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Copilot , how do i know that my DEBIAN 13 machine is using the PIPEWIRE SOUND SYSTEM or the PULSEAUDIO SOUND SYSTEM ? Copilot , i have a DEBIAN 13 OS inside my machine and the DEBIAN 13 OS was installed TORAM , meaning , after the DEBIAN 13 OS is fully installed , the USB External Hard Disk Drive that was used to installed it , was removed completely from my DEBIAN 13 machine . Currently , the DEBIAN 13 OS machine IS RUNNING WITHOUT A PHYSICAL HARD DISK DRIVE. Copilot , after leaving my DEBIAN 13 OS running for one night , the next morning when i try to play YOUTUBE videos , there is no sound or no audio coming out fron my DEBIAN 13 machine . Copilot , when i checked the SOUND SETTINGS on my DEBIAN 13 machine , i believe the SOUND SETTINGS is quite intact , that is , the "Output Device" says " HDMI/ Display Port - CEDAR HDMI Audio [ Radeon HD 5400/6300/7300 Series ] " and i believe this is correct because my DEBIAN 13 machine is connected to a 40-inches HDMI-enabled TV Monitor which is connected by a RADEON HD 5400 Graphics Card which is then connected to an INTEL Motherboard. Oh ya Copilot , the Output Volume is also set SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE and i believe this is quite loud enough to be audible , IF MY SOUND SYSTEM IN THE DEBIAN 13 MACHINE IS TOP-NOTCH. Copilot , that is why i am beginning to question myself regarding these 2 Sound Systems in the Linux Environment whether the Sound System in my DEBIAN 13 machine is top-notch or not ! So Copilot , in your opinion which is the better sound system for my DEBIAN 13 machine ? Is it the PIPEWIRE SOUND SYTEM or the PULSEAUDIO SOUND SYSTEM ? So Copilot , regarding the NO-SOUND ISSUE or the NO-AUDIO ISSUE on my DEBIAN 13 machine , what doyou think could go wrong ? Do i have to replace my Sound System from PIPEWIRE to PULSEAUDIO or vice versa , with respect to the current sound system which is inside my DEBIAN 13 machine or is there any software configuration using the Linux Terminal Command Prompt , that i have to perform , in order to get back the audio/sound working back to normal ? THANKS for your answer.
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Hi Norizan! 😊
From what you described, I do not think your first step should be replacing PipeWire with PulseAudio. The fact that your sound worked before and then disappeared only after the machine was left running overnight suggests a sound service problem, HDMI audio device problem, or power-management/suspend-related issue, rather than the choice of audio system itself.
First, check whether you are using PipeWire or PulseAudio
Open a terminal and run:
Possible results:
If you see:
then you are actually using PipeWire. [connectwww.com], [sumguy.com]
If you see:
then you are using the traditional PulseAudio server. [connectwww.com]
You can also check:
and
An active PipeWire service usually indicates PipeWire is handling audio. [connectwww.com], [mundobytes.com]
Which is better: PipeWire or PulseAudio?
For a modern Debian system, I would recommend PipeWire.
Advantages of PipeWire:
✅ Lower latency
✅ Better Bluetooth support
✅ Can replace both PulseAudio and JACK
✅ Modern design
✅ Used by many current Linux distributions as the default audio framework [sumguy.com], [github.com]
So if your Debian 13 installation is already using PipeWire, I would keep it.
Why did the sound disappear overnight?
From your description, a few possibilities come to mind:
Possibility 1: PipeWire service stopped or got stuck
Try:
Then play a YouTube video again.
Possibility 2: HDMI audio lost connection
Since your sound travels through:
sometimes Linux loses the HDMI audio connection after the display sleeps.
Try:
and see if the HDMI output is still present.
Possibility 3: Browser audio muted
Open a YouTube video and run:
If it is not installed:
Look under:
and verify that Microsoft Edge (or your browser) is not muted.
Possibility 4: WirePlumber crashed
WirePlumber manages audio routing under PipeWire.
Check:
If necessary:
Possibility 5: Your toram setup
Because you boot using toram, everything runs entirely from RAM after boot.
That itself should not cause loss of sound.
The audio services should continue to run normally even after the USB drive has been removed.
So I do not think the toram feature is the direct cause.
A very useful diagnostic command
Please run:
and
If you see "PipeWire" and "WirePlumber" both running, then we know the audio stack is alive.
My opinion
Based on everything you've told me:
✅ Keep PipeWire.
✅ Do not switch to PulseAudio yet.
✅ First try restarting PipeWire and WirePlumber.
✅ Check whether HDMI audio is still detected.
✅ Check whether the TV itself is muted or switched to a different audio mode.
The fact that Debian still shows:
inside Sound Settings is actually a good sign. It means Debian still sees the HDMI audio device.
My suspicion is that PipeWire/WirePlumber got stuck or the HDMI audio link went to sleep overnight rather than a fundamental problem with PipeWire itself.
Try these two commands first:
and then immediately play a YouTube video. That simple restart often brings HDMI sound back without rebooting the whole machine. 👍
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Thankyou very much Copilot , for that beautiful answer , which is clear , concise and easy for Grandpa Norizan to digest……..HA-HA-HA-HA(Laugh Out Loud)……… Copilot , i will keep you posted after i finished trouble-shooting my DEBIAN 13 machine [ i envisioned myself as the billionaire , flamboyant , TONY STARK trouble-shooting his IRON MAN SUIT or his ARC REACTOR ……..HA-HA-HA-HA(Laugh Out Loud} ] with the help of your technical , tips , tricks and techniques ……… Once again thanks for your answer and i will keep you posted when the results come out.
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You are most welcome, Grandpa Norizan! 😄
HA-HA-HA-HA! I can just imagine the scene now:
🦾 Tony Stark Version of Grandpa Norizan
Standing in front of the Debian terminal...
instead of
you say:
😆
And then the voice responds:
"Sir, PipeWire is operating at 97% efficiency. HDMI audio link integrity is questionable. Recommend immediate investigation."
Meanwhile Grandpa Norizan turns around dramatically and says:
"Copilot, prepare the troubleshooting sequence!"
🤣
On a serious note, I think you are taking exactly the right approach:
- Verify whether the system is using PipeWire or PulseAudio.
- Check whether PipeWire, WirePlumber, and the HDMI audio device are still active.
- Try restarting the audio services.
- Observe whether the problem returns after another overnight run.
The fact that your Debian 13 system is running toram is actually a very interesting setup. Not many Linux users run an operating system entirely from RAM after removing the boot drive. That makes your machine feel a little bit like an experimental high-speed workstation or, as you put it, an ARC REACTOR-powered Debian machine. 😄
If you collect any diagnostic output such as:
or
or
feel free to post the results here. We can analyze them together line by line, just like Tony Stark examining sensor readouts from the Iron Man suit.
Good luck with the investigation, Grandpa Norizan!
🔧 "Sometimes the problem is not the sound card."
🔧 "Sometimes the problem is not the HDMI cable."
🔧 "Sometimes a sleepy Linux audio service simply needs a gentle wake-up call."
HA-HA-HA! 😄
I look forward to hearing the results of your Debian 13 audio adventure. May the PipeWire be with you! 🎵🐧🦾
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