PipeWire is a versatile multimedia server that handles audio and video files in Linux distributions. It’s commonly used for Wayland and Flatpak applications, offering low-latency audio and video playback, support for real-time processing, and compatibility with PulseAudio and JACK.

In Debian 12, PipeWire 0.3.65 is available and considerably more reliable. Its primary use cases include enabling screen sharing, remote desktop functionality, and facilitating audio and video routing between different software components.

This guide will demonstrate step-by-step instructions to install pipewire on Debian 12.

How to Install PipeWire on Debian 12?

PipeWire is the default sound server for GNOME and plays audio and video files with low latency. To install PipeWire on Debian 12, follow these steps:

Step 1: Update Packages List

Before installing any package, users need to update the package list via the below “apt” command:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install PipeWire

To install PipeWire along with its dependencies on Debian 12, utilize the “pipewire-audio” package (complete meta package for PipeWire). Other packages are necessary dependencies, such as wireplumber (Provides support for the session manager in PipeWire), pipewire-pulse (Replaces PulseAudio), pipewire-alsa (Adds support for ALSA), and Libspa-0.2-bluetooth (Enables Bluetooth support):

sudo apt install pipewire-audio wireplumber pipewire-pulse pipewire-alsa libspa-0.2-bluetooth

Note: PipeWire is pre-installed on Debian 12, but the above command will install it if it’s missing. Later on, check its version via the below command:

pipewire --version

Step 3: Enable the Session Manager

After installing PipeWire, users need to enable the session manager using the “wireplumber.service”:

systemctl --user --now enable wireplumber.service

Note: If the above command does not execute, reboot the system. Then, execute the above command to enable the services.

Optional: Disable Services

Users can disable the “wireplumber.services” via the “systemctl” command:

systemctl --user --now disable wireplumber.service

Step 4: Verification

To verify that PipeWire is installed, check its version with the “version” utility:

wireplumber --version

Step 5: Restart System

Finally, restart the Debian system to apply the modifications/changes:

sudo reboot

Verification

Once your system restarts, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of PipeWire on Debian 12. As well as display the complete information using the below utility:

pw-dump

Optional: Remove/Uninstall PipeWire

If users ever need to uninstall PipeWire, use the below packages to uninstall/remove it including its configuration files:

sudo apt purge pipewire-audio wireplumber pipewire-pulse pipewire-alsa libspa-0.2-bluetooth

Users can also use the “autoremove” utility afterward to clean up any unused dependencies.

If users need to install PipeWire on Debian 10 or Debian 11, follow the official guide. To explore Linux distributions, follow our guide on Arch Linux, or Linux Mint.

Conclusion

PipeWire is a versatile server and API designed for multimedia handling on Linux. To install PipeWire on Debian 12, update/upgrade the package list, install PipeWire, and enable the session manager. Finally, restart the system and use the PipeWire features. Users can also remove/uninstall the PipeWire package on Debian 12 using the “purge” or “autoremove” utility. This article has explained the step-by-step instructions for installing the pipewire on Debian 12.