[pulseaudio-discuss] User-hostile obfuscation in PulseAudio Volume Control is a real pain.

[Erik Christiansen]

Hi,

Debian 9.0.0 comes with pulseaudio 10.0, so it's not likely that fixes
for the problem are in the wild yet, I figure.

Even when a Debian 9.0.0 box is connected to a HDMI monitor, PulseAudio
Volume Control displays only 3 of its 5 tabs, supressing the vital
Configuration tab, needed for switching audio output to HDMI. Depriving
the user of knowledge of the availability of the Configuration tab, by
burying it under two levels of blind hammering on a tiny inscrutable
icon in the corner is a monstrous disservice to the user, and a rather
weird design decision. Much space is wasted in the width of the 3
displayed tabs, and on many a screen there is at least half a yard of
screen width spare for the other 2 tabs.

I've now cracked the secret code, but enquiries on other lists elicited
no-one else who had. I'm merely a little myopic - others have far less
acute eyesight with which to recognise the triangular flyspecks. I
understand that a GUI is a device to put facilities at the end of long
maze runs, but seriously, TWO levels of blind wall punching at the end
of that, to dig out access to the unnecessarily hidden function?

If all 5 tabs were to be displayed, then it would be a service to users,
and a sign that the pulseaudio design takes usability into account in
the design process.

Please understand that users do not know that the control is secreted in
an obfuscated PulseAudio Volume Control, and so end up scouring all
interfaces, GUI and command-line, plus the internet, in the process of
discovery. Your power to waste humanity's time is significant.

Erik