837563 - Enable PulseAudio cubeb backend by default

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Core :: Audio/Video, defect)

Description

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

Using PulseAudio as the default cubeb backend for Linux is the goal.  The ALSA backend will remain supported and the appropriate backend will be selected at runtime based on the host machine's capabilities.

Comment 1

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

Most of this was done in bug 837564.  Once that lands, all that remains is to alter the build.

The build changes needed are: alter configure.in to use PulseAudio by default (and allow --disable-pulseaudio), remove PULSEAUDIO_LIBS from the libxul link, and possibly add an --enable-pulseaudio-link (or something) that does include PULSEAUDIO_LIBS in the libxul link for any other code that uses PulseAudio (WebRTC?)

Comment 2

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

https://tbpl.mozilla.org/?tree=Try&rev=5bc4d535f2c2

Comment 3

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

Attachment: bug837563_v0.patch

Will see how it goes on Try before requesting review.

Comment 4

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

Attachment: bug837563_v0.patch

Let's try that again.

https://tbpl.mozilla.org/?tree=Try&rev=785ab040249c

Comment 5

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

https://tbpl.mozilla.org/?tree=Try&rev=126b301b3601

Comment 6

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

B2g/desktop build fix: https://tbpl.mozilla.org/?tree=Try&rev=0de93e39f89c

Comment 7

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

Attachment: bug837563_v1.patch

Looks good on Try.

Enable PulseAudio by default in configure, remove existing -lpulse since in-tree uses dlopen libpulse when available.

Comment 8

[Mike Hommey [:glandium]]

Comment on attachment 824970 [details] [diff] [review]
bug837563_v1.patch

Review of attachment 824970 [details] [diff] [review]:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

::: configure.in
@@ +5563,5 @@
> +
> +MOZ_ARG_DISABLE_BOOL(pulseaudio,
> +[  --disable-pulseaudio          Disable PulseAudio support],
> +   MOZ_PULSEAUDIO=,
> +   MOZ_PULSEAUDIO=1)

What is this supposed to achieve, if you remove MOZ_PULSEAUDIO_LIBS?

Comment 9

[Mike Hommey [:glandium]]

Comment on attachment 824970 [details] [diff] [review]
bug837563_v1.patch

Review of attachment 824970 [details] [diff] [review]:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

::: configure.in
@@ +5563,5 @@
> +
> +MOZ_ARG_DISABLE_BOOL(pulseaudio,
> +[  --disable-pulseaudio          Disable PulseAudio support],
> +   MOZ_PULSEAUDIO=,
> +   MOZ_PULSEAUDIO=1)

Ah, saw comment 7.

Comment 10

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/mozilla-inbound/rev/6b6ea9376519

Comment 11

[Phil Ringnalda (:philor)]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/6b6ea9376519

Comment 12

[mjh563]

If building now requires libpulse-dev to be installed, this should be added to the documentation at
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Developer_Guide/Build_Instructions/Linux_Prerequisites

Comment 13

[Matthew Gregan [:kinetik]]

(In reply to mjh563 from comment #12)
> If building now requires libpulse-dev to be installed, this should be added
> to the documentation

Thanks for the reminder, now done.

Comment 14

[(not currently active) Ted Mielczarek]

In the future, it would be nice if you made the configure error message tell the user what they need to do to work around this error (--disable-pulseaudio in this case).

Comment 15

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

> In the future, it would be nice if you made the configure error message tell the user what
> they need to do to work around this error (--disable-pulseaudio in this case).

+1

Thanks for the PulseAudio support!

Comment 16

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Actually, given that we have a fallback with ALSA, it shouldn't be a configure error, but a warning.

Comment 17

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Filed bug 965653 to pass metadata to PulseAudio.

Comment 18

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

Regression: Audio permanently broken when the Pulse server restarts. Filed bug 986985.