Features
========
-configurable audio streaming software:
---------------------------------------
-
-para_server streams binary audio data (mp3/ogg/m4a files) over local
-and/or remote networks. It supports three builtin streaming methods
-(senders): http, dccp, or rtp.
-
-para_audiod runs on the client side and connects to para_server. The
-audio stream is read from the network and sent through any of
-paraslash's filters (decoder, volume normalizer,...). The resulting
-stream is written to an external program's standard in, usually an
-audio player like para_write, which comes with paraslash and contains
-an alsa player. It is possible to capture the stream at any position
-in the filter chain.
-
-The receiving/filtering/playing software is also available as
-standalone command line tool: para_recv, para_filter, and para_write.
-
-configurable audio file selectors:
-----------------------------------
-
-There are three audio file selectors available: random, playlist
-and mysql
-
-The first two of these are rather simple, and they are always
-supported. They allow streaming of randomly selected files or files
-given by a playlist respectively.
-
-The (optional) mysql selector is more involved. It manages
-statistics on your audio files, and audio file selection works by
-sending a user-defined sql-query to the mysql server. This allows
-rather sophisticated configurations and is explained in detail in
-README.mysql.
-
-It is possible to switch between all supported selectors at any time.
-
-small memory footprint:
------------------------
-
-paraslash is lightweight. The stripped binary of para_server with
-all its features compiled in (mysql/random/playlist selector,
-mp3/ogg/aac support, http/dccp/ortp support) is about 120K on i386
-under Linux. para_audiod is even smaller.
-
-command line interface:
------------------------
-
-paraslash commands are sent to para_server and the response is
-dumped to stdout. This can be used by any scripting language
-to produce user interfaces with little programming effort.
-
-authentication/encryption via openssl:
---------------------------------------
-
-All connections between para_server and para_client are encrypted by
-default. For each user of paraslash you must create a public/secret
-key pair for authentication. The (authenticated) connection is crypted
-with a symmetric rc4 session key.
-
-various user interfaces and utilities:
---------------------------------------
-
-* para_gui. Curses based interface, displays information in a
-curses window and can be used to easily control para_server
-and para_audiod.
-
-* para_sdl_gui. Shows pictures (on a per song basis) and
-other information about the current audio file. Can be used
-as a screen saver.
-
-* para_krell. A gkrellm2 plugin that shows small pics and is
-able to launch 27 different commands by clicking on the image.
-
-* para_slider. User-friendly stream creator for people who
-don't like their keyboard.
-
-* para_dbadm. Simple curses interface for changing attributes.
-
-* para_fade. Simple volume fader and alarm clock.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ * Runs on Linux, Mac OS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris and probably other
+ Unixes
+ * Mp3, ogg/vorbis, ogg/speex, aac (m4a), wma and flac support
+ * Native Alsa, OSS, CoreAudio output support
+ * Support for ESD, Pulseaudio, AIX, Solaris, IRIX through libao
+ * Local or remote http, dccp and udp network audio streaming
+ * IPv6 support
+ * Forward error correction allows receivers to recover from packet losses
+ * Volume normalizer
+ * Stream grabbing at any point in the filter chain
+ * Stand-alone command line receiver/decoder/normalizer/player
+ * Stand-alone audio format handler utility
+ * Sophisticated audio file selector
+ * Small memory footprint
+ * Command line interface for easy scripting in high-level languages
+ * Interactive sessions offer command completion and command line history
+ * RSA user authentication
+ * Encrypted communications
+ * GPL licensed
+ * Written in C
+ * Well documented
+ * Complete API-Reference
+ * Easily extendible due to its modular design
+ * Curses-based gui
+ * Volume fader and alarm clock