[Bug]: Video wallpaper audio nodes cause WirePlumber "proxy destroyed" crash, killing system audio output

[crahn]

Describe the bug*
Audio output on the system cuts out completely and requires toggling the output profile in PipeWire/PulseAudio to restore it. This happens while animated wallpapers are running and cycling between videos.

This will affect anyone running the plugin with multiple videos on a system using PipeWire.

Root cause (confirmed)
The plugin creates a PipeWire audio sink input node for each video, even when MuteMode is set to Always (1) and Volume is set to 0. When the wallpaper cycles between videos, PipeWire audio nodes are created and destroyed rapidly. Eventually WirePlumber fails to activate a node that plasmashell has already torn down, producing the following error and crashing audio output:

wireplumber: wp-event-dispatcher: <WpAsyncEventHook:0x...> failed: failed to activate item: Object activation aborted: proxy destroyed

Environment

• OS: CachyOS (Arch-based), kernel 7.0.9-1-cachyos
• KDE Plasma 6 (Wayland)
• PipeWire 1.6.5 + WirePlumber 0.5.x
• Plugin version: latest (luisbocanegra.smart.video.wallpaper.reborn)
• Audio card: Creative SoundBlaster AE-7 (ca0132 driver)
• 6 videos in the playlist, RandomMode=true

Steps to reproduce

1. Configure the plugin with multiple videos in the playlist
2. Leave the system running for an extended period (minutes to hours)
3. The wallpaper cycles between videos
4. Audio output dies with no visible error to the user
5. Check user journal: journalctl --user -b 0 -u wireplumber | grep "proxy destroyed"

Expected behavior
Cycling between wallpaper videos should not affect the system audio graph. When MuteMode=Always, no PipeWire audio nodes should be created at all.

Actual behavior
Even with MuteMode=1 and Volume=0 set in the config, plasmashell creates active audio sink inputs in PipeWire for each video:

$ pactl list sink-inputs | grep "media.name"
  media.name = "plasmashell"
  media.name = "plasmashell"
  media.name = "audio-src"
  media.name = "plasmashell"

Workaround
Strip audio tracks from wallpaper videos entirely using ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -an -c:v copy output_noaudio.mp4

This prevents the plugin from creating any PipeWire audio nodes and eliminates the crash.

Suggested fix
When MuteMode is set to Always (or Volume is 0), the plugin should not open an audio output stream at all, rather than opening one and setting its volume to zero. This would prevent unnecessary PipeWire node churn and avoid the proxy destroyed race condition.

[Bradford1040]

Thinking about attempting a fix for this issue

• Basically rewrite the playlist function to keep a single, persistent MediaPlayer alive and only update its source property when the track ends.
• If Qt6 forces an object rebuild anyway, I will try to inject a QML Timer to enforce a 250 ms to 500 ms delay (Maybe even make it adjustable setting) between the stop() command of the old video and the play() command of the new one.
• This should give PipeWire enough time to cleanly sever the old audio.

---

Distro = CachyOS
Kernel: Linux 7.1.5-1-cachyos
WM: KWin (Wayland)
DE: KDE Plasma 6.7.3
Plugin: v2.13.0 (luisbocanegra.smart.video.wallpaper.reborn)

[!Versions]

wireplumber --version
wireplumber
Compiled with libwireplumber 0.5.15
Linked with libwireplumber 0.5.15

pipewire --version
pipewire
Compiled with libpipewire 1.6.8
Linked with libpipewire 1.6.8

[!NOTE]

I just installed this myself, and was looking over issues with playing my movie playlists while I run an IDE on my normal projects. I just forked it 07/31/2026 @ 11 pm EST, so give me some time lol. But if I get it figured out I will post back (including a direct fix for you) and submit a PR for the Developers

[luisbocanegra]

@Bradford1040 are you able to reproduce this? I am not.

[Bradford1040]

@Bradford1040 are you able to reproduce this? I am not.

Not yet, but I was looking into using it and hate having issues lol, I figured I could at least look at it, I mean adding a pause can't hurt

AWSOME plugin BTW!!! Thank you

[luisbocanegra]

When MuteMode is set to Always (or Volume is 0), the plugin should not open an audio output stream at all, rather than opening one and setting its volume to zero. This would prevent unnecessary PipeWire node churn and avoid the proxy destroyed race condition.

As I said in #285 the only way as of now to do that is to remove the audioOutput from MediaPlayer, that removes the node but causes stutter so it is not really a full solution sadly.

What I could do is never set the AudioOutput if the MuteMode is set to always, but that wont cover automatic muting (e.g by active window)

[Bradford1040]

If you only have this one issue, and from what I see that is really just one system quirk? I mean I have really only started looking. I would not change anything yet, I mean that's only my opinion. I know in my projects whenever I try to fix a random issue I cause 10 more lol

[Bradford1040]

if you don't mind a little 2nd set of eyes helping you I will be getting into this more than likely tonight/tomorrow just because I am taking a break from my work! I had a ME issue with an incorrect linter PEP8 setting and basically screwed up my plugin for Klipper (3D printer stuff). I fixed it but I need a few days away

[Question]

How are you liking self hosting? I was looking into Gittea and Forgejo myself
My bad wrong person

[EDIT!]

Can not reproduce either tried everything! So not changing anything yet! I have been running movies all night with not one issue

I will try what this guy did though next