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:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- o para_gui. Curses based interface, displays information in a
- curses window and can be used to easily control para_server
- and para_audiod.
-
- o 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.
-
- o para_krell. A gkrellm2 plugin that shows small pics and is
- able to launch 27 different commands by clicking on the image.
-
- o para_slider. User-friendly stream creator for people who
- don't like their keyboard.
-
- o para_dbadm. Simple curses interface for changing attributes.
-
- o para_fade. Simple volume fader and alarm clock.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ * Linux and Mac OS support
+ * mp3, oggvorbis, aac(m4a) support
+ * local or remote http, dccp, and ortp network audio streaming
+ * volume normalizer
+ * stream grabbing at any point in the filter chain
+ * stand-alone command line receiver/decoder/normalizer/player
+ * sophisticated audio file selectors (mysql, random, playlist)
+ * small memory footprint
+ * command line interface for easy scripting in high-level languages
+ * RSA user authentication
+ * encrypted communications
+ * GPL licensed
+ * written in C
+ * well documented
+ * complete API-Reference
+ * easily extendable due to the modular design
+ * various user interfaces and utilities:
+ * para_gui. Curses based interface to easily control server and
+ client
+ * para_sdl_gui. Shows images on a per song basis and can be used
+ as a screen saver.
+ * para_krell. A gkrellm2 plugin
+ * para_slider. User-friendly stream creator
+ * para_dbadm. Simple curses interface for changing attributes.
+ * para_fade. volume fader and alarm clock.