Re: [gentoo-user] Should I install pulseaudio to solve my phonon audio problems?

On 08/20/2012 02:19 AM, Canek Peláez Valdés wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 1:05 AM, Michael Trausch <mike@×××××××.us> wrote:
>> Tested and verified w/ at least Rhythmbox and Banshee. Have offered a bounty
>> for years for anyone who fox the bug. There are open, confirmed bugs in (at
>> least) Launchpad going back quite some time, too. Happens regardless of
>> hardware, but have had it happen on SB Live and several onboards.
>
> Do you have links to the bugs?

This is an incomplete list of reports from Launchpad:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/406582

I reported that one, looks as though at least 5 others have the same
problem and have found that bug.

I have had this issue before as well:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/445849
(affects 91 people)

This one looks to be about the same, though lacking enough information
to confirm for sure:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/693039

Another:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/677067 (4 users)

And yet another:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/494099 (17 users)

Aside from my bug, I was able to find the other ones in just a couple of
minutes with Google.

There are pointers to Launchpad from other places, too, such as the
Ubuntu Forums, Gentoo and Arch wiki and forums and so forth.

>> The only time I ever got 5.1 working was with straight ALSA, but then I
>> don't get upmixing.
>>
>> As a result, I have been using netradio. No closing and opening of the audio
>> device.
>>
>> Also, canberra (the sound notification library) seems to actually output
>> sound correctly, but I think it holds the device open the whole time.
>
> I have libcanberra compiled with PA support, so I can use it with
> other sound sources at the same time.
>
>> PA isn't changing the configuration back to stereo. It shows 5.1, but media
>> players only output to two speakers until I open the PA control and jump
>> from 5.1 to 4.1 and back.
>
> And the players output to PulseAudio directly or through the ALSA
> emulation? In GNOME 2 you could configure GStreamer (which both
> Rhythmbox and Banshee use) to use PulseAudio as default sink, or using
> ALSA; but it PA is running, newer versions will automagically detect
> it and use it [1]. I use GNOME 3 and PA is mandatory, so I don't
> remember exactly how it was.

I couldn't even tell you.  I stopped actively trying to get PulseAudio
to work correctly with 6 channel output about two years ago or so, I got
sick and tired of people telling me my problem was imaginary.  I work
around it by using Internet radio, since that way I only have to have
the PA control panel program open _once_, instead of every time I change
songs.

Rhythmbox and Banshee have improved in the past few years in that they
no longer close the audio device when playing songs in sequential order.
 However, that isn't foolproof either.

It's been bugging me again lately, but while I have the motivation to
investigate and attempt to find a way to fix this stupidly infuriating
problem, I don't have the time.  Nobody who knows what they're doing
with the PA source code seems to believe that this is truly an issue, so
it's probably never going to be fixed.

> Sorry for my curiosity, but it sounds really weird: I have heard a lot
> about PA problems, but nothing like this.
>
> [1] http://arunraghavan.net/2012/02/gentoo-pulseaudio-alsa-update/
>

I remember that post.  Nothing changed, though, at least for me.

-- 
A man who reasons deliberately, manages it better after studying Logic
than he could before, if he is sincere about it and has common sense.
                                   --- Carveth Read, “Logic”