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

# padsp(1)

PulseAudio OSS Wrapper

## NAME

padsp - PulseAudio OSS Wrapper

## SYNOPSIS

**padsp \[***options***\]** *PROGRAM* **\[***ARGUMENTS ...***\]**

**padsp -h**

## DESCRIPTION

*padsp* starts the specified program and redirects its access to OSS compatible audio devices (*/dev/dsp* and auxiliary devices) to a PulseAudio sound server.

*padsp* uses the $LD\_PRELOAD environment variable that is interpreted by **[ld.so(8)](/ld.so/8.md)** and thus does not work for SUID binaries and statically built executables.

Equivalent to using *padsp* is starting an application with $LD\_PRELOAD set to *libpulsedsp.so*

## OPTIONS

- **-h \| --help**

  Show help.

- **-s** *SERVER*

  Set the PulseAudio server to connect to.

- **-n** *NAME*

  The client application name that shall be passed to the server when connecting.

- **-m** *NAME*

  The stream name that shall be passed to the server when creating a stream.

- **-M**

  Disable */dev/mixer* emulation.

- **-S**

  Disable */dev/sndstat* emulation.

- **-D**

  Disable */dev/dsp* emulation.

- **-d**

  Enable debug output.

## AUTHORS

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

## SEE ALSO

**[pulseaudio(1)](/pulseaudio/1.md)**, **[pasuspender(1)](/pasuspender/1.md)**, **[ld.so(8)](/ld.so/8.md)**