Bug 412219

Summary:	Simultaneous audio output doesn't stay the default when (un)plugging devices
Product:	[Unmaintained] plasma-pa	Reporter:	Lari Natri <lari.natri>
Component:	general	Assignee:	David Rosca <nowrep>
Status:	RESOLVED UPSTREAM
Severity:	normal	CC:	lari.natri, mjevans1983, nate, nicolas.fella, plasma-bugs-null
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	usability
Version First Reported In:	5.18.1
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Kubuntu
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Lari Natri 2019-09-22 23:45:45 UTC

SUMMARY


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Choose "Add virtual output device for simultaneous output on all local sound cards" in System Settings / Multimedia / Audio Volume / Advanced.
2. Set the virtual output device "Simultaneous output to XXX, YYY" the default.
3. Plug in audio device ZZZ.

OBSERVED RESULT

The name for the simultaneous output has a new name: "Simultaneous output to XXX, YYY, ZZZ". Now, *the default audio device has automatically changed to ZZZ.*

EXPECTED RESULT

The simultaneous output should remain the default device regardless of the hardware output devices plugged into the system.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux: kernel 5.0.0-29 on Kubuntu 19.04
KDE Plasma Version: 5.16.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.62.0
Qt Version: 5.12.2

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

It would be useful to have the default stay the same (if it is the simultaneous output): this way one can consistently set the volume of all the outputs together using the main volume control, or for example quickly mute everything -- even after something is plugged in or out.

Comment 1 Nate Graham 2021-04-27 19:58:51 UTC

*** Bug 436239 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 2 Nicolas Fella 2021-09-22 18:15:50 UTC

I can reproduce the behavior, but only with "Automatically switch all running streams when a new output becomes available". Technically it makes sense since, well, a new output is available.  I don't disagree that the combined output should be special here.

However the behavior is purely up to PulseAudio and Plasma has no influence over it.

Can you please report this to https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/issues ?

Comment 3 Lari Natri 2021-09-22 19:02:03 UTC

Thanks for your interest and the link. I have now reported the bug upstream.

https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/issues/1273