Phonon - Audio Hardware Setup

Question

Does anyone know what configuration file is modified when I change settings within this area of the system settings?

I keep choosing my Logitech USB Headset as the soundard, and, when I hit apply, it accepts that change and all is good. However, as soon as I close the system settings window, it loses the setting, so I have to leave it open all the time.

How can I make this setting permanent?

Thanks for any assistance.

I'm actually running Kubuntu 11.10.

Solution

KDE System Settings >> Multimedia >> Phonon

The settings are saved to the ~/.config/kde.org/libphonon.conf. The devices are saved to ~/.kde/share/config/phonondevicesrc.

Are the settings saved when you press the apply button? The file should change.

Try to rename (remove) the libphonon.conf or/and phonondevicesrc. Do you notice any change?

Comments

[Michael]

Actually, it's interesting. I opened libphonon.conf in bluefish editor and then opened the audio hardware setup tab within phonon. Switched the soundcard to my Logitech USB headset, because no matter how many times I apply this setting, as soon as I close the settings editor, it switches my soundcard back to HD-Audio Generic. Then, in order for any program on my system to record from my headset, I have to switch the sound device in phonon to the "Recording" option (there's a "Playback" Logitech and a "Recording" Logitech option). Once I switch it, Pulseaudio & all programs recognize it...

[Michael]

However, as soon as I switch that setting back to the "Playback" option, pulseaudio and all programs can no longer use the headset for recording. Interestingly, though, if I leave it on "Recording", I can still playback audio through the headset without trouble. However, no matter what, even after I apply these settings (Soundcard to Logitech and Sound Device to "Recording" option), as soon as I close the settings window, it reverts back again. In addition, whenever I hit "apply", it is libphonon.conf that Bluefish editor tells me has changed, but, when I "reload" it, all appears the same.

[Michael]

I cannot find any discernible difference between the old and new. In addition, although I lose the ability to record through the headset once I close the settings window, I do not get a message indicating that either of these two files have changed, when I close the settings window, which I assume means that the change that's occurring is in some other configuration file. I'm just not sure what/where it is.

[Michael]

I'm a little nervous to rename/remove either file just because my system's been so finicky on the sound issue. I know if I rename I can then simply make that backup file the "real" one if something goes wrong - I'm just not sure if anything else will end being modified as a result of a change to one/both of these files.

[Sindhuja Ravula]

I have (had?) a similar kind of problem: my audio Profile settings would not persist across KDE sessions. That is, Phonon correctly remembers which Device to use, but the Profile for that Device (in the "Audio Hardware Setup" tab) kept switching back to HDMI and I want Analog Stereo Output (my TV's speakers are crummy). When I make changes an Apply, there is no difference in ~/.config/kde.org/libphonon.conf (checked it with diff).

[Sindhuja Ravula]

I found that by deleting ~/.kde/share/config/phonondevicesrc which was last updated in 2014 sometime, it now remembers the Profile across restarts of KDE. So I recommend to remove the config files. I can confirm they do come back.