The PipeWire team has announced the release of PipeWire 1.2.6, a bugfix update that maintains API and ABI compatibility with all previous 1.2.x and 1.0.x versions. While there are no groundbreaking new features, it addresses several key issues.
One of them involves the filter-chain module. Previously, parameter changes in the filter-chain were not aggregated correctly, leading to some being ignored. Fortunately, this bug has now been resolved, resulting in more consistent behavior when managing audio effects.
Stream states are also updated more effectively, as they are based on the underlying node state. This means that users will notice improved responsiveness when interacting with audio streams.
Another improvement in PipeWire 1.2.6 concerns exported nodes, which now have their state changes handled synchronously. This modification allows the server to immediately start the driver, reducing the likelihood of initial xruns (buffer underruns), which can cause audio glitches.
Furthermore, stream flush handling has been enhanced, ensuring more efficient data processing during playback and recording.
The update also fixes an issue in which mixed information was sent to destroyed ports, resulting in errors within JACK clients. This change minimizes unnecessary errors, particularly in complex audio setups connected by multiple clients. But wait, there’s more.
The filter-chain module received additional improvements beyond the parameter aggregation fix. Specifically, it now optimizes unlinked nodes more reliably.
The ALSA PCM node properties are also now preserved rather than being overwritten by card properties. This fix ensures that the specific properties of audio devices are maintained, preventing conflicts and issues that could previously occur when properties were overwritten.
Continuing with the improvements, the adapter retry count has been increased, which helps to avoid xruns in certain situations, ensuring more stable audio playback and recording.
PipeWire 1.2.6 also brings several important fixes for Bluetooth audio. A bug that previously caused crashes with broadcast sinks has been fixed, enhancing the stability of Bluetooth audio streaming. Additionally, compatibility with Phonak hearing aids has improved, providing a better experience for users of these devices.
Another significant enhancement is that PipeWire no longer exits when DBus goes down. DBus is a crucial inter-process communication system in Linux, and temporary outages could previously cause PipeWire to exit unexpectedly. With the new fix, PipeWire now handles DBus downtimes more gracefully, especially in environments where DBus can be unstable.
Lastly, the JACK implementation within PipeWire also received a notable fix. Previously, there were issues with JACK IO ports not being cleared correctly when stopping, which could lead to crashes. With this update, JACK IO ports are now cleared properly, which helps to prevent such crashes.
Refer to theย changelogย for more information about all changes in the new version.
