Bug#604628: audacity: would like non-sticky initial directory for import

[Drake Wilson]

Package: audacity
Version: 1.3.12-6
Severity: wishlist

When I start Audacity (with or without any audio files specifed on the
command line) and then wish to import additional audio files, usually
I want them from either the same directory as the files I specified on
the command line, or from the current directory.  Instead, using the
Import > Audio... function from the File menu brings up a file dialog
centered on (apparently) the last directory from which I imported any
audio in.  This is often a completely unrelated directory; then I must
(sometimes extensively) navigate to the correct directory to find the
files I want.  Further, the other directory sometimes has many entries
or resides on a different medium, in which case there is a noticeable
wait for the unrelated directory to be completely shown before I can
start any navigation at all.

This may be difficult to change due to users expectations and/or not
wanting to add a profusion of interactive options, but I'd like to
have it recorded that at least one person finds this behavior less
than optimal.  I would prefer that the import directory default to the
directory of the most recently imported audio file in the _current_
project (ignoring any other simultaneous or previous sessions or
projects), or to the current directory if there is no such file (e.g.,
the project is blank or only uses newly-recorded audio).

   ---> Drake Wilson

-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (990, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages audacity depends on:
ii  audacity-data          1.3.12-6          A fast, cross-platform audio edito
ii  libasound2             1.0.23-2.1        shared library for ALSA applicatio
ii  libc6                  2.11.2-7          Embedded GNU C Library: Shared lib
ii  libexpat1              2.0.1-7           XML parsing C library - runtime li
ii  libflac++6             1.2.1-3           Free Lossless Audio Codec - C++ ru
ii  libflac8               1.2.1-3           Free Lossless Audio Codec - runtim
ii  libgcc1                1:4.4.5-8         GCC support library
ii  libglib2.0-0           2.24.2-1          The GLib library of C routines
ii  libgtk2.0-0            2.20.1-2          The GTK+ graphical user interface 
ii  libid3tag0             0.15.1b-10        ID3 tag reading library from the M
ii  libjack0 [libjack-0.11 1:0.118+svn3796-7 JACK Audio Connection Kit (librari
ii  libmad0                0.15.1b-5         MPEG audio decoder library
ii  libogg0                1.2.0~dfsg-1      Ogg bitstream library
ii  libsamplerate0         0.1.7-3           Audio sample rate conversion libra
ii  libsndfile1            1.0.23-1          Library for reading/writing audio 
ii  libsoundtouch1c2       1.3.1-2           sound stretching library
ii  libstdc++6             4.4.5-8           The GNU Standard C++ Library v3
ii  libtwolame0            0.3.12-1          MPEG Audio Layer 2 encoding librar
ii  libvamp-hostsdk3       2.1-1             helper library for Vamp hosts writ
ii  libvorbis0a            1.3.1-1           The Vorbis General Audio Compressi
ii  libvorbisenc2          1.3.1-1           The Vorbis General Audio Compressi
ii  libvorbisfile3         1.3.1-1           The Vorbis General Audio Compressi
ii  libwxbase2.8-0         2.8.10.1-3+b1     wxBase library (runtime) - non-GUI
ii  libwxgtk2.8-0          2.8.10.1-3+b1     wxWidgets Cross-platform C++ GUI t

Versions of packages audacity recommends:
ii  libavcodec52                  4:0.5.2-6  ffmpeg codec library
ii  libavformat52                 4:0.5.2-6  ffmpeg file format library

Versions of packages audacity suggests:
ii  amb-plugins [ladspa-plugin]   0.6.1-2    ambisonics LADPSA plugins
ii  blepvco [ladspa-plugin]       0.1.0-2    LADSPA, minBLEP-based, hard-sync-c
ii  blop [ladspa-plugin]          0.2.8-5    Bandlimited wavetable-based oscill
ii  caps [ladspa-plugin]          0.4.2-1    C* Audio Plugin Suite
ii  cmt [ladspa-plugin]           1.16-1     a collection of LADSPA plugins
pn  libmp3lame0                   <none>     (no description available)
ii  mcp-plugins [ladspa-plugin]   0.4.0-1    LADSPA plugins designed for Alsa M
ii  omins [ladspa-plugin]         0.2.0-6    a collection of LADSPA plugins aim
ii  rev-plugins [ladspa-plugin]   0.3.1-1    greverb-like ladspa plugin
ii  swh-plugins [ladspa-plugin]   0.4.15+1-4 Steve Harris's LADSPA plugins
ii  tap-plugins [ladspa-plugin]   0.7.1-1    Tom's Audio Processing LADSPA plug
ii  vco-plugins [ladspa-plugin]   0.3.0-1    LADSPA plugin sporting anti-aliase

-- no debconf information