PulseAudio config script to quickly change audio settings tailored to use cases

[dgvirtual]

Below I paste a configuration script that helps me quickly change audio (PulseAudio) settings on my KDE/Ubuntu machine. I made it since I got tired of sifting through the complicated PulseAudio settings when trying to make my Skype audio or HDMI TV-out audio work. This script lists the four user cases I have (normal, bluetooth audio, bluetooth communication, HDMI TV-out) and the general case (enable all cards).

Unfortunately, it is not a complete programme that you can just use: you will need to tailor it to your computer and your user case. But it might be helplful to some.

To use it, first save it as a bash script (eg. in ~/bin/) under some smart name like audio-profiles.sh, make it executable and add to your menu. And of course, you have to edit it a lot to make it adapted to your particular computer/use case.

I could explain more about how to do that - just ask in comments below.

#!/bin/bash

## variables ##########################################
## native audio card
acard="alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0"
aprof_a="output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo"
aprof_d="output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo"
asink="alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo"
asource="alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo"

## my bluetooth headphones
mac="E0:9D:FA:0A:77:DB"
bcard="bluez_card.E0_9D_FA_0A_77_DB" #bluetooth headset card
bprof_m="a2dp_sink" # Music profile
bprof_h="headset_head_unit" # Headset profile
bsink_m="bluez_sink.E0_9D_FA_0A_77_DB.a2dp_sink"
bsink_h="bluez_sink.E0_9D_FA_0A_77_DB.headset_head_unit"
bsource="bluez_source.E0_9D_FA_0A_77_DB.headset_head_unit"
## /variables #########################################

## default kdialog selection statuses
no1="off"
no2="off"
no3="off"
no4="off"
no5="off"

##count active audio profiles
count=`pacmd list-cards|grep "active profile"|grep -v "<off>"|awk -F"<" '{ print $2 }' | awk -F">" '{ print $1 }'|wc -l`
echo $count

##if more than one profiles, activate kdialog select 5
if [ $count -gt 1 ]; then
	no5="on"
	#echo "test"
else
	## find the one active profile
	active_profile=`pacmd list-cards|grep "active profile"|grep -v "<off>"|awk -F"<" '{ print $2 }' | awk -F">" '{ print $1 }'`

	case $active_profile in
	"$aprof_a" )
		no1="on"
		;;
	"$bprof_m" )
		no2="on"
		;;
	"$bprof_h" )
		no3="on"
		;;
	"$aprof_d" )
		no4="on"
		;;
	*)
		kdialog --title "Could not read profile" --passivepopup "You have a non-typical configuration or \nthe script has an error" 5
		;;
	esac
fi

profile=`kdialog --title "Audio profiles" --radiolist "Choose your audio profile:" \
1 "Default (music/communication)" $no1 \
2 "Music (bluetooth)" $no2 \
3 "Communication (bluetooth)" $no3 \
4 "Movie via HDMI to TV" $no4 \
5 "More than one profile" $no5`

## Terminate the script if the user chooses "Cancel" in the dialog:
if [ $? != 0 ]; then
	exit
fi

## do what the user asked above
case "$profile" in
1 )
	pacmd set-card-profile $acard $aprof_a
	pacmd set-card-profile $bcard off
	pacmd set-default-sink $asink
	pacmd set-default-source $asource
	;;
2 )
	## first check, if my bluetooth headset is connected
	device=`hcitool con|grep $mac|wc -l`
	if [ $device -eq 1 ]; then
		pacmd set-card-profile $bcard $bprof_m
		pacmd set-card-profile $acard off
		pacmd set-default-sink $bsink_m
	else
		kdialog --error "Your headset is not connected to computer. \nConnect it and try again."
	fi
	;;
3 )
	##same as above
	device=`hcitool con|grep $mac|wc -l`
	if [ $device -eq 1 ]; then
		pacmd set-card-profile $bcard $bprof_h
		pacmd set-card-profile $acard off
		pacmd set-default-sink $bsink_h
		pacmd set-default-source $bsource
	else
		kdialog --error "Your headset is not connected to computer. \nConnect it and try again."
	fi
	;;
4 )
	hdmi=`xrandr|grep "HDMI-. connected"|wc -l`
	if [ $hdmi -gt 0 ]; then
		pacmd set-card-profile $acard $aprof_d
		pacmd set-card-profile $bcard off
		pacmd set-default-source $asource
	else
		kdialog --sorry "An external monitor is not attached \nthrough HDMI. Please attach it and\n try again."
	fi
	;;
5 )
	pacmd set-card-profile $acard $aprof_a
	## first check, if my bluetooth headset is connected
	device=`hcitool con|grep $mac|wc -l`
	if [ $device -eq 1 ]; then
	pacmd set-card-profile $bcard $bprof_m
	else
		kdialog --sorry "Your headset is not connected to computer. \nOnly the native audio card will be activated."
	fi
	pacmd set-default-sink $asink
	pacmd set-default-source $asource
	;;
## Other variants: something went wrong...
*) 
	kdialog --error "Something is not right, \nyou have to fix the script."
;;
esac