Sound Preferences Applet settings do not save

[David Oxland]

This problem occurs randomly about 50% of the time.
 When using Skype for instance I need to use Webcam for sound input.
If the person being called does not receive sound I know that the Input setting has changed back to the "Internal Audio Stereo" choice rather than the Quickcam Communicate Analog choice..
There does not seem to be a pattern or reason to the reverting.
Also; If I've established a Skype connnection and sound is not working, changing the setting does not take effect until I break the Skype connection and reestablish again. Then The webcam works as sound input.,,until some random time later when a Skype connection is attempted.
Screenshot attached.
Thanks
David

[Kalle Valo (kvalo)]

Moving to indicator-sound, but sounds like a lower level problem to me. (no pun intended)

[Conor Curran (cjcurran)]

This basically has to do with the obtuse routing Pulse forces on its clients. Pulse attempts to remember the specific routing a client (audio application of some sort) has used in the past and when the client starts it will attempt to enforce this routing. From the description you provide it seems pulse thinks the preferred routing is from the internal sound source to the skype.

For now there is no easy fix to this. I would suggest you use the application 'pavucontrol'. This will allow you to see and change the individual routing in place for each active client and sound device.

Marking invalid for the sound menu but pointing it back upstream to pulseaudio considering the bug really does like with this pulse 'feature'.