Less than a month after its previous 1.2.2 release, PipeWire, the open-source software that manages audio and video streams on Linux, has rolled out its latest bugfix release, 1.2.3.
This update brings several enhancements and bug fixes while maintaining API and ABI compatibility with prior 1.2.x and 1.0.x versions.
One of the key highlights of this release is the implementation of freewheeling support in the FFADO (drivers for FireWire sound interfaces on Linux) driver, a feature audio professionals eagerly awaited.
Furthermore, this version addresses issues related to buffer size and sample rate handling, significantly improving performance and stability.
Additionally, the release makes notable strides in system resource management. For instance, it has improved the handling of memory and locking mechanisms.
A crucial deadlock scenario, potentially occurring when spa_loop’s queue was full, has now been resolved.
Moreover, developers have expanded the memory allocation for libcamera devices strings, enabling better deduplication of libcamera and v4l2 devices, which are crucial for video handling on Linux systems.
Regarding modules, the FFADO driver has further improved sample rate and buffer size handling, ensuring users can now force specific rates and sizes as needed.
The server-side clock.quantum-limit on nodes has also been set consistently, resolving a persistent buffer size issue within the Midi-bridge, enhancing audio synchronization and processing.
The SPA (Simple Plugin API) has seen improvements similar to those of the main PipeWire framework, including enhancements to locking and memory allocations to support better performance and stability. The update also fixes a potential race condition when enumerating v4l2 udev devices.
The new release improves Bluetooth compatibility with several devices, including the Soundcore Motion 300. It broadens the range of supported hardware and ensures smoother operation across various devices.
For developers and power users, the pw-cli tool now supports handling arbitrarily large inputs and parameters, a significant improvement for those who manage complex configurations.
Additionally, the pw-top tool has been refined to avoid compiler warnings, reflecting the team’s commitment to code quality and reliability.
Refer to the changelog for more information about all changes in the new version.
