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virtio sound
============
This document explains the setup and usage of the Virtio sound device.
The Virtio sound device is a paravirtualized sound card device.
Linux kernel support
--------------------
Virtio sound requires a guest Linux kernel built with the
``CONFIG_SND_VIRTIO`` option.
Description
-----------
Virtio sound implements capture and playback from inside a guest using the
configured audio backend of the host machine.
Device properties
-----------------
The Virtio sound device can be configured with the following properties:
* ``jacks`` number of physical jacks (Unimplemented).
* ``streams`` number of PCM streams. At the moment, no stream configuration is supported: the first one will always be a playback stream, an optional second will always be a capture stream. Adding more will cycle stream directions from playback to capture.
* ``chmaps`` number of channel maps (Unimplemented).
All streams are stereo and have the default channel positions ``Front left, right``.
Examples
--------
Add an audio device and an audio backend at once with ``-audio`` and ``model=virtio``:
* pulseaudio: ``-audio driver=pa,model=virtio``
or ``-audio driver=pa,model=virtio,server=/run/user/1000/pulse/native``
* sdl: ``-audio driver=sdl,model=virtio``
* coreaudio: ``-audio driver=coreaudio,model=virtio``
etc.
To specifically add virtualized sound devices, you have to specify a PCI device
and an audio backend listed with ``-audio driver=help`` that works on your host
machine, e.g.:
::
-device virtio-sound-pci,audiodev=my_audiodev \
-audiodev alsa,id=my_audiodev