Native Linux soundboard with PipeWire virtual microphone, microphone passthrough, LUFS normalization, and global hotkeys for Wayland and X11.
Download · Install Guide · Feature Reference · Screenshots · Troubleshooting · Legal
Install with one command:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/germanua/Linux-SoundBoard/main/install.sh | bashOpens a menu: install, install a previous version, repair, uninstall, check status, or generate a bug report.
Sets up the runtime audio engine, desktop entry, and icons automatically, and records your audio setup first so uninstalling can put it back.
Linux Soundboard sends audio clips to your speakers and to a PipeWire virtual
microphone named Linux_Soundboard_Mic. Select that input in Discord, OBS,
Zoom, games, or any other application with a microphone selector.
Microphone passthrough mixes your voice with soundboard playback. The GTK4 window and audio engine run as separate processes, so the virtual microphone can remain available after the window closes.
View the full screenshot gallery
The command at the top of this page detects the distribution and uses the matching install path.
| Distribution | Default install method |
|---|---|
| Arch / CachyOS / EndeavourOS | Stable linux-soundboard AUR package through yay or paru |
| Debian / Ubuntu | Native .deb package |
| Fedora | Native .rpm package |
| Other distributions | Release tarball with the per-user installer |
Privileges: Native packages and the Wayland hotkey helper may require your package manager and password. AppImage and tarball installs stay under
~/.local.
Download verification:
install.shverifiesSHA256SUMS.txt.minisigagainst the pinnedrelease.pubkey before it trusts the asset's SHA-256. If Minisign is not installed, the script uses a temporary, hash-pinned copy; it does not install anything. Missing files, invalid signatures, and checksum mismatches stop the install.
chmod +x linux-soundboard-x86_64.AppImage
./linux-soundboard-x86_64.AppImageOn first launch, choose Install for persistent virtual mic, Run temporarily, or Exit. A persistent install keeps the AppImage under your user account and starts the audio engine as a systemd user service.
Download a package or AppImage from the Releases page, then verify the downloaded file without installing it:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/germanua/Linux-SoundBoard/main/install.sh | bash -s -- verify ./DOWNLOADED_FILEFor an older release, add its tag, for example --version v2.4.3. The verifier
does not need root and does not install Linux Soundboard or Minisign. You can
also download
install.sh
and inspect it before running the same command locally.
See docs/INSTALL.md for version selection, repair, status, uninstall, AppImage, and source-install commands.
- Install and launch Linux Soundboard.
- Add a sound folder, or drag files into the window.
- Select
Linux_Soundboard_Micas the input in Discord, OBS, Zoom, or your game. - Enable microphone passthrough to mix your real microphone with playback.
- Assign hotkeys if you want to trigger sounds outside the window.
Microphone Routing defaults to automatic routing. Switch it to Manual if you manage the default input with pavucontrol or another audio tool.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GTK4 UI │
│ Library, search, transport, settings, hotkeys │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
│ Unix socket IPC
┌──────────────────────────▼──────────────────────────┐
│ linux-soundboard-engine.service │
│ Playback, mic mixing, volume, seeking, looping │
└──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┬──────┘
│ │
Speakers Linux_Soundboard_Mic
The engine owns the audio streams and runtime virtual microphone. The UI sends commands over a Unix socket. Closing the UI stops active sounds, but the engine service and virtual microphone can stay running.
- Normalization: Per-sound LUFS gain across every supported format
- Play modes: Play once, loop, or continue to the next sound
- Transport: Play, pause, stop, previous, next, and seek
- Output levels: Separate speaker and virtual-microphone volume
- Microphone boost: Optional loudness gain for mic passthrough
- Runtime virtual mic: Created by the audio engine, not a permanent PipeWire configuration
- Mic passthrough: Mixes the selected real microphone with sound playback
- Default mode: Sets
Linux_Soundboard_Micas the default recording input - Manual mode: Leaves default-source selection to the user
- EasyEffects: Can capture the processed microphone source
- Folders: Add, remove, reorder, combine, restore, and rescan folders
- Tabs: Organize sounds without moving source files
- SQLite storage: Sounds, folders, tabs, and hotkeys live in
library.sqlite3 - Large libraries: Loaded in bounded pages
- Drag and drop: Add files or folders from a file manager
- Search: Filter the visible sound list
- Hotkeys: Per-sound bindings and shared playback controls
- Wayland hotkeys:
swhkd - X11 and XWayland hotkeys: Native XInput2
- System tray:
StatusNotifierItem - Media controls: Optional MPRIS integration
- Background audio: systemd user service
| Format | Support |
|---|---|
| MP3 | Yes |
| Ogg Vorbis | Yes |
| Ogg Opus | Mono and stereo |
| FLAC | Yes |
| AAC | AAC-LC |
| M4A | AAC-LC and ALAC |
| MP4 audio | AAC-LC, ALAC, mono Opus, and stereo Opus |
| WebM | No |
| Multichannel Opus | No |
See docs/FEATURE_REFERENCE.md for every control, setting, and menu.
