Is there a way to (automatically) prevent starting a phone call on Librem 5 when the microphone kill-switch is off? Such feature in the Calls app would be handy. It is very awkward to call someone and then realize that the microphone is still off.
On the contrary, it is convenient to answer a call from unfamiliar number without turning the microphone on to have a few seconds to determine whether it is a robocall and hang up if it is the case.
Sounds like Calls needs a ticket for “Feature request: Warning when microphone is not detected when calling” or some such. You won’t get that form here.
Probably, but where should the ticket be created? There is the upstream repository and the Purism’s packaging repository.
In the upstream repository. This isn’t a packaging issue.
I think this general suggestion has been made in this forum before e.g. a much clearer warning on any screen that can dial a call if the mic is off.
About the best that you may be able to achieve easily is to wrap the Calls app so that you can’t even start the Calls app if the mic is off.
Be aware though that a call is viable as long as there is any sound source, and with people potentially using wired headsets and/or Bluetooth headsets, such a change in full generality is both more difficult and less appropriate. This would be another reason for you just to hack something up on your own phone.
Wired headsets are also disabled by the kill-switch, if I remember correctly. Bluetooth headsets or something even more unexpected are possible, yes.
Probably, to warn a user before actually starting a call if kill-switch is off and there is no other sound source would still be universal enough.