Bug#774810: pulseaudio-utils: pactl can no longer change volume: Assertion 'vol_spec' failed at utils/pactl.c:1462

[Jameson Graef Rollins]

On Wed, Jan 07 2015, Felipe Sateler <fsateler at debian.org> wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 7, 2015 at 4:48 PM, Jameson Graef Rollins
> <jrollins at finestructure.net> wrote:
>> Package: pulseaudio-utils
>> Version: 5.99.2-2
>> Severity: normal
>>
>> pactl is no longer able to change/set volumes:
>>
>> servo:~ 0$ pactl list short sinks
>> 0       alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo      module-alsa-card.c      s16le 2ch 48000Hz       RUNNING
>> servo:~ 0$ pactl -- set-sink-volume 0 +2dB
>> Assertion 'vol_spec' failed at utils/pactl.c:1462, function parse_volume(). Aborting.
>> Aborted
>> servo:~ 134$
>
> Can you set the volume using other units? That is, using percentages
> or linear values?

Ah, crap.  I just figured out what the problem is: it's the '--'
argument.  If I remove it everything works:

servo:~ 0$ pactl list sinks | grep 'Volume: front'
	Volume: front-left: 32768 /  50% / -18.06 dB,   front-right: 32768 /  50% / -18.06 dB
servo:~ 0$ pactl set-sink-volume 0 100%
servo:~ 0$ pactl list sinks | grep 'Volume: front'
	Volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
servo:~ 0$ pactl set-sink-volume 0 -2db
servo:~ 0$ pactl list sinks | grep 'Volume: front'
	Volume: front-left: 60694 /  93% / -2.00 dB,   front-right: 60694 /  93% / -2.00 dB
servo:~ 0$ 

Now that I look at the man page again, I see there is no mention of the
'--' argument anymore.  It must have been deprecated without notice?
Annoying, but maybe a separate issue?

Let me know if you would like me to rename, reassign, or close this bug.

Thanks.

jamie.
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