[pulseaudio-discuss] update to FAQ about Linux to Windows

[Doug McCasland]

Hi,

I have a suggestion for this FAQ section:

https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/FAQ/#index33h3

The good news is that the instructions led me to find the correct 
solution and get audio working, which was great!

But it's a bit confusing about where to do the actions specified.

Here is my version:


The following applies to Cygwin/X, but could be adapted for other 
Windows pulseaudio installations.

Run the Cywin setup app in Windows and choose "pulseaudio" and 
"pulseaudio-module-x11" -- then let the setup determine the dependencies 
and accept those.

Now you have an installed pulseaudio.exe (in <cygwindir>/bin) but it is 
not yet running, and it should be running in daemon mode (which is not 
the default).  So in Windows, go to <cygwindir>/etc/pulse.   Edit 
daemon.conf and change

daemonize = no
to
daemonize = yes

Then in that same Windows directory, edit default.pa and add:

load-module module-native-protocol-tcp auth-ip-acl=127.0.0.1;192.168.1.50

In the Network Access area.  This allows host 192.168.1.50 (in this 
example) to access Windows pulseaudio.  You can specify a network range 
instead with CIDR notation.  A hostname may work, if it's defined in 
Windows hosts file.

That's it for Windows config files.  Now run the command pulseaudio.exe 
and you might see a warning or two, but no errors.

Last thing in Windows is to follow the usual Windows steps for setting 
up pulseaudio.exe to run when Windows boots.

Now on the Linux side, first kill pulseaudio, if it's running.  Then 
edit /etc/pulse/client.conf and add:

default-server = foobar

where foobar is the hostname or IP of your Windows box.

Now in Linux start up an app and play some audio.  At this point Windows 
should pop up and ask permission to open its firewall to the incoming 
Pulseaudio traffic, say yes to that.  Now you should hear the sound from 
Linux being played in Windows!

Note: with this setup, as far as I know, you can't run Pulseaudio daemon 
anymore in Linux (as long as linux /etc/pulse/client.conf has another 
server configured).  Every Linux sound will go to Windows. That is what 
I wanted, as I have a headless Linux box with no speakers attached and I 
am accessing the Linux X-clients with Cygwin/X.

Also, if you start/restart Windows pulseaudio.exe, you will need to 
restart any running Linux audio clients.







-- 
--
Doug McCasland