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Asked: 2024-09-25T12:31:30+05:30 In:

What are the steps to restart PulseAudio in Ubuntu without needing to log out of my session?

I’ve been having this annoying issue with PulseAudio on my Ubuntu setup, and I could really use some help from anyone who’s dealt with this before. So, here’s the deal: I’ve noticed that often, my audio just kind of glitches out, and I end up missing important sounds during Zoom calls or while jamming to my favorite playlists. Restarting the entire system feels like way overkill, and I really don’t want to log out of my session just to fix some sound problems.

I did a bit of digging online, and there are a bunch of ways to approach this, but I’m getting tangled up in all the different methods. Some people talk about using terminal commands, while others mention some GUI tools, and honestly, I’m not super comfortable in the terminal yet. I know it must be doable without the need to log out since I’ve heard others mention it before, but I just can’t pin down the steps.

If any of you can break it down for me step-by-step, that would be amazing! I’m hoping for something straightforward—I just need to restart PulseAudio without turning off my whole session. How do I do that? Do I need to mess around with configuration files, or is there a quick command that I can type in?

And if you could explain it in a way that even a Linux novice like me can understand, that would really help me out. It’s frustrating to not be able to enjoy my audio when it’s working perfectly one minute, then goes silent the next. If there’s some common troubleshooting tip or anything I should avoid (like messing up my audio settings permanently), please share that too! Thanks in advance, everyone—I really appreciate your help!

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    2 Answers



    1. Restart PulseAudio on Ubuntu


      How to Restart PulseAudio Without Logging Out

      If your audio is glitching out and you want to restart PulseAudio without going through the hassle of logging out, I’ve got a simple step-by-step for you. This should help get your sound back to normal in no time!

      Steps to Restart PulseAudio:

      1. Open the terminal. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
      2. In the terminal, type the following command to safely kill the PulseAudio server:
        3. pulseaudio --kill
      3. Now, to start it back up, enter this command:
        4. pulseaudio --start

      And that’s it! This should restart the audio server without needing to log out or reboot.

      Extra Tips:

      • If you ever find that your audio is still acting funky after this, you can try adjusting the volume levels or switching your audio output device in the settings.
      • Avoid messing around with configuration files unless you’re really sure about what you’re doing, as it can lead to more issues.
      • Sometimes just unplugging and replugging your audio device can also help, especially if you’re using headphones or an external speaker.

      Hope this helps and you can get back to enjoying your music and calls without interruptions!



    2. To restart PulseAudio without logging out of your session or restarting your system, you can simply use a terminal command. First, open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T. In the terminal, type the following command to stop PulseAudio: pulseaudio --kill. This command will stop the running instance of PulseAudio. Once it’s stopped, you can start it again by typing: pulseaudio --start. This two-command approach resets the audio server and often resolves the glitching issues you’re experiencing without needing to log out or reboot. If you’re uncomfortable with using the terminal, don’t worry—this method is straightforward and only requires a few keystrokes.

      If you are looking for a more graphical approach, you can use the PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol) tool. If you haven’t already installed it, you can find it in the Ubuntu Software Center or install it via terminal with sudo apt install pavucontrol. After installation, open PulseAudio Volume Control and navigate to the ‘Playback’ and ‘Output Devices’ tabs to ensure your audio source is selected and not muted. While this doesn’t directly restart PulseAudio, it allows you to check and configure your audio settings harmoniously. One common troubleshooting tip is to ensure multiple applications aren’t competing for audio output; it might help to close any unused applications that are playing audio. Always remember to save any audio configurations you might change, so you don’t lose them after a restart.


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