Why do we have PulseAudio?

[DanteAshton]

Kubuntu comes with Phonon, which is all well and good. But I have to ask, why does it come with PulseAudio? These two conflict. With Phonon I can hear my desktop sounds (log in, log out, notifications, Amarok playing music...) but randomly, PulseAudio kicks in (and then I can hear VLC played movies, flash videos, etc)

So why put in two systems?

I've found the only workaround to be removing PulseAudio and adding GStreamer, which both VLC and flash videos seem happy to use.


Can we please have 9.10 without PulseAudio?

[lmilano]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

I think it is all new stuff and still being worked out:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/ja...io/+bug/330797
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ib/+bug/355825

I am hoping it will be better in 9.10. I just think it is a shame that these libraries are not made in a desktop agnostic way. GNOME/KDE has gone long ways since the freesdesktop.org inception, with things like DBUS, HAL ... but a common sound API with different backends is a must, and it doesn't seem to be in the works!

It is more productive to propose these things in the ideastorm or launchpad, assuming one has the energy

[Rog131]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

There shouldn't be Pulseaudio:

> Kubuntu Developer Discussion
>> Pulseaudio *sigh*
>>> Pulseaudio *sigh*
>>>> Pulseaudio *sigh*

=> Releasenotes 9.04

Pulseaudio inadvertently enabled in Kubuntu when installing from DVD or upgrading with apt-get

When installing Kubuntu 9.04 from the DVD images, or upgrading to Kubuntu 9.04 from a previous release using apt-get dist-upgrade, the pulseaudio package will be installed in error. This package is not intended to be installed as part of the Kubuntu desktop. Users can remove this package with the command:

sudo apt-get purge pulseaudio

[lmilano]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

Thanks for the link, I still think the fundamental issue remains.

[DanteAshton]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

*phew* and here I thought either me, or the developers were going nutty. And I wasnt so sure about me...

I can confirm it happens if installed off a USB as well.

What a strange little bug....

[marcopl]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

There shouldn't be Pulseaudio:

> Kubuntu Developer Discussion
>> Pulseaudio *sigh*
>>> Pulseaudio *sigh*
>>>> Pulseaudio *sigh*

=> Releasenotes 9.04

Pulseaudio inadvertently enabled in Kubuntu when installing from DVD or upgrading with apt-get

When installing Kubuntu 9.04 from the DVD images, or upgrading to Kubuntu 9.04 from a previous release using apt-get dist-upgrade, the pulseaudio package will be installed in error. This package is not intended to be installed as part of the Kubuntu desktop. Users can remove this package with the command:

sudo apt-get purge pulseaudio

i just removed pulseaudio.

sudo apt-get purge pulseaudio
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
pulseaudio*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 1823kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 116004 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing pulseaudio ...
* PulseAudio configured for per-user sessions
Purging configuration files for pulseaudio ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...


Now, frm what i have read here, my sound backend is phonon? its config file is where?

[lmilano]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

phonon is the front end, an API for applications trying to get sound and such. It is configured in System Settings

[marcopl]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

There shouldn't be Pulseaudio:

Guys, i removed pulseaudio AND now audacious, amarok cant play my mp3s. No sound at all. But i can the play the mp3s, flvs with VLC

This is what i have on my laptop;

sudo dpkg --get-selections|grep -i audacious

audacious install
audacious-plugins install
audacious-plugins-extra install

sudo dpkg --get-selections|grep -i gstreamer

bluez-gstreamer install
gstreamer0.10-plugins-base install
gstreamer0.10-plugins-good install
gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio install
gstreamer0.10-x install
libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0 install
libgstreamer0.10-0 install
phonon-backend-gstreamer install

sudo dpkg --get-selections|grep -i alsa

alsa-base install
alsa-utils install
bluez-alsa install
libesd-alsa0 install
libsdl1.2debian-alsa install

sudo dpkg --get-selections|grep -i phonon

libphonon4 install
phonon install
phonon-backend-gstreamer install
phonon-backend-xine install

[DanteAshton]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

Ok, if I remember corecctly;

Get rid of PulseAudio, install phonon-backend-gstreamer. Go into System Settings, then Multimedia, and change it to GStreamer. Reboot. Everything then should play.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

There shouldn't be Pulseaudio:
......
Users can remove this package with the command:

sudo apt-get purge pulseaudio

What will get taken out when that is executed? IOW, are there any other apps dependent on pulseaudio?

[Rog131]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

To test

sudo apt-get -s purge pulseaudio

man apt-get

-s, --simulate, --just-print, --dry-run, --recon, --no-act
No action; perform a simulation of events that would occur but do not actually change the system.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

To test

sudo apt-get -s purge pulseaudio

man apt-get

-s, --simulate, --just-print, --dry-run, --recon, --no-act
No action; perform a simulation of events that would occur but do not actually change the system.

I knew that, and what "-s" does. I wasn't clear when I used the word "dependency". There are apps that use another app but aren't dependent. Gstreamer uses Amarok to play the streams but it is not dependent Amarok because I can change the preferences to "vlc %q". Strangely, that is exactly what I had to do after Gstreamer popped up Amarok to play a stream but Amarok wouldn't play it. Before I removed PulseAudio Amarok would play streaming music. I guess I'll have to use trial and error to find out what removing PulseAudio "broke".

[marcopl]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

Ok, if I remember corecctly;

Get rid of PulseAudio, install phonon-backend-gstreamer. Go into System Settings, then Multimedia, and change it to GStreamer. Reboot. Everything then should play.

yep, did that...still no sound (mp3) in amarok and audacious. Now no sound frm vlc(mp3) also..... looks like pulseaudio is needed..

[marcopl]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

or should i also remove alsa?

[marcopl]

Re: Why do we have PulseAudio?

i think i need to be clear on this whole gstreamer, phonon, alsa, pulseaudio things first.