Configuring asoundrc for default bluetooth ignored for Internet Browsers?

[rogerxxxx]

Trying to get some of these only Internet browser audio sources (eg. retail store podcasts) played on a remote bluetooth audio device.

I've used two separate, popularly found on the Internet forums, $HOME/.asoundrc configurations for using ALSA for both, using a variable and for a default system bluetooth audio device. (eg. JBL bluetooth speaker)

Using the JBL bluetooth speaker with mpv relatively works here almost problem free, once I connect the JBL bluetooth device using a manual script with expect/btmon incantation. (example: $HOME/bin/bt-connectmy-jbl.sh)

However, trying to get audio from Internet browsers (eg. chromium, firefox, seamonkey, ...) playing through the bluetooth audio device is not working at all. After some fiddling with asoundrc and chromium, I finally just set the asoundrc with a default bluetooth device rather than using VARS and prefixing the browser command with a VAR for ALSA routing to bluetooth, finally achieved at least getting a bluetooth audio "PCM device busy" error from chromium command line. Didn't help much, as nothing is using the device at all, with subsequent mpv bluetooth audio playing just fine.

Without posting several additional lengthy asoundrc files, I'm already aware of Internet browsers being problematic with routing to bluetooth audio devices, due to power suspend/disconnects, however routing through to an ALSA audio to bluetooth audio devices should be possible using just Linux/ALSA from what other Internet forum/posts have state. If anything, setting asoundrc to default bluetooth audio device should just work.

Although pulseaudio is installed here (not by choice) alongside apulse (pulseaudio emulation/routing for ALSA), pulseaudio is explicitly disabled on this computer, requiring manually starting pulseaudio; and without posting large amounts of multiple asoundrc files (yet); is there something else I should know or the status changed for piping Internet browser audio through to an ALSA bluetooth connected device?

Another error initially printed by one of the Internet browsers (firefox?), during one configuration, "libasound_module_pcm_bluetooth.so" not found.

DISTRIBUTION: Void Linux

WINDOW MANAGER: dwm, a stripped-down window manager, without using all of the other commonly GNOME/KDE helper applications/programs.

VERSIONS: alsa-firmware-1.2.4_1 alsa-lib-1.2.11_1 alsa-lib-devel-1.2.11_1 alsa-oss-1.1.8_1 alsa-plugins-1.2.7.1_2 alsa-plugins-ffmpeg-1.2.7.1_2 alsa-plugins-pulseaudio-1.2.7.1_2 alsa-plugins-samplerate-1.2.7.1_2 alsa-ucm-conf-1.2.11_1 alsa-utils-1.2.11_1 apulse-0.1.13_2 bluez-alsa-3.1.0_1

Linux 6.6.25_1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Apr 5 01:38:23 UTC 2024 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ bluealsa --version v3.1.0

(git log -1 --oneline), and the used configure options.

One hiccup I've seen in the past, sometimes a program (eg. mutt, bluealsa, ...) might not have been configured with proper compile options; but cannot foresee any thing affecting my scenario.

Any other ideas before posting a ton of logs and configuration files?

[borine]

Any other ideas before posting a ton of logs and configuration files?

Bluealsa version 3.1.0 is 3 years old, please try release 4.2.0 before posting any logs because there are many bug fixes that you are missing.

apulse-0.1.13_2

original apulse does not work well with bluealsa. I have a fork borine/apulse with fixes that I used to use with Firefox on ubuntu before canonical spoiled the party by packaging Firefox as a snap. I haven't used it at all for a couple of years now, so I'm not sure if it still works with latest bluealsa.

chromium sort of works, but each tab runs in its own process, so only one tab at a time can open a bluealsa PCM. I would guess that other browsers have the same issue. I think that is why you see "device busy". Because of this I use my own fork of bluealsa with multi-client support borine/bluea-alsa successfully every day with chromium and get excellent results. I do not offer support for that, but you are welcome to try it if you wish. I do not use a ~/.asoundrc for chromium, I just use chromium --alsa-output-device=bluealsa.

[rogerxxxx]

With chrome and chromium, if I'm not mistaken, seems the browser constantly queries/tests the ALSA playback device upon switching to it's Xorg/wayland window, every time. Long ago, I noticed aplay buffer under/over runs (or the likes) and did not initially notice this only occurring whenever switching to the xorg/wayland window containing chrome/chromium, or upon initially opening the browser. Took a long time to figure-out my problems with aplay staggered music playback! More heavy weight audio players tend to buffer the audio streams (eg. mplayer/mpv) averting the buffer under/over flows.

Some great tips for targeting my troubleshooting, versus just dumping everything at first. Give me a few months, as it's Summer and really busy.

Currently testing with Amazon.com Music/Cloud player, and all three or so Linux popular Internet browsers. Can likely temporarily close for now, or keep open. If I get something working, I will document/follow-up with the steps I took on this bug report.