[pulseaudio-discuss] Accessing audio as root

[Bill Cox]

On Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 11:14 AM, Colin Guthrie <gmane at colin.guthr.ie> wrote:
> 'Twas brillig, and Markus Rechberger at 24/12/09 14:02 did gyre and gimble:
>> I think it's pretty clear what the problem is.
>> PA does not support multiple users on one system..
>> I told you if you intend to replace the existing audio system and
>> build up compatibility layers
>> add try to do it right.
>
> But for you "right" === "the exact same way it used to work".

Hi, Colin.  I think it is important to understand where people like
Markus come from.  I suspect he's completely blind.  "Right" for him
means his system talks to him at boot, in both speakup and Orca and
probably a few other apps.  "Wrong" is when the sound system stops
speakup or Orca from talking.  It's the ultimate show-stopper bug for
the blind.  Losing sound for a blind person is about as scary as a
hard-disk crash - maybe worse!  A blind person often has to track down
a sighted person with the skills to repair his software in person.
This can be a lot harder than installing a new hard drive and OS.

I want to help constructively.  I want to track down the problem and
suggest a patch.  Any guidance as to the approach to take would be
very welcome - I really don't know the PulseAudio system well enough
to determine the best approach.  Eventually, I'll just pick one and do
it, but it's worth begging for advice if I can get it!

Thanks,
Bill