Bug#413974: gstreamer-properties needs libesd-alsa0

[Robert Millan [ackstorm]]

clone 413974
reassign -1 gnome-desktop-environment
retitle -1 gnome + esound -> you need gstreamer0.10-esd
thanks

On Fri, Mar 09, 2007 at 11:02:53AM +0100, Loïc Minier wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 09, 2007, Robert Millan [ackstorm] wrote:
> > In a default install, gnome-media isn't using esound.  It attempts to use
> > OSS directly, which is precisely what you want to avoid (i.e. knowledge on
> > the underlying implementation).
> 
>  The default is (or should be) to use autoaudiosink, which will try to
>  select the best output sink.  Is this the default value you have seen?

Yes.

>  autoaudiosink _will_ use esound if it's running (for example because
>  the relevant configuration is set in GNOME to start esound), but this
>  requires the esd plugin indeed.
> 
>  Please note that in the default install esound shouldn't be running
>  IIRC.

gnome-desktop-environment depends on it.

>  Well, technically it would be useful to have it available, and I think
>  that the latest esound plugin in gstreamer will _not_ spawn a daemon if
>  it's not running (which is what we want); however, esound is not really
>  rocket quality, and I wouldn't want to advocate it by pulling the
>  elements; in fact, my personal preference goes to being able to remove
>  it entirely.

I'm not in favour neither against that.  But if we're going to provide
it, using it as default is mandatory.

At this time in release, I don't think it's safe to start this kind of
transition, though.

>  I suppose that we should do one of these:
>  - stop pulling esound altogether (but this would break e.g. the sound
>    daemon option in GNOME), and suggest it only; alsa dmix should be
>    enough for most users

Doesn't that break for OSS users ?

>  - pull esound _support_ completely, that is gstreamer0.10-esd, and not
>    only esound, but not turn it on by default

I don't think you can safely rely on it not being started.  Have all Debian
packages been widely tested and are known not to start esd if it's not
running already ?

>  - pull support for pulseaudio instead which is a compatible replacement
>    and is of good quality; we can't enable it by default either because
>    it's heavy on the CPU and not all users want a sound daemon when they
>    are happy with the capabilities of their sound card or of dmix

Then again, what about OSS users ?  Also, I think it's too late for this
kind of change to make it in etch.

>  The only realistic option for etch is either to add a dep on
>  gstreamer0.10-esd (perhaps in the meta-gnome2 package which pulls
>  esound?), or to remove the dep on esound in meta-gnome2.

I'm cloning this bug for gnome-desktop-environment.  Jordi, can you please do
that (and make sure it gets into etch)?

-- 
Robert Millan

ACK STORM, S.L.  -  http://www.ackstorm.es/