[vlc-devel] The "default" ALSA device missing in audio devices menu

[U.Mutlu]

Hi,
if the entry "alsa-audio-device=" is commented out in ~/.config/vlc/vlcrc
then the "default" ALSA device (as specified in the ALSA conf file, eg. 
/etc/asound.conf in Debian systems) gets used by vlc.
This is good, but this "default" device is missing in the GUI list 
(Audio/Audio Device), because imagine user picks another sound device
from the menu list. Now, user cannot return to the "default" device anymore,
because it's missing in the menu list :-), user has to restart vlc.

Therefore, I would suggest to add the ALSA device named "default" to vlc's GUI.

If one uses the "default" device in all AV-apps then the sound device
luckily gets shared (ie. then no need for a sound server).
flash plugin by default uses the "default" device, and as said:
if the above entry is commented out in vlcrc then vlc too uses the default 
device, so sound device sharing works well in ALSA without needing any sound 
server (I've removed pulseaudio; now using ALSA only).

For the device sharing to work, one usually specifies such a virtual device 
named "default":

# /etc/asound.conf :

pcm.mymix {
     type asym

     playback.pcm {
         type dmix

         ipc_key  1024
         ipc_perm 0660
         ipc_gid audio

         slave {
             channels 2

             pcm {
                 type hw
                 card 1
             }
         }
     }

     capture.pcm {
         type null
     }
}

pcm.!default {
     type plug
     slave.pcm "mymix"
}


Just for info, my devices:

# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 0: CX20590 Analog [CX20590 Analog]
   Subdevices: 0/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0


# aplay -L
null
     Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
mymix
default          <--- THIS IS MEANT
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=0
     HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0
     HDMI Audio Output
dmix:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
     HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0
     Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
     HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0
     Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
     HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0
     Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
     HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0
     Hardware device with all software conversions
sysdefault:CARD=Generic
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     Front speakers
surround21:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
dmix:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
     HD-Audio Generic, CX20590 Analog
     Hardware device with all software conversions