[gentoo-user] Skype now will only work with pulseaudio?

[Mick <michaelkintzios@gmail.com>]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: Text/Plain, Size: 1140 bytes --]

I was surprised to find that skype now has the pulseaudio flag set as a 
default.  Well, that didn't really surprise me, but what did is that after I 
unset the pulseaudio flag and emerged skype-4.3.0.37, audio in skype no longer 
works.  :-/

The skype website says that alsa is no longer supported without pulseaudio in 
their freshly cut Microsoft-owned code.  Why is then the pulseaudio flag 
provided in portage, if without audio skype would lose its core functionality 
- i.e. making voice calls?  I guess someone may only use it for IM chat, but 
that I would think is an edge use case.  Most people I know would use it for 
voice and perhaps video calls.

In any case, should I install pulseaudio?  So far I had not missed it in my 
world to manage my audio needs.  Looking at the wiki page:

 http://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/PulseAudio

it seems awfully complicated to me, for something which for my purposes would 
be just a new 'alsamixer'. :p

Are you using PA and how would you suggest I go about installing and 
configuring it (if I must) for minimal interference with my audio usage?

-- 
Regards,
Mick

[-- Attachment #2: This is a digitally signed message part. --]
[-- Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 490 bytes --]