Skype - please re-enable ALSA support!
I use Skype. Not because I'm a fan of it (after all, I wrote PSIP, but by necessity.Recently I've got an email from Skype that they are terminating access from all Skype clients prior to 4.3 - so if I haven't upgraded to the latest and greatest, I'd better do it, or else no connection.
Which is generally fine and dandy except that Skype 4.3 drops support for ALSA. ALSA is the *native* audio system in Linux. Skype does, however, chooses to support PulseAudio instead. I don't have a problem with them supporting PulseAudio, but why the need to drop support for ALSA, which has been working for years and years?
I don't want to discuss the merits (of the lack thereof) of PulseAudio here - I'd just point out that not all of us Linux users run (or can run, or want to run) PulseAudio.
Since the ALSA back-end used to work beautifully (ALSA was supported in version 4.2 - one version before 4.3), and since PulseAudio usage is clearly optional (one can run Skype even without PulseAudio installed - but you don't get voice services (call/talk) - you can still send text and files) - I don't think it's that difficult to get ALSA support back in the next updates.
Skype - if you're listening, please, enable back ALSA support in your next update.
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Comments:
Posted on 21 Sep 2014, 11:09 by 01micko"maybe "apulse""
https://github.com/i-rinat/apulse
I sent you a mail about it but thought a public link might be in order.
Thanks to fsLeg (Russian speaking Slacker) for the find.
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Posted on 27 Sep 2014, 4:56 by jamesbond
"RE: maybe apulse"
Thank you Mick. I built apulse in in Fatdog64's 32-bit compatibility library (actually Slacko 5.3 in disguise) and it works fine with Skype 4.3, alleviating the need somewhat.
But it would still be nice to for Skype to support ALSA directly without hacks like this. I like the convenience for example of being able to choose which sound device to use, directly from Skype interface. With this, you'll have to edit .asoundrc; plus you will have to exit Skype and restart when you want to change sound device.
So dear Microsoft, despite your feelings of misgivings about Linux, please make Skype supports ALSA again ...
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