blacklist pcspkr

[Ralf Mardorf]

Hi,

when upgrading Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS right now I noticed something
alarming.

"Configuration file '/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf'
 ==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
 ==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
   What would you like to do about it ?  Your options are:
    Y or I  : install the package maintainer's version
    N or O  : keep your currently-installed version
      D     : show the differences between the versions
      Z     : start a shell to examine the situation
 The default action is to keep your current version.
*** blacklist.conf (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ? d
--- /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf      2016-10-23 23:06:36.499257451
+0200 +++ /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf.dpkg-new     2018-10-29
[snip]
 # ugly and loud noise, getting on everyone's nerves; this should be
done by a # nice pulseaudio bing (Ubuntu: #77010)
-#blacklist pcspkr
+blacklist pcspkr
[snip]"

pcspkr is a good tool for error diagnosis. Replacing it by a bloated
sound server is risky, since the sound server easily could fail, while
pcspkr is know to work without issues.

Shouldn't this read "pulseaudio a crappy sound server getting on
everyone's nerves, it's way better to not install it and to fulfil
absurd hard dependencies with an empty dummy package, that fakes to
provide pulseaudio"?

I'm using either plain ALSA or jackd with the ALSA backend, if I need
audio, just to listen to something from the Internet or to do
professional grade audio productions, _but_ if I don't need to listen
to speech or other audio material, such as music, then I don't turn on
an amplifier, I also don't want a sound server to waste my computer's
resources, if I need signals from MUAs, the terminal etc., instead I'm
using a PC speaker beep. Exaggerated: unnecessary power consumption
might be unimportant for climate change deniers.

If other users like pulseaudio, it's ok, but it's not ok to blacklist
pcspkr by default. Not exaggerated: As a matter of principle, simple,
useful features shouldn't be dropped in favour of bloat.

2 Cents,
Ralf