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Arch never switched since doesn't enforce the default sound server. You can choose any unless dependencies force use to use one. The official arch installer eve

Arch never switched since doesn't enforce the default sound server. You can choose any unless dependencies force use to use one. The official arch installer even prompts the user to chose between pipewire and pulse on install.

sam_lowry_ 4y ago
I use ALSA with dmix plugin on ArchLinux and can not be happier. What's the use of a sound server for 99.99% of us?
- tadfisher 4y ago
  Per-application volume, Bluetooth device support with automatic profile switching, headphone jack detection, and probably 5 other things I use daily but don't know about.
  - nsajko 4y ago
    > Per-application volume Why would I want per-app volume? Pretty sure all relevant apps have a setting for that. > headphone jack detection What do you mean by this? My headphone jack works just fine with just ALSA and no configuration. > probably 5 other things I use daily but don't know about Doubt.
  - v-yadli 4y ago
    Different effect chains for different profiles -- plugged in = transparent signal path; crappy laptop speaker = booster fx.
- mlom 4y ago
  alsa alone works fine for me as well… a sound server would make sense to me if i did a lot of audio processing using a bunch of different applications, but how many people really do that anyway as opposed to just working in some overengineered DAW?
- viraptor 4y ago
  Bluetooth profiles. Routing specific applications to their own outputs.
  - nsajko 4y ago
    Giving different programs different audio outputs is trivial with ALSA, just set the ALSA_CARD environment variable for the program.
    - viraptor 4y ago
      That makes a few assumptions: that I don't want to change it while the app is running, that I don't want to set the output to another app, that I don't want outputs into multiple sinks, and that setting environment variables for all apps is trivial.
      - nsajko 4y ago
        > change it while the app is running This actually sounds like something that might make me switch to Pipewire one day. The rest of your comment seems to indicate to me that you have some kind of professional audio setup? Or is it something that might be interesting for the rest of us, too?
        viraptor 4y ago
        > you have some kind of professional audio setup Yes, but that's not related to the comment. I tried to avoid my fancy use cases. It's more that through this I know that pipewire makes some scenarios trivial that people normally wouldn't know how to achieve or would spend lots of money on (https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ for $100+) The rest is just basic usage. For example, I'm in a video call and want to add just the browser's sound output to the call, but still hear it myself. With pipewire, that's "open (your preferred audio graph tool)", "drag and drop from browser to zoom". Runtime change, multiple sinks, including app sink.

sam_lowry_ 4y ago

I use ALSA with dmix plugin on ArchLinux and can not be happier. What's the use of a sound server for 99.99% of us?

tadfisher 4y ago
Per-application volume, Bluetooth device support with automatic profile switching, headphone jack detection, and probably 5 other things I use daily but don't know about.
- nsajko 4y ago
  > Per-application volume Why would I want per-app volume? Pretty sure all relevant apps have a setting for that. > headphone jack detection What do you mean by this? My headphone jack works just fine with just ALSA and no configuration. > probably 5 other things I use daily but don't know about Doubt.
- v-yadli 4y ago
  Different effect chains for different profiles -- plugged in = transparent signal path; crappy laptop speaker = booster fx.
mlom 4y ago
alsa alone works fine for me as well… a sound server would make sense to me if i did a lot of audio processing using a bunch of different applications, but how many people really do that anyway as opposed to just working in some overengineered DAW?
viraptor 4y ago
Bluetooth profiles. Routing specific applications to their own outputs.
- nsajko 4y ago
  Giving different programs different audio outputs is trivial with ALSA, just set the ALSA_CARD environment variable for the program.
  - viraptor 4y ago
    That makes a few assumptions: that I don't want to change it while the app is running, that I don't want to set the output to another app, that I don't want outputs into multiple sinks, and that setting environment variables for all apps is trivial.
    - nsajko 4y ago
      > change it while the app is running This actually sounds like something that might make me switch to Pipewire one day. The rest of your comment seems to indicate to me that you have some kind of professional audio setup? Or is it something that might be interesting for the rest of us, too?
      - viraptor 4y ago
        > you have some kind of professional audio setup Yes, but that's not related to the comment. I tried to avoid my fancy use cases. It's more that through this I know that pipewire makes some scenarios trivial that people normally wouldn't know how to achieve or would spend lots of money on (https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ for $100+) The rest is just basic usage. For example, I'm in a video call and want to add just the browser's sound output to the call, but still hear it myself. With pipewire, that's "open (your preferred audio graph tool)", "drag and drop from browser to zoom". Runtime change, multiple sinks, including app sink.