GQRX and Audio Output devices

[John Hagensieker]

I previously had GQRX on Linux Mint 13 Maya and was able to output to the laptop's audio device while I could stream music to my DAC.

Yesterday I updated to Linux Mint 17 RC and the only audio device available is the default audio. Using GQRX 2.2.0 from ubuntu repository currently.

When I installed on 17 my RTL dongle didn't work.  I had to unload and blacklist a module to get it to work.  Now GQRX works fine but I'd like to be able to select between audio devices. Did I do something wrong?  Why can't I select audio devices now?  Only thing available is default.

[Alexandru Csete]

You have probably been using a different version of gqrx before? If
not, then the issue must be with the audio system. Can you select
different audio device in the desktop audio mixer?

By the way, for a long time gqrx was locked to "default" audio output.
I think the 2.2 reelase qas one of them, which is why I don't
understand how you were able to change audio output in gqrx -- unless
you were using a much newer version from snapshots or you were
changing the default audio output in the audio mixer.

Alex

[John Hagensieker]

Alex,

Tell you the truth I don't know what version I was using but without question I was streaming Spotify, Pandora, etc to my DAC then to my stereo, and listening to runway chatter at work via GQRX on the laptop speakers.  As I recall I selected the audio device in GQRX. 

My audio control center settings seem to be working fine.  I show my laptop audio, my DAC, and when I plug in a monitor via HDMI that sound setting shows up as well. 

I wonder if it had anything to do with Mint 13 Maya.  I was really stupid to just upgrade this machine and not perform a Clonezilla backup first.   I didn't care about a backup because it's a pretty old laptop I bought for chump change and its only mission in life is to be a music streamer at work. 

Are there newer versions that have this capability?  Or an ubuntu deb of an old one?  I don't need latest and greatest at work as I only want to pull in the ground and air controllers at work, but at home I'm a bit more of a hobbyist with GQRX trying to listen to anything I can listen to.   Great fun sometimes. 

[Alexandru Csete]

On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 10:21 PM, John Hagensieker
<hagens...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Are there newer versions that have this capability? Or an ubuntu deb of an
> old one? I don't need latest and greatest at work as I only want to pull in
> the ground and air controllers at work, but at home I'm a bit more of a
> hobbyist with GQRX trying to listen to anything I can listen to. Great fun
> sometimes.

John,

The latest snapshot is available for various versions of Ubuntu and
thus also Mint from our PPA:
https://launchpad.net/~gqrx/+archive/snapshots/

Yopu should be able to choose between all available audio devices plus
various other improvements and bugfixes since the 2.2 release.

Since my packaging skills are not particularly great, there may be
issues when doing an upgrade between 2.2 and the latest snapshot. So I
recommend first to disable the "releases" PPA, then remove all
obsolete gqrx and gnuradio packages. Then add the "snapshots" PPA and
install gqrx. I hope this makes sense, otherwise ask.

Alex

[John Hagensieker]

Alex,

It made perfect sense.  I did what you recommend and to some extent it works and by that I mean your end works.   I can now select between audio devices in GQRX

I use something called squeezelite player with LogitechMediaServer and I have a command written for it to utilize the DAC.  Now I'm listening to stereo and GQRX simultaneously through different sound devices.

I however can't get it going when I run Spotify app or Pandora app (Pithos in Linux) but I have a sneaky suspicion I'll figure that out.   And now that I've seen this snapshots PPA you directed me to it rang a bell.  Pretty sure that's where I got the last version of GQRX from on my Linux Mint 13 install.  At least I'd be willing to bet lunch on it. 

Thanks.  If I have any more issues I'll get with you again.  

John

[John Hagensieker]

Alex,

The behavior described below only occurred with a Schiit Modi DAC (which plays with Linux different than any other DAC I have). When I replaced the DAC with a HiFiMeDIY USB DAC it worked perfectly.  I could stream Pandora to the DAC and stereo and subsequently play GQRX through the laptop or Monitor HDMI speakers.  In other words it worked perfectly.  Thanks so much!  I love it.  I did this on my home computer and I'll be sure to implement at my work computer later.

John

[John Hagensieker]

And I just did this to my work computer.  Works perfect although for some reason I have to start the music stream first then launch GQRX and then select the on board audio for the laptop.  If I launch GQRX then music GQRX seems to follow the default audio device irrespective of Input / Output settings. 

No sweat.  Launch music player first every morning, launch GQRX.  Perfect.

John

[Alexandru Csete]

On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 1:28 AM, John Hagensieker
<hagens...@gmail.com> wrote:
> And I just did this to my work computer. Works perfect although for some
> reason I have to start the music stream first then launch GQRX and then
> select the on board audio for the laptop. If I launch GQRX then music GQRX
> seems to follow the default audio device irrespective of Input / Output
> settings.

Hi John,

Thanks for the update.
Is that with the snapshots or the 2.2 release? It should be fixed in
the snapshots package but perhaps it does not work well with
hot-plugable devices.

Alex

[John Hagensieker]

With the snapshots Alex.

Is this the right place to ask about gnuradio?  I can't open gnuradio now. Python path issues.

[Alexandru Csete]

On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 10:10 PM, John Hagensieker
<hagens...@gmail.com> wrote:
> With the snapshots Alex.
>
> Is this the right place to ask about gnuradio? I can't open gnuradio now.
> Python path issues.

Normally no, but if you installed from the PPA then it's my fault. But
I don't know why that would happen and I can't test the packages right
now. Perhaps you ended up with more than one version installed.

Alex

[John Hagensieker]

Alex I made a separate post.  Just figured out how to fix it.

[John Hagensieker]

One more thing I did install from your PPA