- para_server (obligatory):
- This server listens on a specified tcp port and accepts the
- usual commands such as play, stop, pause, next. However, there
- are many more commands.
+ This server listens on a tcp port and accepts commands such as
+ play, stop, pause, next from authenticated clients.
- For audio streaming, at least one sender must be activated.
- At the moment, paraslash contains two internal senders:
+ For audio streaming, at least one of the three supported senders
+ of para_server must be activated:
The http sender is recommended for public streams that can
be played by any player like mpg123, xmms, winamp...
+ The dccp sender is experimental and requires kernel support
+ for the rather new datagram congestion control protocol.
+
The ortp sender is recommended for LAN streaming and for
private streams that require authentication.
All senders have the same set of commands that allow to
control the access permissions of the stream.
- para_server needs a database tool to work, mainly to determine
- which song to stream next. There are two database tools
- available: mysql and random. The former is recommended as
- the random database tool is only meant as a fallback and
- as a starting point for people that want to write their own
- database tool for paraslash.
+ para_server needs an "audio file selector" to work, mainly
+ to determine which song to stream next. There are three
+ selectors available: random, playlist and mysql. The former
+ chooses audio files randomly and playlist can handle, well,
+ playlists. Both are always supported.
- The mysql database tool connects to a mysql server which
+ The optional mysql selector connects to a mysql server which
holds information on your audio files. It has several unusual
features, see README.mysql for details.
- para_client (obligatory):
- The client program to connect to para_server.
+ The client program to connect to para_server.
- para_recv (optional)
- A command line http/ortp stream grabber.
+ A command line http/dccp/rtp stream grabber.
- para_filter (optional)
- An filter program that converts from stdin and writes to
+ A filter program that converts from stdin and writes to
stdout. This one is independent from the rest of paraslash,
so it might be useful also for different purposes.
the given filters are 'piped' together in-memory, i.e. without
calling any of the read(2)/write(2)/select(2) etc. functions.
-- para_play (optional)
+- para_write (obligatory)
- A small wav/raw player for alsa.
+ A modular audio stream writer. It supports a simple file
+ writer output plugin and an optional wav/raw player for alsa.
+ Debian package: libasound2-dev
- para_audiod (optional, but recommended):
- The local daemon that starts playback and collects information
- from para_server to be forwarded to local clients.
-
- para_audiod reads the audio stream from the network if
- para_server indicates that there is a stream available. It may
- be sent through any of the supported filters (see para_filter
- above) before the result is fed to the output software
- (default: para_play) which must be capable of reading from
- stdin, but is not restricted otherwise.
+ The local daemon that collects information from para_server. It
+ starts an appropriate receiver, filter and player as soon
+ as para_server announces the availability (and the type) of
+ an audio stream. para_audiod listens on a local socket and
+ sends status information about para_server and para_audiod
+ to local clients on request.
- para_audioc (optional, but recommended)
- A small client that can talk to para_audiod. Used to control
- para_audiod and to receive status info. It can also be used to
- grab the stream at any point in the filter chain. para_audioc
- is needed by para_gui, para_sdl_gui and para_krell, see below.
+ The client program which talks with para_audiod. Used to
+ control para_audiod, to receive status info, or to grab the
+ stream at any point in the filter chain.
+
+ para_audioc (hence para_audiod) is needed by para_gui,
+ para_sdl_gui and para_krell, see below.
-- para_gui (optional, but recommended):
+- para_gui (optional):
- Themable ncurses-based gui. It calls para_audioc and presents
- the obtained information in an ncurses window. para_gui
- provides key-bindings for the most common commands and new
- key-bindings can be added easily.
+ Themable ncurses-based gui. It calls para_audioc and presents
+ the obtained information in an ncurses window. para_gui
+ provides key-bindings for the most common commands and new
+ key-bindings can be added easily.
- para_sdl_gui (optional):
- SDL-based gui. Similar to para_gui but presents its output in
- an X window (fullscreen mode is also available) and can display
- jpg images on a per song basis. para_sdl_gui provides an input
- prompt to enter arbitrary commands. However, it can also be used
- non-interactively (e.g. as a screen saver) via the -i switch.
+ SDL-based gui. Similar to para_gui but presents its output
+ in an X window (fullscreen mode is also available) and can
+ display jpg images on a per song basis. para_sdl_gui provides
+ an input prompt to enter arbitrary commands. However, it
+ can also be used non-interactively (e.g. as a screen saver)
+ via the -i switch.
-- para_krell (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql dbtool):
+- para_krell (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql selector):
A plugin for gkrellm which shows small pictures of the
current song. It allows you to launch 27 different commands
A (Linux-only) alarm clock and volume-fader.
-- para_dbadm (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql dbtool):
+- para_dbadm (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql selector):
Very simple curses-based frontend which uses libmenu. Useful
for quickly changing the attributes of the current song
(e.g. from para_gui as an external command).
-- para_slider (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql dbtool):
+- para_slider (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql selector):
A small X application which shows a scrollbar for each
attribute defined in the mysql database. It creates a stream
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In any case you need
- - gcc, the gnu compiler collection (shipped with distro): gcc-3
- or newer is prefered, but gcc-2.95 is still supported. Note
- that gcc-2.95 may spit out many warnings like unused function
- parameters and missing initializers. These are all harmless
- and may be ignored.
+ - gcc, the gnu compiler collection (shipped with distro): gcc-3.3
+ or newer is required.
- openssl (needed by server, client): usually shipped with
distro, but you might have to install the "development"
- software mixing, e.g. ALSA and the direct mixing plugin (dmix)
-If you want to use the mysql-based dbtool (recommended), you also need
+If you want to use the mysql-based audio file selector, you also need
- mysql-server
- mysql-client
If you want to stream ogg vorbis files you'll need:
- libogg, libvorbis, libvorbisfile, and a command line ogg vorbis
- player, e.g. para_filter or ogg123.
+ decoder, e.g. para_filter or ogg123.
http://www.xiph.org/downloads/
+Debian packages: libogg-dev libvorbis-dev
+
Note that para_audiod still works even if neither mp3 nor ogg support
was compiled in. You'll have to use the --no_default_filters option
in this case (and e.g. "mpg123 -" as the stream write command).
~~~~~~~~
Distribution of paraslash is covered by the GNU GPL. See file COPYING.
-LIMITATIONS:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~
-The mysql database tool assumes that the basenames of your audio files
-are unique. If this is not the case, don't use this database tool,
-rename your files, or create your own database tool.
-
THE AUTHOR:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Author: Andre Noll <maan@systemlinux.org>