The latest update to PipeWire, version 1.0.6, a server for handling audio, video streams, and hardware on Linux, has been released. It maintains compatibility with previous 1.0.x versions while addressing a range of bugs and making several enhancements across various modules.
One of the notable fixes in this release includes the resolution of a bitfield race condition that could cause crashes or result in undefined behavior when nodes are moved between drivers.
Memory management has also seen improvements, with specific fixes addressing invalid memory access within the monitoring tools pw-mon and pw-dump, which are essential for advanced users for diagnostics and debugging.
PipeWire 1.0.6 also resolves a regression affecting Kodi media center software, specifically with playback of IEC958 formats. Users of Kodi will find improved audio handling with this release, ensuring a smoother entertainment experience.
The module-combine-stream has received improvements to prevent audio resampling issues caused by different sample rates, which previously could lead to broken audio output. This module now also forwards tags, enhancing audio stream management and control.
Furthermore, the module-loopback received a fix for a potential double-free error during delay calculations, further stabilizing its functionality. For Bluetooth audio, buffer handling and data queuing when stopping have been improved, optimizing the user experience during playback transitions.
On the system-wide improvements side, PipeWire 1.0.6 sets context properties early, allowing client properties to be more effectively matched with rules, as part of an ongoing effort to enhance configuration flexibility and system responsiveness.
Lastly, in the streaming and device management field, the V4l2 and libcamera integration now encode device IDs into a JSON array as part of the deduplication effort, streamlining device management for developers.
You can refer to the changelog for more information about all changes in the new version.
