The alsa plugin doesn't support a "hint" section.

[tanuk]

Phonon uses snd_device_name_hint(-1, "pcm", &hints) to list ALSA's virtual devices. The function has existed since libasound 1.0.14. So in order to get Phonon to list the pulse device, one needs to put a hint section to .asoundrc, like this:

pcm.pulse {
    type pulse
    hint {
        show on
        description "PulseAudio"
    }
}

However, the pulse plugin can't handle the hint field:

ALSA lib pcm_pulse.c:705:(_snd_pcm_pulse_open) Unknown field hint

I'm rather clueless about this hint stuff, so don't ask me for further details. Matthias Kretz, a Phonon developer from who I heard about this, hangs on #pulseaudio with nick Vir.

A workaround exists: create a wrapper device.

pcm.phononpulse {
  type plug
  slave.pcm {
    type pulse
  }
  hint {
    show on
    description "PulseAudio"
  }
}

Phonon (with xine backend) should eventually use pulseaudio natively, but currently it's disabled due to xine's unreliable pulse plugin.

[lkundrak]

Filed in upstream Bugzilla with a fix. https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=3834

[lennart]

This has been fixed a while back upstream.