Sound won’t work for qubes that were running before sys-audio start, not the ones that were created before changing default_audiovm to sys-audio.audiovm of a running qube won’t work:
opened 03:35PM - 25 Feb 24 UTC
T: enhancement
P: default
C: audio
r4.2-host-cur-test
r4.2-vm-bookworm-cur-test
r4.2-vm-fc38-cur-test
r4.2-vm-fc39-cur-test
r4.3-vm-bookworm-cur-test
r4.3-host-cur-test
r4.3-vm-trixie-cur-test
r4.3-vm-fc39-cur-test
r4.3-vm-fc40-cur-test
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#… ## The problem you're addressing (if any)
Currently, changing audiovm requires target qube restart in practice. Technically, it is possible to change it without qube restart, if you know which services to restart in what order etc, but that's very much not obvious. This also includes the case of restarting said audiovm.
### The solution you'd like
Changing audiovm at runtime should be seamless, as is changing netvm.
### The value to a user, and who that user might be
Easier to use non-dom0 audiovm, mostly relevant for USB audio devices. Related to #7750, #8093.
### Details
Implementation-wise, this requires:
- [x] dom0 changing relevant qubesdb (or else) entry when audiovm is changed or (re)started
- [x] pulseaudio agent watching said qubesdb entry and re-establishing vchan connection when needed
- [x] pipewire agent doing the same
- [ ] stubdomain (currently also pulseaudio) agent doing the same - a caveat here, currently stubdomain doesn't have qubesdb at all (and has hardcoded domid=0 as audiovm), but it does have qrexec-agent
But you can still make it work manually:
An audio qube acts as a secure handler for potentially malicious audio devices, preventing them from coming into contact with dom0
(which could otherwise be fatal to the security of the whole system).
It thereby mitigates some of the security risks of using USB
devices and Bluetooth devices.
Nonetheless, we strongly recommend carefully reading the security warning on USB input
devices devices before proceeding.
With an audio qube, many kinds of devices can be used (that previously were eit…