0

I noticed after doing apt-get dist-upgrade that pulseaudio was using 100% of one of the CPUs on my server. I can stop it but it restarts after after rebooting. Why would this have been installed and what would be the safest way to get rid of it? I was going to use apt-get autoremove pulseaudio but then it said it was going to install other packages:

The following extra packages will be installed:
gnome-control-center gnome-control-center-data gnome-settings-daemon  
libgnome-control-center1 libgoa-backend-1.0-1 libtelepathy-glib0

Suggested packages: libcanberra-gtk-module metacity x-window-manager
The following packages will be REMOVED:
indicator-sound libcanberra-pulse pulseaudio pulseaudio-module-x11  
unity-control-center unity-control-center-signon    
The following NEW packages will be installed:
gnome-control-center gnome-control-center-data gnome-settings-daemon libgnome-control-center1 libgoa-backend-1.0-1 libtelepathy-glib0
0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 6 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Tim
  • 32,861
  • 27
  • 118
  • 178
brian
  • 3
  • 1

1 Answers1

1

Don't remove it, it's part of the system.

Pulseaudio is installed by default, something else must of gone wrong here but to answer your question.

To stop pulse restarting run

echo "autospawn = no" > $HOME/.config/pulse/client.conf

This makes a file client.conf in .config/pulse that disables its autospawn, now you can kill it if you want

pkill -f pulseaudio

The system should fall back on ALSA, post a comment if no audio

Pulse should restart on boot but if it does not and you need it back then remove the file you made

rm $HOME/.config/pulse/client.conf

To stop it restarting at boot

cp $HOME/.config/pulse/client.conf .config/autostart
Community
  • 1
Mark Kirby
  • 18,529
  • 19
  • 78
  • 114
  • This thread seems to be implying that pulseaudio is not installed by default on Ubuntu Server: link – brian May 07 '15 at 18:52
  • Yes it does but I can't seem to get a straight answer from Google on weather or not it is pre-installed as server does not seem to have its own package list, however you did use the dist-upgrade command and this will not just update installed packages but install any new packages required to satisfy any missing dependencies this could be an issue, I would try this answer for now as it should still work and is 100% reversible, then perhaps someone else will come by and confirm if it is pre-installed or not and we can go from there. – Mark Kirby May 07 '15 at 19:22
  • I followed your advice and it worked great. Pulse isn't starting at boot now. Thanks. – brian May 08 '15 at 13:09