# vmic

Create and manage PipeWire virtual microphones easily, from the command line.

## What it does

A vmic is two chained loopback stages:

```
apps -> vmic_X_sink =(stage 1)=> vmic_X_mid -> vmic_X_mix =(stage 2)=> vmic_X_mic -> recorders
                                                   ^ hardware mic joins here (route -s)
```

Point an app's output device at `vmic_X_sink`, and a recording app's input device at
`vmic_X_mic`. Optionally mix in a real microphone downstream, and optionally hear your
own output via a self-monitor loopback (which never carries the mixed-in mic).

## Requirements

- PipeWire + pipewire-pulse (`pactl`, `pw-loopback`, `pw-link` on `PATH`)
- Rust (edition 2021)

## Build

```
cargo build --release
```

If the build fails inside `libspa-sys` (e.g. `no field 'data' on type 'spa_pod_builder'`),
your system clang is newer than the pinned `bindgen` version supports. Point `LIBCLANG_PATH`
at an older libclang - a quick fix is a pip-vendored one:

```
python3 -m venv ~/.local/share/vmic-build/libclang-venv
~/.local/share/vmic-build/libclang-venv/bin/pip install libclang
```

then add to `.cargo/config.toml`:

```toml
[env]
LIBCLANG_PATH = "/home/<you>/.local/share/vmic-build/libclang-venv/lib/python3.*/site-packages/clang/native"
```

## Usage

```
vmic create <name> [-l]              # create a vmic, optionally with self-monitor
vmic route  <name> -i <app[:media]>  # move an app's playback into the vmic
vmic route  <name> -o <app[:media]>  # move an app's recording off the vmic
vmic route  <name> -s <source|none>  # mix a hardware mic in, or remove it
vmic edit   <name> -l <true|false>   # toggle the self-monitor loopback
vmic edit   <name> -v <0.8|80>       # self-monitor loopback volume
vmic edit   <name> -sv <0.8|80>      # mixed-in source volume
vmic delete <name>                   # tear down one vmic
vmic list                            # show all vmics and their status
vmic wipe                            # tear down every vmic, tracked or not
```

Aliases: `create` = `mk`/`make`, `delete` = `rm`/`remove`, `list` = `ls`, `wipe` = `reset`.

Shell completions: `vmic completions <bash|zsh|fish|...>`.

## Example

```
vmic create podcast -l
# set your app's output device to vmic_podcast_sink
# set your recorder's input device to vmic_podcast_mic
vmic route podcast -s "USB Microphone"
```

## State

Tracked in a SQLite database at `~/.config/vmic/vmic.db` (override the directory with
`VMIC_STATE_DIR_OVERRIDE`).

## License

APGL-3