Subject: [linux-audio-dev] Re: [alsa-devel] Re: Alsamixer: Dangerous Design!!!!
From: Andy Lo A Foe (andy_AT_alsa-project.org)
Date: Thu May 04 2000 - 01:40:13 EEST
On Thu, 4 May 2000, Juhana Sadeharju wrote:
> The guides can help you by motivating why you should not turn the level
> to maximum. All this depends on the hardware setup and the guide could
> give a few common examples.
Good, so why do we need extra software instructions? The thing is, I fail
to see how this will help prevent someone from damaging their hearing.
I mean, what did you do when your headphone started blasting away at
MAX? Right, you yanked it from your head. Problem solved! Lesson learned!
> There are two different questions here:
>
> 1. Do we want the maximum volume limiters to Alsa? (In conf.modules.)
I would vote No right now, since IMHO it doesn't add *anything*. In fact
it will probably just complicate the ALSA install procedure.
> 2. Do we want the defaults be different from the existing situation?
>
> I say "yes" to 1 --- and 1 is only a technical issue. It doesn't affect to
> you if 2 is answered "no".
I would rather choose to modify the mixer applications i.e. paint the
80-100% range of the volume sliders RED or something. As someone else
pointed out, it wouldn't really be desirable to put the limitizer at the
driver level since other users/applications might need different settings.
> It really doesn't matter what happens with 2(*) because with 1 I can do
> with my Alsa what I want, and can offer the same safety in my audio
> software.
Things are safe as they are right now. How about popping up dialog boxes
each time you notch up the volume? "Are you absolutely sure you wany to
set it this high? It might damage your hearing!!?? [Yes/no]" ;-)
Andy
-- AlsaPlayer, http://www.alsa-project.org/~andy/
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