Cradle

Troubleshooting

Audio issues on Linux

What to check first when Cradle audio misbehaves on Linux: PipeWire vs PulseAudio routing, device selection in pavucontrol, and the limits of our Linux support.

Cradle runs on Linux, but support is best-effort. Audio behaviour depends on which sound server your distro uses (PipeWire on most current desktops, PulseAudio on older or minimal installs), and on per-distro permissions for microphone access. If something audio-related is wrong, the fix is usually at the sound-server level rather than inside Cradle.

On Windows or macOS? Try Audio and headset issues on Windows or Audio issues on macOS.

Quick checks (try these first)

  1. Open your distro's sound settings and confirm the device you want is selected as both the default input and default output.
  2. Open pavucontrol and confirm Cradle's input and output streams are routed to the right device.
  3. Confirm microphone access is granted at the distro level. See Microphone permission on Linux.

PipeWire vs PulseAudio

Current GNOME and KDE distros run PipeWire. Older distros and minimal installs run PulseAudio. Cradle works with both, but the device routing tools differ slightly.

You can check which sound server is running:

pactl info | grep "Server Name"

If it says "PulseAudio (on PipeWire ...)" you're on PipeWire with the PulseAudio compatibility shim. If it just says "PulseAudio" you're on PulseAudio proper.

pavucontrol works for both. It's the standard tool for "which application is talking to which device", and it's what we recommend reaching for first.

Cradle is using the wrong device

  1. Install and open pavucontrol (Pulse Audio Volume Control). On most distros it's in the package manager as pavucontrol.
  2. Make or take a test call so Cradle creates an audio stream.
  3. On the Playback tab, find Cradle and pick the right output device from the dropdown next to it.
  4. On the Recording tab, find Cradle and pick the right input device.
  5. The choice is remembered for that device combination next time.

Don't be surprised if Cradle's audio settings menu and pavucontrol disagree. On Linux, pavucontrol is the source of truth, and Cradle's menu reflects what the sound server is offering.

The microphone meter doesn't move

Most likely a sound-server problem. Cradle on Linux ships as AppImage or .deb, and both go through the standard sound server (PipeWire or PulseAudio), so if the meter doesn't move, the problem is at the sound-server level, not inside Cradle.

  • Open pavucontrol and check the Input Devices tab. Is the device muted? Is the level above zero?
  • Check the Recording tab during a call. Is Cradle routed to the input you expect?
  • For the longer version, see Microphone permission on Linux.

Audio is choppy or robotic

PipeWire's default buffer size is small, which is good for latency and bad for systems that are under load. If audio is consistently choppy:

  1. Confirm CPU isn't pegged during calls (top or your distro's system monitor).
  2. Try plugging the headset into a different USB port, preferably USB 2.0 rather than 3.0, which has occasional interaction with audio devices on some distros.
  3. If you're on PulseAudio, increase the buffer with pacmd set-sink-volume … look up your distro's specific instructions; defaults vary.

If you're using a Bluetooth headset on Linux, see Bluetooth headsets for the broader picture, and consider switching to a wired headset for serious call use. Bluetooth on Linux is functional but more fragile than on Windows or macOS.

What we can help with

We test Cradle on a few Linux distros, but we can't certify behaviour across the full range of desktop environments, sound servers, and audio drivers. If you hit something specific, we'll do our best to suggest a path forward, but:

  • We won't replicate every distro / desktop combination.
  • We can't fix audio driver bugs in the kernel or in your distro's packages.
  • We'll point at the standard Linux audio tooling when that's the right answer.

If a particular setup matters to your team, let us know. Knowing which distros customers actually use helps us prioritise testing.

Still stuck?

  • Email help@cradle.io with your distro, distro version, sound server, and a description of what's happening.
  • Cradle support hours are 8:30 am – 5:00 pm New Zealand time, Monday to Friday.

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