Only a week after its previous 1.4.3 release, the PipeWire team announced the fourth bugfix update to the 1.4 series, v1.4.4, for this widely adopted Linux multimedia server that manages audio and video streams.
One of the enhancements involves better MIDI handling, specifically by refining compatibility with version 1.2. The update introduces conversions to legacy-style MIDI within the ALSA sequencer and streamlines buffer negotiation to prefer UMP (Universal MIDI Packet) when using more recent libraries.
Additionally, the release fixes the direction negotiation for buffers, opting to trust converter suggestions over those from applications, at least until the ecosystem stabilizes with consistently reliable application behavior.
On the video and streaming front, PipeWire’s GStreamer integration sees notable improvements. A prior regression affecting buffer negotiation with the MPV media player has been resolved, restoring more reliable streaming performance.
Lastly, the update relaxes the minimum buffer count requirement from eight down to one, accommodating devices like libcamera that allocate fewer buffers (typically four).
Refer to the changelog for more information about all changes in the new version.
