Forwarding audio output over SSH from one Debian 13 GNOME machine to another involves using PulseAudio, which is the default sound server in GNOME. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

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1. Prerequisites

• Both machines must have PulseAudio installed (it is usually installed by default on Debian GNOME).
• Ensure both machines are on the same network or that SSH tunneling is possible.

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2. On the Remote Machine (Audio Source)

This is the machine where the audio is being generated.

Enable PulseAudio Network Access

Edit the PulseAudio configuration file:

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sudo nano /etc/pulse/default.pa

Add or uncomment the following lines:

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load-module module-native-protocol-tcp auth-ip-acl=127.0.0.1;192.168.1.0/24
load-module module-zeroconf-publish

Replace 192.168.1.0/24 with the IP range of your local network if needed.

Restart PulseAudio:

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pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio --start

Allow TCP Connections

Edit the PulseAudio daemon configuration:

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sudo nano /etc/pulse/daemon.conf

Ensure the following line is uncommented and set:

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exit-idle-time = -1

Restart PulseAudio again:

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pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio --start

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3. On the Local Machine (Audio Receiver)

This is the machine where you want to hear the audio.

Install pulseaudio-utils (if not installed)

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sudo apt install pulseaudio-utils

Set Up SSH Tunneling

Run the following command to forward the PulseAudio port (4713) over SSH:

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ssh -R 4713:localhost:4713 user@remote-machine-ip

Replace user and remote-machine-ip with the appropriate values.

Connect to the Remote PulseAudio Server

On the local machine, set the PULSE_SERVER environment variable to use the tunneled PulseAudio server:

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export PULSE_SERVER=tcp:localhost:4713

To make this persistent, add the line to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.profile file.

Test the Audio Forwarding

Play an audio file or run an application on the remote machine. The audio should now be played on your local machine.

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4. Troubleshooting

• Firewall Issues: Ensure port 4713 is open on the remote machine.
• Authentication: If you encounter authentication issues, check the auth-ip-acl setting in /etc/pulse/default.pa.
• Restart Services: If audio doesn’t work, restart PulseAudio on both machines:

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  pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio --start

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5. Alternative: Using paprefs (GUI)

If you prefer a GUI, install paprefs on the remote machine:

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sudo apt install paprefs

Open paprefs, go to the Network Server tab, and enable Enable network access to local sound devices. Configure the allowed IP range as needed.

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Summary

• Enable PulseAudio network access on the remote machine.
• Set up SSH tunneling for the PulseAudio port.
• Configure the local machine to use the remote PulseAudio server.
• Test and troubleshoot as needed.