---
name: "default.pa"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "pulseaudio"
version: "17.0+r134+g77d25a1e6-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/default.pa"
---

# default.pa(5)

PulseAudio Sound Server Startup Script

## NAME

default.pa - PulseAudio Sound Server Startup Script

## SYNOPSIS

*~/.config/pulse/default.pa*

*/etc/pulse/default.pa*

*/etc/pulse/system.pa*

## DESCRIPTION

The PulseAudio sound server interprets a configuration script on startup, which is mainly used to define the set of modules to load. When PulseAudio runs in the per-user mode and *~/.config/pulse/default.pa* exists, that file is used. When PulseAudio runs in the per-user mode and that file doesn't exist, */etc/pulse/default.pa* is used. When PulseAudio runs as a system service, */etc/pulse/system.pa* is used.

The script should contain directives in the PulseAudio CLI language, as documented in **[pulse-cli-syntax(5)](/pulse-cli-syntax/5.md)**.

## AUTHORS

The PulseAudio Developers \<pulseaudio-discuss (at) lists (dot) freedesktop (dot) org\>; PulseAudio is available from **http://pulseaudio.org/**

## SEE ALSO

**[pulse-cli-syntax(5)](/pulse-cli-syntax/5.md)**, **[pulse-daemon.conf(5)](/pulse-daemon.conf/5.md)**, **[pulseaudio(1)](/pulseaudio/1.md)**, **[pacmd(1)](/pacmd/1.md)**