Aider-AI/aider · error · SoundDeviceError

No audio input device detected. Please check your audio sett

Error message

No audio input device detected. Please check your audio settings and try again.

What it means

In Voice.raw_record_and_transcribe, before opening an input stream the code queries the chosen device's default input sample rate via sd.query_devices(self.device_id, "input"). A sounddevice.PortAudioError from that query is converted to SoundDeviceError('No audio input device detected...') — PortAudio itself reports no usable input device. This is an environment/backend problem (no mic, disabled device, or a broken audio server), distinct from the later stream-open failure at voice.py:138.

Source

Thrown at aider/voice.py:126

            return self.raw_record_and_transcribe(history, language)
        except KeyboardInterrupt:
            return
        except SoundDeviceError as e:
            print(f"Error: {e}")
            print("Please ensure you have a working audio input device connected and try again.")
            return

    def raw_record_and_transcribe(self, history, language):
        self.q = queue.Queue()

        temp_wav = tempfile.mktemp(suffix=".wav")

        try:
            sample_rate = int(self.sd.query_devices(self.device_id, "input")["default_samplerate"])
        except (TypeError, ValueError):
            sample_rate = 16000  # fallback to 16kHz if unable to query device
        except self.sd.PortAudioError:
            raise SoundDeviceError(
                "No audio input device detected. Please check your audio settings and try again."
            )

        self.start_time = time.time()

        try:
            with self.sd.InputStream(
                samplerate=sample_rate, channels=1, callback=self.callback, device=self.device_id
            ):
                prompt(self.get_prompt, refresh_interval=0.1)
        except self.sd.PortAudioError as err:
            raise SoundDeviceError(f"Error accessing audio input device: {err}")

        with sf.SoundFile(temp_wav, mode="x", samplerate=sample_rate, channels=1) as file:
            while not self.q.empty():
                file.write(self.q.get())

        use_audio_format = self.audio_format

View on GitHub (pinned to 5dc9490bb3)

Solutions

1. Verify an input device exists and is enabled: python -c "import sounddevice as sd; print([d['name'] for d in sd.query_devices() if d['max_input_channels']>0])" — empty list confirms the OS sees no mic.
2. On headless/SSH/container environments, attach an audio device (docker --device /dev/snd, PulseAudio socket forward) or use text input instead of voice.
3. On Linux, restart/verify the sound server (pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio -D or check pipewire) so devices enumerate.
4. Enable/unmute the microphone in OS privacy settings and re-run.

Example fix

# before (headless box)
from aider.voice import Voice
Voice().record_and_transcribe()  # SoundDeviceError: No audio input device detected

# after (guard before recording)
import sounddevice as sd
try:
    inputs = [d["name"] for d in sd.query_devices() if d["max_input_channels"] > 0]
except Exception:
    inputs = []
if not inputs:
    raise SystemExit("No microphone available; use text input instead.")
Voice().record_and_transcribe()

import sounddevice as sd

def has_input_device() -> bool:
    try:
        return any(d["max_input_channels"] > 0 for d in sd.query_devices())
    except (OSError, ModuleNotFoundError, sd.PortAudioError):
        return False

from aider.voice import SoundDeviceError, Voice
try:
    text = Voice().record_and_transcribe()
except SoundDeviceError as e:
    if "No audio input device" in str(e):
        text = input("No mic available — type instead: ")
    else:
        raise

When it happens

Trigger: Calling record_and_transcribe()/raw_record_and_transcribe on a machine where PortAudio finds no default input device: headless server/VM/container with no audio hardware, microphone disabled at OS level, or Linux sound server (PulseAudio/PipeWire) down so query_devices cannot resolve an input.

Common situations: Running aider's voice feature over SSH or in Docker where /dev/snd is absent; CI machines; laptops with mic privacy-switch off or mic disabled in BIOS/OS; Linux after the audio daemon crashes.

Related errors

• Error accessing audio input device: {err}
• Device '{device_name}' not found. Available input devices: {
• Unsupported audio format: {audio_format}
• Please set the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable.
• Unknown edit format {edit_format}. Valid formats are: {', '.

AI-assisted analysis of Aider-AI/aider@5dc9490bb3 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/dff124627bfb5486. Report an issue: GitHub.