| Session | Backend | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Wayland | swhkd |
Installed through the app or installer |
| X11 | Native XInput2 | None |
| XWayland | Native XInput2 | None when the X11 backend is used |
Wayland hotkeys require direct keyboard access. Linux Soundboard still works
without swhkd; only Wayland global hotkeys are unavailable.
- Wayland hotkeys: The installer builds a pinned
swhkdrevision with rfkill handling disabled. Installation uses PolicyKit. - GNOME tray: GNOME needs an AppIndicator-compatible extension for the tray icon.
- AppImage updates: Automatic replacement applies only to the AppImage kept as the persistent installed executable.
- Microphone routing: EasyEffects, Bluetooth profiles, PipeWire and WirePlumber configuration, and application-specific routing can change the result.
Start with docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md when audio routing does not match the selected mode.
| Data | Path |
|---|---|
| Settings | ~/.config/linux-soundboard/config.json |
| Sound library | ~/.config/linux-soundboard/library.sqlite3 |
| Installer state and backups | ~/.local/state/linux-soundboard/install-user/ |
| Engine socket | $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/linux-soundboard/engine.sock |
Removing a sound from the library does not delete the original audio file.
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S cargo rust pkgconf clang gtk4 libadwaita libpulse opus libx11 libxi pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumberDebian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install build-essential cargo rustc pkg-config \
libgtk-4-dev libadwaita-1-dev libpulse-dev libopus-dev libpipewire-0.3-dev \
libx11-dev libxi-dev libclang-dev pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber pulseaudio-utilsFedora
sudo dnf install cargo rust gcc gcc-c++ clang-devel pkgconf-pkg-config \
gtk4-devel libadwaita-devel pulseaudio-libs-devel opus-devel libX11-devel \
libXi-devel pipewire-devel pipewire pipewire-utils pipewire-pulseaudio wireplumber pulseaudio-utilsgit clone https://github.com/germanua/Linux-SoundBoard.git
cd Linux-SoundBoard
cargo build --release
./packaging/linux/install-user.sh install ./target/release/linux-soundboardSee docs/INSTALL.md for the full source-build notes.
./install.sh reportAttach the generated report. Include the distribution, desktop environment, Wayland or X11 session, and PipeWire/WirePlumber versions.
Open an issue · Start a discussion · Bug reporting guide
| Document | Contents |
|---|---|
| Installation guide | Install, downgrade, repair, uninstall, and source builds |
| Feature reference | Controls, settings, menus, and hotkeys |
| Troubleshooting | Audio, PipeWire, hotkey, renderer, and packaging problems |
| Bug reporting | Details to include in a report |
| Screenshots | Full screenshot gallery |
| Changelog | Release history |
| Legal | License and redistribution rules |
| Contributing | Contribution guidelines |
Bug reports and focused pull requests are welcome. Read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting code.
For audio routing, installation, packaging, or hotkey changes, include the test environment and validation steps.
Linux Soundboard is free for noncommercial use under its license.
Ko-fi · Donations and sponsorship terms
Linux Soundboard is source-available under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0.
- SPDX identifier:
PolyForm-Noncommercial-1.0.0 - Required notice:
Required Notice: Copyright (c) 2026 germanua - Noncommercial use, modification, forks, and redistribution are allowed under the license terms.
- Commercial use, paid redistribution, resale, commercial bundling, or use in a commercial product or service requires a separate written commercial license.
This project is not OSI-approved open-source software.
Third-party components keep their own licenses:
Commercial licensing details are in COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md.
Linux Soundboard uses Rust, GTK4, libadwaita, PipeWire, WirePlumber, PulseAudio compatibility APIs, Symphonia, and other Rust and Linux libraries.
See THIRDPARTY_LICENSES.md for the dependency overview and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.html for generated Rust dependency notices.