Pipewire Install on Manjaro 21.2.1, Updated instructions.

DISTRIB_ID=ManjaroLinux
DISTRIB_RELEASE=21.2.1
DISTRIB_CODENAME=Qonos
KERNEL=5.15.12-1-MANJARO

The procedure is similar to my previous install example. I used the graphical software installer to replace pulseaudio with pipewire.

I also have Pipewire running on Pop! OS 21.10 following this.

I uninstalled all installed pulseaudio products. This will also remove plasma-pa and KDEConnect. I then installed everything labeled pipewire including the 32bit pieces. I then marked plasma-pa, KDEConnect, Helvum, EasyEffects, and realtime-privileges. I also selected all the optional plug-ins for EasyEffects. Once finished I added my user account to RTKIT, AUDIO, and REALTIME groups in /etc/group. Reboot.

WARNING: I had another Manjaro install, version 21.2.0, that would have removed most of KDE attempting to uninstall pulseaudio. Be sure to verify that only pulseaudio, plasma-pa, and possibly KDEConnect will be removed or you will likely be left in a bad mood and a broken system. If you get a message saying it will remove more than pulseaudio you may want to just install all the pipewire apps and let pamac handle the pulse audio uninstall automatically. Just be care and watch the messages before committing to uninstalls.

Note: I am not using Wireplumber at this time. I might give it try later.

Update workaround: If you get a conflict with Jack when updating your system, assuming Jack is not installed and Pipewire-jack is, simply uninstall Pipewire-Jack, including lib32 if installed, and update. Once updated reinstall Pipewire-Jack.

The next thing I would suggest, especially if you are using Yabridge with Windows VSTs and get RT Timer error, is to change the rt.prio, which I changed to 88. Do not edit the Pipewire configs in the system folders as I suggested previously. Create them in your home folder. In the .config folder in your home directory (hidden by default) create a folder named pipewire and create a file named jack.conf in that folder. Add the following contents and save. Reboot and check your VSTs in your DAW. Should be ok now.

# JACK client config file for PipeWire version "0.3.40" #
#
# Copy and edit this file in /etc/pipewire for system-wide changes
# or in ~/.config/pipewire for local changes.

context.properties = {
    ## Configure properties in the system.
    #mem.warn-mlock  = false
    #mem.allow-mlock = true
    mem.mlock-all   = true
    log.level       = 0
}

context.spa-libs = {
    #<factory-name regex> = <library-name>
    #
    # Used to find spa factory names. It maps an spa factory name
    # regular expression to a library name that should contain
    # that factory.
    #
    support.* = support/libspa-support
}

context.modules = [
    #{ name = <module-name>
    #    [ args  = { <key> = <value> ... } ]
    #    [ flags = [ [ ifexists ] [ nofail ] ]
    #}
    #
    # Loads a module with the given parameters.
    # If ifexists is given, the module is ignored when it is not found.
    # If nofail is given, module initialization failures are ignored.
    #
    #
    # Boost the data thread priority.
    { name = libpipewire-module-rt
        args = {
            #nice.level   = -11
            rt.prio      = 88
            rt.time.soft = -1
            rt.time.hard = -1
        }
        flags = [ ifexists nofail ]
    }

    # The native communication protocol.
    { name = libpipewire-module-protocol-native }

    # Allows creating nodes that run in the context of the
    # client. Is used by all clients that want to provide
    # data to PipeWire.
    { name = libpipewire-module-client-node }

    # Allows applications to create metadata objects. It creates
    # a factory for Metadata objects.
    { name = libpipewire-module-metadata }
]

# global properties for all jack clients
jack.properties = {
     #node.latency       = 1024/48000
     #node.lock-quantum  = false
     #jack.show-monitor  = true
     #jack.merge-monitor = false
     #jack.short-name    = false
     #jack.filter-name   = false
     #
     # allow:           Don't restrict self connect requests
     # fail-external:   Fail self connect requests to external ports only
     # ignore-external: Ignore self connect requests to external ports only
     # fail-all:        Fail all self connect requests
     # ignore-all:      Ignore all self connect requests
     #jack.self-connect-mode = allow
     #jack.locked-process    = true
}

# client specific properties
jack.rules = [
    {
        matches = [
            {
                # all keys must match the value. ~ starts regex.
                #client.name                = "Carla"
                #application.process.binary = "jack_simple_client"
                #application.name           = "~jack_simple_client.*"
            }
        ]
        actions = {
            update-props = {
                #node.latency = 512/48000
            }
        }
    }
]

If you get errors make sure the conf is clean with no odd characters. I pre-pended the exec line in the desktop files for Bitwig Studio and Ardour6 with /usr/bin/pw-jack so they start with Pipewire’s Jack implementation. You can do your wiring in Carla or Helvum and live effects with EasyEffects. That’s it…