It contains the following programs:
------------------------
-para_server (obligatory)
------------------------
+-----------
+para_server
+-----------
-This server supports audio streaming of mp3, ogg vorbis and aac files.
-It listens on a tcp port and accepts commands such as play, stop,
-pause, next from authenticated clients.
+para_server streams binary audio data (mp3/oggvorbis/m4a files)
+over local and/or remote networks. It listens on a tcp port and
+accepts commands such as play, stop, pause, next from authenticated
+clients. However, there are many more commands.
-The audio stream may be sent over the network by three different
-senders:
+It supports three builtin network streaming methods (senders): http, dccp,
+or rtp.
-The http sender is recommended for public streams that can be played
-by any player like mpg123, xmms, winamp...
+ * The http sender is recommended for public streams that can be played
+ by any player like mpg123, xmms, itunes, winamp...
-The dccp sender is experimental and requires kernel support for the
-rather new datagram congestion control protocol.
+ * The dccp sender 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.
+ * The ortp sender is recommended for multicast LAN streaming.
It is possible to activate more than one sender simultaneously.
-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 built-in audio file selector of paraslash is used to manage your
+audio files. It maintains statistics on the usage of all available audio
+files such as last played time, and the number of times each file was
+selected.
-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.
+Its features include
-------------------------
-para_client (obligatory)
------------------------
+ * attributes. Allow fine-grained audio file selection.
-The client program to connect to para_server.
+ * image table. For storage of e.g. album cover art.
--------------------
-para_recv (optional)
--------------------
+ * lyrics table. For storage of lyrics.
-A command line http/dccp/rtp stream grabber.
+ * playlist table. Stores arbitrary many playlists.
----------------------
-para_filter (optional)
----------------------
+ * mood mode. Audio file selection works by specifying mood
+ methods involving attributes, pattern matching for file names
+ and more. This allows rather sophisticated configurations
+ and is explained in more detail in
+<<
+<a href="README.afs.html"> README.afs </a>
+>>
-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.
+ * rename detection. If files are moved or renamed, afs will
+ recognize them despite of this change.
+
+Despite of all these features, paraslash is lightweight. The
+stripped binary of para_server with all its features compiled in
+mp3/ogg/aac support, http/dccp/ortp support) is about 150K on i386
+under Linux. para_audiod (see below) is even smaller.
+
+-----------
+para_client
+-----------
+
+The client program to connect to para_server. 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.
+
+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 encrypted
+with a symmetric rc4 session key.
+
+---------
+para_recv
+---------
+
+A command line http/dccp/rtp stream grabber. The http mode of this tool
+can be used to receive data from any http streaming source.
+
+-----------
+para_filter
+-----------
+
+A filter program that converts from stdin and writes to stdout.
para_filter combines several decoders (mp3, oggvorbis, aac) and a
-volume normalzer. New filters can be added easily due to the modular
-design. If more than one filter is specified, the given filters
-are 'piped' together in-memory, i.e. without calling any of the
-read(2)/write(2)/select(2) etc. functions.
+volume normalizer. New filters can be added easily. It is possible
+to "chain" any number of filters, like unix pipes.
+
+para_filter does not depend on other parts of paraslash, so it can
+be used as a stand-alone command line tool for audio decoding.
-----------------------
-para_write (obligatory)
-----------------------
+----------
+para_write
+----------
+
+A modular audio stream writer. It supports a simple file writer
+output plug-in and optional wav/raw players for alsa (linux-only,
+Debian package: libasound2-dev) and Mac OS. para_write can also be
+used as a stand-alone wav or raw audio player.
-A modular audio stream writer. It supports a simple file writer output plugin
-and optional wav/raw players for alsa (linux-only, Debian package:
-libasound2-dev) and Mac OS.
+-----------
+para_audiod
+-----------
----------------------------------------
-para_audiod (optional, but recommended)
----------------------------------------
+The local daemon that collects information from para_server.
-The local daemon that collects information from para_server. It
-starts an appropriate receiver, filter and player as soon as
+It runs on the client side and connects to para_server. 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.
+stream, para_audiod starts an appropriate receiver, any number of
+filters and a paraslash writer to play the stream. It is possible to
+capture the stream at any position in the filter chain.
---------------------------------------
-para_audioc (optional, but recommended)
---------------------------------------
+Moreover, para_audiod listens on a local socket and sends status
+information about para_server and para_audiod to local clients on
+request. Access via this local socket may be restricted by using Unix
+socket credentials, if available.
+
+-----------
+para_audioc
+-----------
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_audioc (hence para_audiod) is needed by para_gui see below.
--------------------
-para_gui (optional)
--------------------
+--------
+para_gui
+--------
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.
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-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 by clicking in different
-areas of its picture (9 small squares x 3 mouse buttons).
-
---------------------
-para_fade (optional)
---------------------
+---------
+para_fade
+---------
A (Linux-only) alarm clock and volume-fader.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-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 selector)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-A small X application which shows a scrollbar for each attribute
-defined in the mysql database. It creates a stream definition from
-the values of the scrollbars. This allows to smoothly change the mood
-of the given stream without any file editing.
-
---------------------------
-bash_completion (optional)
---------------------------
+---------------
+bash_completion
+---------------
A small bash script for inclusion in ~/.bashrc. It gives you command
line completion for some paraslash commands.
-------------
-Requirements
-------------
-
-In any case you need
-
- - 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"
- package as well: http://www.openssl.org/
- - software mixing, e.g. ALSA and the direct mixing plugin (dmix)
-
-If you want to use the mysql-based audio file selector, you also need
-
- - mysql-server
- - mysql-client
- - libmysqlclient
-
-These are usually shipped with the distro but probably not installed
-by default.
-
-The mp3 decoder of para_filter is based on libmad: If you prefer to
-use the libmad package provided by your distributor, make sure to
-install the corresponding development package as well. Otherwise,
-just download libmad from http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
-
-For ogg vorbis streams you'll need libogg, libvorbis, libvorbisfile,
-and a command line ogg vorbis decoder, e.g. para_filter or ogg123.
-The corresponding Debian packages are called libogg-dev libvorbis-dev,
-other distributors chose similar names. All of these are also
-available at http://www.xiph.org/downloads/
-
-For aac files (m4a) you'll need libfaad. Get it at
-http://www.audiocoding.com/modules/wiki/?page=AAC
-
-If you intend to use the optional ortp streamer, you'll need libortp:
-http://www.linphone.org/ortp/
-
-For the optional SDL-based gui, the following packages must be installed:
-
- - X (usually shipped with distro): http://www.x.org/
- - libSDL (usually shipped with distro): http://www.libsdl.org/index.php
- - SDL_image: http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_image/
-
-For para_slider, the zero memory widget library is neccessary:
-http://www710.univ-lyon1.fr/~exco/ZMW/
-
-Finally, para_krell needs
-
- - gtk2: http://www.gtk.org/
- - gkrellm2: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/billw/gkrellm/gkrellm.html
-
-------
LICENSE
-------
-Distribution of paraslash is covered by the GNU GPL. See file COPYING.
+Distribution of paraslash is covered by the GNU GPL, version 2. See file
+COPYING.
----------
THE AUTHOR
projects / paraslash.git / blobdiff