pw-cli(1)

📦
version 1.6.11 · 14 versions
, in fedora 44

💖 pw-cli — the PipeWire Command Line Interface 💖

okay bestie, so like — this is pw-cli(1), a General Commands Manual page, and it's literally your little group chat with PipeWire itself. no cap. let's go 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

pw-cli — the PipeWire Command Line Interface. that's it, that's the girl. 👑

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

pw-cli [command]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So basically you use this to interact with a PipeWire instance. that's the whole vibe. 💫

When a command is given, pw-cli will execute the command and exit. one and done, no lingering, we love a clean exit. ✨

When no command is given, pw-cli starts an interactive session with the default PipeWire instance pipewire-0. it's giving main character energy, periodt.

Connections to other, remote instances can be made. the current instance name is displayed at the prompt, so you always know which one you're talking to — no accidentally texting the wrong person energy. 😭 💅

important note bestie: pw-cli also creates a local PipeWire instance. Some commands operate on the current (remote) instance and some on the local instance, such as module loading. yes this is confusing. no we cannot fix it. iykyk. 🙈

Use the 'help' command to list the available commands. iconic behavior honestly. 💖

🎀 GENERAL COMMANDS 🎀

  • help | h — Show a quick help on the commands available. it also lists the aliases for many commands, so you can find out that h is just help being lazy. love that for us. 💅
  • quit | q — Exit from pw-cli. say bye bestie, the session is over. 👋
  • list-vars — List all currently known variables and their type. Some commands create objects that are identified with a variable, so this is your little receipts folder. 🧾 ✨

🌈 MODULE MANAGEMENT 🌈

okay so here's the tea 🍓: modules are loaded and unloaded in the local instance, thus the pw-cli binary itself, and can add functionality or objects to the local instance. It is not possible in PipeWire to load modules in another instance. not a thing. we don't do that here. 🚫

  • load-module name [arguments...] — Load a module specified by its name and arguments in the local instance. For most modules it is OK to be loaded more than once — she's flexible like that. 💅

This command returns a module variable that can be used to unload the module. keep it, you'll need it later bestie.

The local module is not visible in the remote instance. It is not possible in PipeWire to load modules in a remote instance. (we said it twice because it matters, periodt.)

  • unload-module module-var — Unload a module, specified by its variable. bye girl 🫶

🧚 OBJECT INTROSPECTION 🧚

  • list-objects — List the objects of the current instance. 👑

Objects are listed with their id, type and version. the holy trinity. ✨

  • info id | all — Get information about a specific object or all objects. nosy? same. 💖

Requesting info about an object will also notify you of changes. she's keeping you updated, that's a real one. 🔔

💜 WORKING WITH REMOTES 💜

  • connect [remote-name] — Connect to a remote instance and make this the new current instance. ✨

If no remote name is specified, a connection is made to the default remote instance, usually pipewire-0.

The special remote name called internal can be used to connect to the local pw-cli PipeWire instance. it's built different fr fr.

This command returns a remote var that can be used to disconnect or switch remotes.

  • disconnect [remote-var] — Disconnect from a remote instance. 🫂

If no remote name is specified, the current instance is disconnected.

  • list-remotes — List all remote instances. the roster, if you will. 📋 ✨
  • switch-remote [remote-var] — Make the specified remote the current instance. 🔄

If no remote name is specified, the first instance is made current.

⭐ NODE MANAGEMENT ⭐

  • create-node factory-name [properties...] — Create a node from a factory in the current instance. 🌱

Properties are key=value pairs separated by whitespace.

This command returns a node variable. 💅

  • export-node node-id [remote-var] — Export a node from the local instance to the specified instance. When no instance is specified, the node will be exported to the current instance. sharing is caring. 🫶

🍓 DEVICE MANAGEMENT 🍓

  • create-device factory-name [properties...] — Create a device from a factory in the current instance. 🔧

Properties are key=value pairs separated by whitespace.

This command returns a device variable. ✨

  • create-link node-id port-id node-id port-id [properties...] — Create a link between 2 nodes and ports. 🔗

Port ids and Node ids can be set to - to automatically select a node or a port. the universe will decide. ✨

Port ids can be * to automatically link matching ports ids in the nodes.

Properties are key=value pairs separated by whitespace.

This command returns one or more link variables. (yes, more than one, she's generous.)

👑 GLOBALS MANAGEMENT 👑

  • destroy object-id — Destroy a global object. 💀 it had a good run bestie.

🌟 PARAMETER MANAGEMENT 🌟

  • enum-params object-id param-id — Enumerate params of an object. 🔢

param-id can also be given as the param short name. convenient, we love her.

  • set-param object-id param-id param-json — Set param of an object. ✍️

param-id can also be given as the param short name.

🔥 PERMISSION MANAGEMENT 🔥

  • permissions client-id object-id permission — Set permissions for a client. 🛂

object-id can be -1 to set the default permissions. the catch-all, the fallback, the safety net.

  • get-permissions client-id — Get permissions of a client. nosy again, but make it legal. 🔍

🫶 COMMAND MANAGEMENT 🫶

  • send-command object-id — Send a command to an object. 📨

💖 AUTHORS 💖

The PipeWire Developers <https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/issues>; PipeWire is available from <https://pipewire.org>

the actual legends. we stan. 👑

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

pipewire(1), pw-mon(1), — go read those too bestie, they're also iconic. ✨

aaaand that's the whole page 🎀 this manual is from PipeWire, version 1.6.11, dated right there with the pw-cli(1) tag at the bottom — so like, if you're running a different version, vibe check your own manpage before coming for me 💅 periodt, no cap, literally obsessed with you for reading all the way down here 💖🦋✨

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