Bug 91215

Summary:	Pulseaudio must contain priority queue or at least prior device.
Product:	PulseAudio	Reporter:	Yan Pas <yanp.bugz>
Component:	core	Assignee:	pulseaudio-bugs
Status:	RESOLVED MOVED	QA Contact:	pulseaudio-bugs
Severity:	enhancement
Priority:	medium	CC:	lennart, rene, yanp.bugz
Version:	unspecified
Hardware:	Other
OS:	All
Whiteboard:
i915 platform:		i915 features:

Description Yan Pas 2015-07-03 14:54:56 UTC

Today is 2015 and Pulseaudio still doesn't have priopity queue, or at least prior sound device. Let me show what I mean:
For example I have 3 audio sinks (same for sources): sn1; sn2 and sn3. (I have connected them at least once, Pulseaudio knows them and keeps their list at ~/.config/pulse/sinks.list for example). 
I turn on my PC, I have only sn1 connected, so it becomes default, then I connect sn2 and mark it manually as default. Now Pulseaudio knows that when sn1 is connected, sn2 is more preferable. Then I connect sn3 and mark it as default. Now sn3 has top priority. I disconnect sn3 and sn2 becomes default. Then I disconnect sn1, sn2 stays default. Then I connect sn3 and sn3 becomes default, cause it has top priority. Then I connect again sn1 and sn3 still default. It's ideal behavior for sinks and sources.
There is other option - store only one, manually selected default sink/source (seems that something like this implemented in Windows 7). How it works: I boot PC with only sn1 connected, connect sn2, amke it default manually. And now everytime I connect sn2, it will always become default, whatever devices are connected.

Why it should be implemented? Imagine gamer with USB headset. Each time he plugs it - he is to manually set it as default. module-switch-on-connect is bad workaround.

For example it could be implemented as switch-on-default-sink and switch-on-default-source modules.

Comment 1 Renne 2015-07-26 21:50:45 UTC

I agree it's annoying to switch devices manually. A simple solution would be to assign a priority to every sink/source and when a new device is connected Pulseaudio moves all streams to the device with the highest priority AND matching role.

Comment 2 GitLab Migration User 2018-07-30 10:32:56 UTC

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