Comment 63 for bug 203158

Revision history for this message
Bela Lubkin (filbo) wrote :

This seems to have been fixed by making ubuntu-desktop depend on both libsdl1.2debian _and_ libsdl1.2debian-pulseaudio.

libsdl1.2debian-pulseaudio conflicts with all other variants, including libsdl1.2debian-all. So now, Ubuntu users cannot swap in any of the other flavors without breaking the master "ubuntu-desktop" package. I know that doesn't remove anything; but as the ubuntu-desktop package description says, "it is also used to help ensure proper upgrades, so it is recommended that it not be removed". I _do_ want my system to follow the general flow of Ubuntu configuration changes.

There are two compelling reasons to be able to swap in other versions of this library:

- For debugging/troubleshooting sound issues. It can help an end user troubleshoot or work around problems with a particular app; or general system sound problems. An app developer might also want to check behavior with different sound back-ends.

- To use different SDL _graphics_ back-ends. libsdl1.2debian-all is documented as: "compiled with X11, aalib and ggi graphics drivers and oss, esound, alsa, nas and pulseaudio sound drivers". It doesn't just have extra audio, but also extra video support. (The "all" build I grabbed doesn't actually have GGI or svgalib enabled; GGI explicitly disabled in debian/rules, SVGA looks like the build machine didn't have the right stuff installed.)

Can't .deb dependencies express "If libsdl is needed, install -pulseaudio by default; ubuntu-desktop depends on either -pulseaudio or -all"? Then users would have the ability to change it without pulling out the master ubuntu-desktop package.

Since -all can be retargeted with SDL_AUDIODRIVER and SDL_VIDEODRIVER environment variables, it should be sufficient to allow those two. Limiting to just -pulseaudio is, well, rather sharply limiting...