better display of audio profiles for cards with many profiles
Submitted by Peter F. Patel-Schneider
Assigned to pul..@..op.org
Link to original bug (#104574)
Description
On my laptop pavucontrol lists the following profiles for built-in audio (which is an Intel HD audio card) when no external monitor is connected.
Analog Stereo Duplex Analog Stereo Output Digital Stereo Output (HDMI) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Stereo Output (HDMI) (unplugged) Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 5) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 4) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 3) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 2) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 5) (unplugged) Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 4) (unplugged) Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 3) (unplugged) Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 2) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 5) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 4) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 3) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 2) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 5) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 4) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 3) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 2) + Analog Stereo Input Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 5) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 4) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 3) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 7.1 Output (HDMI 2) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 5) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 4) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 3) (unplugged) Digital Surrpound 5.1 Output (HDMI 2) (unplugged) Analog Stereo Input Off
Most of these are useless because they involve an unplugged output. Half of the useless ones don't indicate that they involve an unplugged output. When an HDMI display is present the only indication that, for example, a good profile to select is "Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 2) + Analog Stereo Input" is that the "(unplugged)" is not present on "Digital Stereo Output (HDMI 2)".
It would be better if pavucontrol segregated the currently useless profiles from the useful ones. This would make it much easier to see which profile to select. An even better setup, if possible, would be to have separate selections for the input and output parts of the audio device.
I don't think that pavucontrol is the real culprit here as it is just showing what is provided to it so the fix would have to be elswhere within pulse audio.