Bug 510862

Summary: Unrensponsive Bluetooth headset freezes SystemSettings Sound
Product: [Applications] systemsettings Reporter: Massimiliano L <m.lincetto>
Component: kcm_pulseaudioAssignee: Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED UPSTREAM    
Severity: normal CC: nate, sitter
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: 6.4.5   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Other   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments: Logs
Crash log

Description Massimiliano L 2025-10-21 09:06:37 UTC
Created attachment 185958 [details]
Logs

SUMMARY
Under certain circumstances, trying to interact with an unresponsive (Bluetooth) sound device crashes the SystemSettings Sound module, and makes the whole SystemSettings unresponsive.

For context: it seems the unresponsive or malfunctioning Bluetooth device caused something fundamental in the sound subsystem to break, and most of desktop applications would end up freezing when accessing the audio devices.

Attached is a selection of the system journal messages.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Get in a situation where a BT sound device become unresponsive (not sure how to reproduce this).
2. Go to system settings sound configuration module
3. Try to interact with the device, e.g. by using the sound testing features (test "left" channel).

OBSERVED RESULT
No sound is reproduced, SystemSettings hangs/freezes.

EXPECTED RESULT
SystemSettings comes up with some useful error messages.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: Fedora Linux 42
KDE Plasma Version: 6.4.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.18.0
Qt Version: 6.9.2
Kernel Version: 6.16.10-200.fc42.x86_64 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 14 × Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 125U
Memory: 16 GiB of RAM (15.1 GiB usable)
Graphics Processor: Intel® Graphics
Manufacturer: LENOVO
Product Name: 21MMS7CK00
System Version: ThinkPad T14 Gen 5
Comment 1 Harald Sitter 2025-10-21 13:40:59 UTC
If it freezes doesn't kwin ask you to terminate the application? And if that happens, doesn't then drkonqi show up to report a bug about this?
Comment 2 Massimiliano L 2025-10-21 14:22:58 UTC
Created attachment 185966 [details]
Crash log

Here is the crash report.
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2025-10-21 15:37:33 UTC
> most of desktop applications would end up freezing when accessing the audio devices

This sounds like a deeper problem than just what we can fix in KDE. It seems quite serious. I'd recommend reporting the issue upstream at https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/issues/