I am not using it, but kde starts it. This from my logs: Nov 9 15:33:46 d_baron pulseaudio[13214]: alsa-sink.c: Disabling timer-based scheduling because high-resolution timers are not available from the kernel. Nov 9 15:33:47 d_baron pulseaudio[13214]: alsa-source.c: Disabling timer- based scheduling because high-resolution timers are not available from the kernel. Nov 9 15:33:49 d_baron pulseaudio[13214]: module-alsa-card.c: Failed to find a working profile. Nov 9 15:33:50 d_baron pulseaudio[13214]: module.c: Failed to load module "module-alsa-card" (argument: "device_id="2" name="platform-snd_mpu401.0" card_name="alsa_card.platform-snd_mpu401.0" tsched=yes ignore_dB=no card_properties="module-udev-detect.discovered=1""): initialization failed. This from .config: CONFIG_HIGH_RES_TIMERS=y CONFIG_HPET_TIMER=y CONFIG_HZ_1000=y CONFIG_HZ=1000 CONFIG_SCHED_HRTICK=y So the 1st two errors are ?? I have no idea what the mpu401 error is about--that is driving a Yamaha sw60xg sound generator. (Were I to use it, I would need to have jack started, its modules in the configs, etc. I have played through the audio card using pulse so it "works.")