Bug 436239

Summary:	KDE forgets the default pulseaudio output device and over-rides the system wide configuration
Product:	[Applications] systemsettings	Reporter:	Michael <mjevans1983>
Component:	kcm_pulseaudio	Assignee:	David Rosca <nowrep>
Status:	RESOLVED DUPLICATE
Severity:	normal	CC:	nate, plasma-bugs-null
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	5.21.4
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Arch Linux
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Michael 2021-04-26 20:28:34 UTC

My system wide audio configuration already specifies a default sink, which is a combined output device created in that configuration file.  Accordingly, KDE's "helpful" duplication of my efforts has been disabled (do not create (another) simultaneous audio output).

When I mute the combined audio device, and sometimes (always?) when I pulseaudio -k to reload settings, KDE will try to pick a device it thinks is the default, such as the default system sound card.  For my use case, this assumption is incorrect.

Desired solutions:

1) When switching ANY setting, ask first.  A new screen / USB sound device / something else?  ASK.

2) Give me a way to tell KDE which device should be the default.  The System Settings > Audio app doesn't seem to have this.  If it does have it, it is EXTREMELY non-obvious.

3) Make it easier to disable automation that changes settings which can be managed elsewhere.

Possibly related, possibly not, bug #412219

Comment 1 Michael 2021-04-27 03:07:32 UTC

I should have used the phrase "built in audio device" for 'default (the thing most user's normal setups are like) system sound card'.

The important aspects:

A) In reaction to some events a re-selection of audio device is performed.

B) The user is never told, nor asked to confirm ("Do you want to switch to audio device: example"?)

C) The wrong device is being selected.

(When Pulseaudio starts it already has a default set, when I mute a combined output I just want silent mode, NOT all applications being sent to other output devices.)

Comment 2 Nate Graham 2021-04-27 19:58:51 UTC

Looks like the same as Bug 412219, yeah.

1. Please file a separate bug report for this.

2. You select the default device by clicking on the radio button for that device. In older Plasma versions, we had a bug button marked "Set as Default" that could be pressed, but nobody liked it because it took up a lot of space.

3. Seems like we should just fix the bug, or make it always ask. :)

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 412219 ***