[pulseaudio-discuss] difference between Gnome Sound Preferences and PulseAudio Volume Control

[Ng Oon-Ee]

> On Sun, 2010-06-06 at 20:39 +0000, Piscium wrote:
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > > > From: Ng Oon-Ee <ngoonee at gmail.com>
> > To: pulseaudio-discuss at mail.0pointer.de
> > Sent: Sun, 6 June, 2010 21:30:31
> > > > > Subject: Re: [pulseaudio-discuss] difference between Gnome Sound Preferences and PulseAudio Volume Control
> > 
> > On Sun, 2010-06-06 at 18:03 +0000, Piscium wrote:
> > > I am running Fedora 13, though my question applies to other versions and other Gnome distros.
> > > 
> > > > On the Gnome panel there is by default (that is, after installation) a speaker icon, and if I right click on it I can get to a dialogue box titled Sound Preferences.
> > > 
> > > There is also PulseAudio Volume Control which is available as a separate package not installed by default.
> > > 
> > > The settings available in Gnome Sound Preferences and PulseAudio Volume Control are quite similar : selection of input and output devices, volume and so on.
> > > 
> > > > My questions are these: 
> > > What is the difference between these two applications? 
> > > Considering that I already get by default the  Gnome Panel Sound Preferences do I need the PulseAudio Volume Control at all?
> > > 
> > > I know this is a very basic question but please pardon my ignorance!
> > > 
> > > Thanks.
> > 
> > The Gnome Sound Prefences UI is a simplified version of pavucontrol (the
> > Pulseaudio Volume Control package you're talking about). Primarily it
> > lacks a good way of moving apps to other outputs. It does provide you
> > with easy access to Gnome-specific sounds though (the 'sound theme'
> > stuff).
> 
> Thanks Ng.
> 
> This begs the question, do the two tools write to the same >
configuration files or different ones?
> 
> Because if it is to the same configuration file they could conflict,
> no? That is, one tool could overwrite the changes made by the other?

First off, please don't top-post, and please fix the threading with your
mail-client (looks like you're using a webmail). Fixed for you this
time.

On-topic - yes they control the same thing, you can think of them as two
steering wheels to the same car. You wouldn't want tool A to mute your
volume, then the volume to come unmuted when tool B opens. More to the
point, pulseaudio is an audio server, and all these control tools are
just clients manipulating some parameters.