sound to the new output of sound 

pactl move-sink-input #sink-input-id #sink-id

Script to move all sink inputs to a new sink

Is the same script written differently.

sink_id="$( pactl list short sinks | grep -i hdmi | cut -f 1 )"
while IFS='' read -r line ; do
    input_id="$( echo "$line" | cut -f 1 "$line" )"
    echo "$input_id"
    pactl move-sink-input "$input_id" "$sink_id"
done < "$( pactl list short sink-inputs )"

sink_id="$( pactl list short sinks | grep -i hdmi | cut -f 1 )"
pactl list short sink-inputs | cut -f 1 | while IFS='' read -r line ; do
    input_id="$line"
    pactl move-sink-input "$input_id" "$sink_id"
done

Links