Arch Linux

SaltyIcetea

Member

Registered: 2026-04-17

Posts: 1

Pipewire sink creation issues

i created the pipewire example sink according to the following link with the exact same file path and file contents: https://docs.pipewire.org/page_module_example_sink.html
but pipewire just throws the following error (exact output from my terminal)

/home/salty/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d 16:24:34  ❯ pipewire
[E][16:10:37.869927] pw.conf      | [          conf.c:  602 load_module()] 0x56463c8b0580: could not load mandatory module "libpipewire-module-example-sink": No such file or directory
[E][16:10:37.871170] default      | [      pipewire.c:  124 main()] failed to create context: No such file or directory

reinstalling pipewire didnt help and i cant update as i am already on the newest release that is available in the repos as of writing this (1:1.6.3-1)

also here is the output of all the files i modified in regrads to pipewire

/home/salty/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d 16:25:02  ❯ cat my-example-sink.conf 
# ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/my-example-sink.conf

context.modules = [
{   name = libpipewire-module-example-sink
    args = {
        node.name = "example_sink"
        node.description = "My Example Sink"
        stream.props = {
            audio.position = [ FL FR ]
        }
    }
}
]

/home/salty/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d 16:25:14  ❯ cat pipewire.conf 
context.properties = {default.clock.min-quantum = 1024}

this is my wpctl status output (after closing things like jamesDSP, OBS, discord etc.)

PipeWire 'pipewire-0' [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, cookie:3805833864]
 └─ Clients:
        32. Chromium input                      [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:3419]
        33. WirePlumber                         [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1486]
        39. easyeffects                         [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1359]
        47. WirePlumber                         [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1486]
        49. WirePlumber [export]                [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1486]
        54. xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland         [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1541]
        78. pipewire                            [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1690]
        79. waybar                              [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1352]
        93. Blueman                             [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:1367]
       100. wpctl                               [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:5411]
       131. ringrtc                             [1.6.3, salty@framework16-archlinux, pid:2259]

Audio
 ├─ Devices:
 │      34. Arctis Nova Pro Wireless            [bluez5]
 │      80. Navi 31 HDMI/DP Audio               [alsa]
 │      81. Radeon High Definition Audio Controller [alsa]
 │      82. Ryzen HD Audio Controller           [alsa]
 │  
 ├─ Sinks:
 │      40. Easy Effects Sink                   [vol: 1.00]
 │  *   48. Arctis Nova Pro Wireless            [vol: 0.73]
 │  
 ├─ Sources:
 │      41. Easy Effects Source                 [vol: 1.00]
 │  
 ├─ Filters:
 │    - loopback-1486-19                                            
 │      45. bluez_capture_internal.20:AF:1B:14:FA:8B                     [Stream/Input/Audio/Internal]
 │  *   46. bluez_input.20:AF:1B:14:FA:8B                                [Audio/Source]
 │  
 └─ Streams:

Video
 ├─ Devices:
 │  
 ├─ Sinks:
 │  
 ├─ Sources:
 │  
 ├─ Filters:
 │  
 └─ Streams:

Settings
 └─ Default Configured Devices:
         0. Audio/Sink    bluez_output.20_AF_1B_14_FA_8B.1
         1. Audio/Source  alsa_input.usb-Shure_Inc_Shure_MV7__MV7__11-345f43d6c39100539be85a63fe2d8202-01.mono-fallback

so like... whats up with that? while i did rtfm, the pipewire documentation isnt the easists thing to understand so idk what im supposed to do

espresso

Member

From: Pale Blue Dot

Registered: 2023-05-15

Posts: 71

Re: Pipewire sink creation issues

A logged error like the first line in this internet-found snippet would be informative:

[E][01903.573993] mod.protocol-native | [module-protocol-:  680 init_socket_name()] server 0x55d987b16b10: name pipewire-0 is not an absolute path and no runtime dir found. Set one of PIPEWIRE_RUNTIME_DIR, XDG_RUNTIME_DIR or USERPROFILE in the environment
[E][01903.574018] pw.conf      | [          conf.c:  560 load_module()] 0x55d987ad3860: could not load mandatory module "libpipewire-module-protocol-native": No such file or directory
[E][01903.574077] default      | [      pipewire.c:  125 main()] failed to create context: No such file or directory

but you say 'exact terminal output' so sorry, I may be at a loss..

Last edited by espresso (2026-04-20 19:02:41)

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V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,115

Re: Pipewire sink creation issues

The example sink is for writing a custom sink and mostly exists in source form, and if it does exist  it's not getting packaged in arch's pipewire package what's your actual issue you're trying to solve?