VIRTUAL_OSS_CMD(8)

💅 virtual_oss_cmd(8) — the girlies' guide to poking a running virtual_oss(8) 💅

ok so real talk: this is a page from the System Manager's Manual, and the star of the show is virtual_oss_cmd, bestie. she's the little messenger that lets you talk to an already running virtual_oss(8) and tweak its options mid-vibe. no restart, no drama. iconic. 🎀

---

✨ NAME ✨

virtual_oss_cmd — modify a running virtual_oss(8) instance's options 🦋

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

virtual_oss_cmd

---

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so here's the tea ☕: virtual_oss_cmd passes additional command line arguments to a running virtual_oss(8) instance via its control device. that's it, that's the whole gig. no cap. 💅

these are the command line arguments she's got your back on:

• -E xxx
• -F xxx
• -G xxx
• -L xxx
• -M xxx
• -O xxx
• -P xxx
• -R xxx
• -a xxx
• -b xxx
• -c xxx
• -d xxx
• -e xxx
• -f xxx
• -l xxx
• -m xxx
• -p xxx
• -s xxx
• -w xxx

bestie pls go read virtual_oss(8) for a detailed description of the command line arguments 🙈 — this page is NOT gonna re-explain them all, that's not her job, that's not her era.

---

🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

💖 to change the recording device:

virtual_oss_cmd /dev/vdsp.ctl -R /dev/dsp4

💖 to change the playback device:

virtual_oss_cmd /dev/vdsp.ctl -P /dev/dsp4

💖 to enable recording:

virtual_oss_cmd /dev/vdsp.ctl -E 1

💖 to disable recording:

virtual_oss_cmd /dev/vdsp.ctl -E 0

💖 to create a new DSP device on the fly:

virtual_oss_cmd /dev/vdsp.ctl -b 16 -c 2 -d dsp.new

like, literally manifesting a whole new device out of thin air?? main character energy fr fr 🧚✨

💖 to show system information:

virtual_oss_cmd /dev/vdsp.ctl

just the control device, no flags — she'll spill the system info for you 👑

---

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• virtual_oss(8) — go read it, iykyk 🫶

---

👑 AUTHORS 👑

virtual_oss_cmd was written by Hans Petter Selasky hselasky@freebsd.org. absolute legend, we stan 💜

---

that's the whole page bestie, go forth and control your audio devices 💅✨

shoutout to Debian, chillin' with a February 12, 2025 timestamp — she's stamped, sealed, and slaying 🎀