The other half of the audio-substrate decision (spikes S2+S3 green, minted
endpoints landed in the previous commit): stop bundling a third-party
kernel driver the host no longer needs.
installer the VB-CABLE task, payload, silent-install run and the
donationware notice are gone; a suppressible notice tells
a Steam-less box that audio needs Steam INSTALLED (never
running) and that installing it later just works. A cable
from an older install is still deliberately not removed.
packer + CI -VbCableDir/VBCABLE_DIR, the staged-payload check and the
runner provisioning download are gone; SBOM drops the
redistributed-driver component.
winget the VB-Audio bundling-grant agreement becomes the honest
Steam requirement (surfaced on the unattended path where
no wizard is on screen).
docs windows-host/uninstall/security/echo say what actually
ships: no kernel-mode driver of our own, endpoints minted
from Valve's vendor-signed drivers, VB-CABLE mentioned
only as the historical fallback that keeps working.
host wording the mic-open guidance and module headers lead with Steam;
the NAME ladder itself is untouched — demoting 'cable
input' was considered and rejected (on a box where minting
transiently fails, the SSM would outrank an installed
cable, steal the silent sink, and make audio host-audible).
enricobuehler
4a621de6b1