How to Set Up PulseAudio in MEPIS

MEPIS Linux is a powerful alternative to Windows.

For Windows users, the Linux world is a strange place. Unlike Windows, which bundles a consistent set of programs in each version, Linux is available from a variety of sources. Each source can bundle up its own chosen set of programs to make it into a full-fledged operating environment, known as a Linux "distribution," or distro for short. One user-friendly Linux distro is MEPIS, which combines the KDE interface with a stable Debian kernel. Versions up to MEPIS 11 use OSS and ALSA for audio, so you'll need to install PulseAudio manually to take advantage of its newer technology.

Things You'll Need

• MEPIS 11

Instructions

1. Boot your MEPIS system as you normally would, and ensure that your Internet connection is up and running.

2. Open a terminal window by clicking the "Start" menu, then selecting "System" and "Konsole" (Terminal) from the submenus.

3. Download and install PulseAudio from the MEPIS repositories by copying and pasting these commands, without the quotes, into your terminal window:

   " apt-get install libasound2-plugins libao-pulse libpulse-browse0 libpulse-mainloop-glib0 libpulse0 pulseaudio pulseaudio-esound-compat"

   " apt-get install pulseaudio-module-hal pulseaudio-module-x11 pulseaudio-module-zeroconf pulseaudio-utils"

4. Press the "Enter" key after each of these commands to execute it. In each case you'll see a number of lines scroll past on the terminal screen, informing of what's being done. You may be prompted to approve some steps by pressing "Y" or the "Enter" key.

5. Close the terminal window when the installation is completed. Save your work and close any open programs, then restart your system.

Tips & Warnings

• Even after your PulseAudio is installed and working with MEPIS itself, specific programs and multimedia players may need to be individually configured to work with PulseAudio or to take full advantage of its features. In most cases, the necessary information can be found on the PulseAudio website, or the developer's website for that specific program.

References

• PulseAudio.org: The Perfect Setup
• MEPIS 11 User's Manual