shairport-sync/FEDORA.md

Fedora Installation Guide

Fedora uses PipeWire for audio management since Fedora 34. Shairport Sync offers a native PipeWire backend (--with-pw) for access to system audio output on PipeWire-based systems. The PulseAudio backend (--with-pa) can also be used, as PipeWire is PulseAudio compatible at this level. (The PipeWire backend is new and still undergoing development, whereas the PulseAudio backend is more mature.)

ALSA is also installed in a standard Fedora installation, but it can not access the default audio device, since PipeWire has exclusive access to it.

The PipeWire installation on Fedora includes an adapter for ALSA-compatible software that creates a virtual ALSA output device that, in reality, routes the audio that is sent to it into the PipeWire infrastructure. Unfortunately, this does not work with Shairport Sync's ALSA backend. This means that while you can build, run, connect to and play through Shairport Sync with the ALSA backend, no audio will be heard through the default ALSA output provided by PipeWire. Instead, for output to system audio on a PipeWire based system, you must use the PipeWire or PulseAudio backends.

Note, however, that if you want to use an extra audio card -- say a USB audio card -- Shairport Sync's ALSA backend can be used to access it.

In summary, use the PipeWire or PulseAudio backend for output to System Audio. Use the ALSA backend with a dedicated extra sound card.

Enable RPM Fusion Software Repositories (AirPlay 2 Only)

For AirPlay 2, ensure you enable the RPM Fusion software repositories at least to the "Free" level.

Update Everything

# yum update

Install Toolchain and Libraries

Note that the last three steps are optional, though you must select one of them.

# yum install make automake gcc gcc-c++
# yum install autoconf automake avahi-devel libconfig-devel openssl-devel popt-devel soxr-devel

# yum install alsa-lib-devel # perform this step if you intend to build the ALSA back end
# yum install pulseaudio-libs-devel # perform this step if you intend to build the PulseAudio back end
# yum install pipewire-devel # perform this step if you intend to build the PipeWire back end

For AirPlay 2 operation, extra libraries must be installed. Before taking this step, once again please ensure the you have enabled RPM Fusion software repositories at least to the "Free" level. If this is not done, ffmpeg libraries will be installed that lack a suitable AAC decoder, preventing Shairport Sync from working. (Check the situation using this troubleshooting hint.) Install the extra libraries with the following command:

# yum install ffmpeg ffmpeg-devel libplist-devel libsodium-devel libgcrypt-devel libuuid-devel vim-common

Build

NQPTP

Note: Skip this section if you are building Classic Shairport Sync – NQPTP is not used by Classic Shairport Sync.

Download, install, enable and start NQPTP from here. By the way, Fedora has a firewall running by default, so make sure you eneable UDP traffic to and from ports 319 and 320, as noted in the NQPTP guide.

Shairport Sync

Please use git to clone the repository!

As you probably know, you can download the repository in two ways: (1) using git to clone it -- recommended -- or (2) downloading the repository as a ZIP archive. Please use the git method. The reason it that when you use git, the build process can incorporate the git build information in the version string you get when you execute the command $ shairport-sync -V. This will be very useful for identifying the exact build if you are making comments or bug reports. Here is an example:

Version with git information:
4.1-dev-389-gf317161a-AirPlay2-OpenSSL-Avahi-pw-soxr-sysconfdir:/etc

Version without git information:
4.1-dev-AirPlay2-OpenSSL-Avahi-pw-soxr-sysconfdir:/etc

Build and Install

Download Shairport Sync, check out the development branch and configure, compile and install it.

• Omit --with-airplay-2 from the ./configure options to build Classic Shairport Sync.
• Omit --with-pw from the ./configure options if you do not want the PipeWire backend.
• Add --with-pa in the ./configure options to include the PulseAudio backend.
• Add --with-alsa in the ./configure options to include the ALSA backend.

$ git clone https://github.com/mikebrady/shairport-sync.git
$ cd shairport-sync
$ git checkout development
$ autoreconf -fi
$ ./configure --sysconfdir=/etc --with-pw \
    --with-soxr --with-avahi --with-ssl=openssl --with-systemd --with-airplay-2
$ make -j
# make install

By the way, the autoreconf step may take quite a while – please be patient!

Configuration

By default when you start Shairport Sync, it will play to the default output device on the default backend. You can configure Shairport Sync to use a different backend or device using settings in the configuration file, installed during the # make install step at /etc/shairport-sync.conf along with a sample at /etc/shairport-sync.conf.sample.

Automatic Start

To enable Shairport Sync to start automatically on boot up:

# systemctl enable shairport-sync

Now, either reboot or start the shairport-sync service:

# systemctl start shairport-sync

Running From the Command Line

You may wish to run Shairport Sync from the command line (but remember to ensure it is not already running as a daemon). To enable debug messages and statistics, use the following:

$ shairport-sync -v --statistics

The user doesn't need to be privileged, but must be a member of the audio group if access is needed to the alsa subsystem.

Adding to Home

If you have built it for AirPlay 2, you can follow the steps in ADDINGTOHOME.md to add your Shairport Sync device to the Apple Home system.

Update Your Mac!

Many AirPlay 2 bugs have been fixed in recent versions of macOS, so it is strongly recommended that you update your Mac.

Using Shairport Sync

The Shairport Sync AirPlay service should appear on the network with a service name made from the machine's hostname with the first letter capitalised, e.g. hostname fedora gives a service name Fedora. You can change the service name in the configuration file.

Connect and enjoy...