always prefer a certain audio device

[aapgorilla]

I would like an option for pulseaudio to always prefer a certain audio device when plugged in, besides the per application setting, this would be very convenient laptop users as now I have to manually select my usb sound device each and every time I am at home and have used some audio using application whilst having been away.

[coling]

Technically my module-device-manager module would implement this policy.

It allows a priority list of devices to assigned to each role (e.g. music, video, voip etc.) and will automatically move streams when the device is plugged in/removed etc.

This routing system is activated by default under KDE desktop in Mandriva Cooker (soon to be 2010.0).

[aapgorilla]

Replying to coling:

Technically my module-device-manager module would implement this policy. It allows a priority list of devices to assigned to each role (e.g. music, video, voip etc.) and will automatically move streams when the device is plugged in/removed etc. This routing system is activated by default under KDE desktop in Mandriva Cooker (soon to be 2010.0).

I did not try with KDE yet but would this also work in gnome? (this is for my gf, she can't use kde until she can use hotkeys to control the volume on the external audio device)

[coling]

The routing would work under know if you forced it to start, but the hotkeys changes would still always use the fallback sink to control, not whatever is specified in the priority list (the stream routing and the control of a sink to adjust volume are two separate code paths).

[aapgorilla]

Well I just tried on the latest cooker in Gnome and every time I want to watch a movie or listen to some music I have to mess around with some volume applet to get pulse to use the correct stream

I just want to plug in the device and enjoy some music or a movie with full surround sound without having to mess around with some volume applet, why can't a simple feature be added to always prefer a device overriding the per stream setting which pulse so cleverly tries to remember. The fact that I played a movie or listened to some music on the internal soundcard last time doesn't mean I want do do it next time, it simply means last time I wasn't home and didn't have that card available but now I am home and want to use it....

[coling]

Since PA 0.9.21 we now have this capability (module-device-manager)

All that is lacking from a Gnome environment is a GUI to configure this and a scheme to ensure the module is loaded on startup.

All that said, technically things *should* work with a one device switch over under gnome. Only when you specifically move a stream should the sink be saved, if it is automatically routed it should not actually be stored. Therefore, it should be restored when the device comes back. Clearly that is not working for you. I'll try and have a look.