How to install paprefs (PulseAudio Preferences)

Question

Ubuntu 20.04

Installing paprefs gives the following errors:

sudo apt install paprefs
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 paprefs : Depends: pulseaudio-module-gsettings but it is not going to be installed
           Depends: pulseaudio-module-zeroconf but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
sudo apt -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=true -o Debug::Acquire::http=true install paprefs
Starting pkgProblemResolver with broken count: 1
Starting 2 pkgProblemResolver with broken count: 1
Investigating (0) paprefs:amd64 < none -> 1.1-1build1 @un puN Ib >
Broken paprefs:amd64 Depends on pulseaudio-module-gsettings:amd64 < none | 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8 @un uH >
  Considering pulseaudio-module-gsettings:amd64 1 as a solution to paprefs:amd64 9999
    Reinst Failed early because of libpulse0:amd64
  Considering pulseaudio-module-gsettings:amd64 1 as a solution to paprefs:amd64 9999
Broken paprefs:amd64 Depends on pulseaudio-module-zeroconf:amd64 < none | 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8 @un uH >
  Considering pulseaudio-module-zeroconf:amd64 1 as a solution to paprefs:amd64 9999
    Reinst Failed early because of libpulse0:amd64
  Considering pulseaudio-module-zeroconf:amd64 1 as a solution to paprefs:amd64 9999
sudo apt install pulseaudio-module-gsettings
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 pulseaudio-module-gsettings : Depends: libpulse0 (= 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8) but 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13 is to be installed
                               Depends: pulseaudio (= 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8)
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
sudo apt install pulseaudio-module-zeroconf
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 pulseaudio-module-zeroconf : Depends: libpulse0 (= 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8) but 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13 is to be installed
                              Depends: pulseaudio (= 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8)
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Installed versions of libpulse0 and pulseaudio:

apt list libpulse0 # check installed version of libpulse0
libpulse0/now 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13 amd64 [installed,local]
libpulse0/focal-security 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8 i386
apt list pulseaudio
pulseaudio/now 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13 amd64 [installed,local]
pulseaudio/focal-security 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8 i386

This seems to be a bug in Ubuntu 20.04 because libpulse0 with version 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13 is already installed in the system but as described in the error message pulseaudio-module-gsettings and pulseaudio-module-zeroconf depends on libpulse0 with version strictly equal to 1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.8 (which is less than already installed)

Related questions:

Anton Samokat · Answer 1 · 2024-01-08T18:41:28.403

Manual installation of pulseaudio-module-zeroconf and pulseaudio-module-gsettings with appropriate versions as deb files has solved the problem with dependencies for paprefs. Libs for my configuration I found here:

deb packages installed with commands:

sudo dpkg -i pulseaudio-module-zeroconf_13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i pulseaudio-module-gsettings_13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13_amd64.deb

(How do I install a .deb file via the command line?)

After that installation of paprefs with apt goes successfully:

sudo apt install paprefs

To run PulseAudio Preferences menu:

paprefs

There was problem with grayed out menu items in PulseAudio Preferences menu.

The following information helped:

paprefs searches of existing modules in /usr/lib/pulse-13.99/modules/ but Ubuntu 20.04 stores it in /usr/lib/pulse-13.99.1/ Quick workaround:

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/pulse-13.99.1/ /usr/lib/pulse-13.99

Related information:

I discovered the PulseAudio version (to set the 2nd arg to symlink cmd) with pactl --version.
I just have to remember to update the link after running apt-upgrade :-(
pactl --version
pactl 13.99.1
Compiled with libpulse 13.99.0
Linked with libpulse 13.99.0
--
paprefs would have never worked for pulseaudio versions x.y.z ( options would be grayed out )
It works only if pulseaudio version is x.y

Source: All options grayed out on fresh install - Ubuntu Studio 20.20

How to install paprefs (PulseAudio Preferences)

1 Answers1