The last two upgrades have broken my audio setup.

First the options for Network Server and Network Access in paprefs were greyed out and my sinks disappeared after upgrading to bookworm. I just had to create a link to an existing file and it was working again but, it’s weird that it was needed in the first place. Pretty sure it has something to do with the change from pulseaudio to pipewire but I’m not very up to date on that subject and I just want to have my current setup to continue working.

Then yesterday I just launch a simple apt-get upgrade and after rebooting my sinks disappeared again. The network options in paprefs were still available, but changing them did nothing. I had to create the file ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/10-gsettings.conf and stuff it with “pulse.cmd = [ { cmd = “load-module” args = “module-gsettings” flags = [ “nofail” ] } ]” in order to have my sinks back.

I know it’s not only a Debian thing, as I can see this happening to people on Arch forums, but as Debian is supposed to be the “stable” one, I find it amusing that a simple upgrade can break your sound.

    • pedz@lemmy.caOP
      8·
      7 months ago

      Mainly because of bluetooth headphones with multiple computers. That way they are paired to only one computer and I can use them with other computers at the same time. Just right click on paprefs system tray icon, change the sink and the audio is sent somewhere else. I know it’s now possible to have bluetooth headphones that have multiple connections but it wasn’t the case a few years ago and I still find it much more useful this way.

      But it’s also useful when I have my laptop near my main computer and want to use its much better speakers instead of the crappy ones on the laptop. Right click, select another sink, and that’s it.

      It’s just nice to have the option to send the audio from one computer to another. It’s a shame that it’s apparently a niche thing.

      • feedmecontent@lemmy.world
        1·
        7 months ago

        Does this give network latency on top of Bluetooth latency or does the network somehow “handshake” it with the Bluetooth on the devices you’re listening to?

        • pedz@lemmy.caOP
          1·
          7 months ago

          I never noticed any latency when I’m not using bluetooth. And no, the devices do not speak to each other. For PA/pipewire, this is just an audio sink as any other.

          There is latency when using bluetooth but this is pretty standard. It just doesn’t increase (or not noticeably) when streamed to another computer.

      • michel@friend.ketterle.ch
        1·
        7 months ago

        @pedz
        I’m on the same point. Until i had my multi connection bluetooth I worked the same way. The problem now. It does not work that nice.
        I try currently to switch back. But my goal currently is using my #Kodi Mediacenter. But Kodi sems still using alsa. It was a hack to get simultaniousl y output with a bluetooth speaker. (For Radio in other rooms)
        I gave up this network audio setup for Kodi.

        @MrWafflesNBacon

        • pedz@lemmy.caOP
          1·
          7 months ago

          AFAIK Kodi can use pulseaudio and probably pipewire. I use Kodi too on those computers and I just leave it to use the default PA device that I’ve set. I switch the default devices with pasystray.

          What’s usually breaking for me is paprefs. Every so often after an upgrade, the options are greyed out and I can’t share or access my devices over the network.

          I never tried to setup simultaneous output before because I just switch from device one to another, but I just enabled it in paprefs and it’s working too.