Wireshark-dev: [Wireshark-dev] PortAudio Ticket #49 status
From: Jaap Keuter <jaap.keuter@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:36:30 -0500

Hi,

I just revisited PortAudio Ticket #49 to see what was up this problem, and PortAudio in general.
To my surprise there where new comments added to this 4 year old critical ticket, but they seem to indicate an ignorance to the underlying problem.

The issue raised is that an application developer can't just pull in PortAudio, open default devices and get audio out (or in). Since (s)he doesn't know about the underlying audio infrastructure of the host it might now be faced with the situation that [default API / default device] renders 'no audio', not acceptable to the user.
Therefore the application programmer has either to program around this problem (like so) or setup a elaborate settings panel for the user to manipulate into a working combination. Not acceptable to the user, at least not when you can't provide a (maybe poor, but at least) working setting. And users don't want to be hindered by complicated settings, while the intention was to have it 'just work'.

So it comes down to the question: Do you think it's ok if the 'lowest common denominator' is non-working audio, or maybe less than optimal working audio?
if it's the former, you don't have the end user in mind, IMHO.

Hereby the request to honor this ticket and accept either the proposed solution or one better as indicated from the comments.

Kind regards,
Jaap Keuter
Wireshark-core developer

PS:  I / we are not on the list so please CC us