[ubuntu-studio-devel] Feature Spec Discussion: Introduce New Netinstall ISO

[lukefromdc at hushmail.com]

Most desktops don't require pulseaudio to work. Years ago it was someone
on this list who recommended I use Volti for a desktop mixer. Dealing with
a dependency in a desktop package on pulseaudio can be done by making an
empty package that"provides" pulseaudio and seeing what breaks. In my 
experience that is limited to desktop event sounds (in cinnamon) and the
original volume control which volti replaces.Perhaps I should make volti a
dependency in my empty pulseaudio package.

This is not recommended when dealing with onboard sound that does not
support a mono input or mono sound files will refuse to play. Most better 
onboard sound now has hardware mixing, but when there is no hardware 
mixer removing the software mixer means only one application at a time
can use sound and only in formats directly supported by the soundcard.
Ideally that would be jack but there are still too many things out there
that do not support or do not easily support jack, such as browsers.

On my netbook I use jack by itself when I need a sound server, but that's
because I need utter maximum video performance to get it to play 720p
video. I would not distribute those netbooks without pulseaudio.


On 6/10/2014 at 11:06 AM, "Kaj Ailomaa" <zequence at mousike.me> wrote:
>
>On Tue, Jun 10, 2014, at 03:59 PM, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
>> On Tue, 2014-06-10 at 15:05 +0200, Kaj Ailomaa wrote:
>> > ubuntustudio-audio-core (includes jackd2, and a bunch of other 
>core
>> >  components)
>> 
>> For many needs there likely is no noticeable real difference 
>between
>> jackd and jackd2. I preferred jackd2 in the past, because it 
>came with
>> an improvement regarding to MIDI jitter. However, I didn't make 
>music
>> for a long time and during that time jackd and jackd2 seemingly 
>have
>> improved a lot. IOW I don't know what current version from 
>jackd/jackd2
>> is better for what needs, IMO there should be offered a choice, 
>with an
>> explanation, that using jackd or jackd2 could make a difference. 
>I hope
>> you make jackd2 with pulseaudio and or dbus a recommended and 
>not a hard
>> dependency, assumed jack and jack dbus are separated packages. 
>Regarding
>> to the policy that Ubuntu Studio by default seems to come with a
>> combination of jack + pulseaudio I won't add a comment, without
>> switching to sarcasm-mode. <sarcasm> Why only using 2 sound 
>servers? Why
>> not making 4 or 6 sound servers the default? </sarcasm]. IMO it 
>doesn't
>> make sense, there should be a clear definition what Ubuntu 
>Studio wants
>> to support. Assumed Ubuntu Studio wants to be an audio distro, 
>then
>> pulseaudio is an absolutely no-go. If you want to ship Ubuntu 
>Studio
>> with the pulseaudio-jack combination add a note that Ubuntu 
>Studio is
>> not an audio distro. This might sound harsh, but it's my deepest
>> believe, so I need to point this out.
>
>You know very well that Ubuntu Studio is not an audio distro, but a
>audio/video/graphics/photography/publishing distro
>
>The core meta will have next to no depends, only recommends, so 
>that
>changing anything in it won't uninstall the meta.
>
>We have some ideas on how to make pulseaudio a choice for those who
>prefer not to use it. And if you're prepared to help with that, be 
>my
>guest.
>
>I have yet to see a single argument for why you do not like 
>pulseaudio,
>other than that you don't like it.
>
>-- 
>ubuntu-studio-devel mailing list
>ubuntu-studio-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
>Modify settings or unsubscribe at: 
>https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-studio-devel