-Paraslash README
-================
+README
+======
+
+----
Paraslash is an acronym for
- Play, archive, rate and stream large audio sets happily
+_Play, archive, rate and stream large audio sets happily_
It contains the following programs:
-- para_server (obligatory):
-
- 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 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.
-
- It is possible to activate more than one sender simultaneously.
- All senders have the same set of commands that allow to
- control the access permissions of the stream.
-
- 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 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.
-
-- para_recv (optional)
-
- A command line http/dccp/rtp stream grabber.
-
-- para_filter (optional)
-
- 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.
-
- para_filter combines an mp3 decoder an oggvorbis decoder
- 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.
-
-- para_write (obligatory)
-
- 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 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)
-
- 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):
-
- 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):
-
- A (Linux-only) alarm clock and volume-fader.
+-----------
+para_server
+-----------
-- para_dbadm (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql selector):
+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.
- 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).
+It supports three built-in network streaming methods (senders): http, dccp,
+or rtp.
-- para_slider (optional, only useful in conjunction with the mysql selector):
+ * The http sender is recommended for public streams that can be played
+ by any player like mpg123, xmms, itunes, winamp...
- 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.
+ * The dccp sender requires kernel support for the datagram congestion
+ control protocol.
-- bash_completion (optional):
+ * The ortp sender is recommended for multicast LAN streaming.
- A small bash script for inclusion in ~/.bashrc. It gives you
- command line completion for some paraslash commands.
+It is possible to activate more than one sender simultaneously.
-REQUIREMENTS:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-In any case you need
+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.
- - gcc, the gnu compiler collection (shipped with distro): gcc-3.3
- or newer is required.
+Its features include
- - openssl (needed by server, client): usually shipped with
- distro, but you might have to install the "development"
- package as well
+ * attributes. Allow fine-grained audio file selection.
- http://www.openssl.org/
+ * image table. For storing e.g. album cover art.
- - software mixing, e.g. ALSA and the direct mixing plugin (dmix)
+ * lyrics table. For storing lyrics.
-If you want to use the mysql-based audio file selector, you also need
+ * playlist table. Stores arbitrary many playlists for later use.
- - mysql-server
- - mysql-client
- - libmysqlclient
+ * 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>
+>>
-These are usually shipped with the distro but probably not installed
-by default.
+ * rename detection. If files are moved or renamed, afs will
+ recognize them despite of this change.
-The mp3 decoder of para_filter is based on libmad:
+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 160K on i386
+under Linux. para_audiod (see below) is even smaller.
- http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
+-----------
+para_client
+-----------
-If you prefer to use the libmad package provided by your distributor,
-make sure to install the corresponding development package as well.
+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.
-If you want to stream ogg vorbis files you'll need:
+All connections between para_server and para_client are encrypted by
+default. For each user of paraslash you must create a public/secret
+RSA key pair for authentication. The authenticated connection is
+encrypted with a symmetric rc4 session key.
- - libogg, libvorbis, libvorbisfile, and a command line ogg vorbis
- decoder, e.g. para_filter or ogg123.
+---------
+para_recv
+---------
- http://www.xiph.org/downloads/
+A command line http/dccp/ortp stream grabber. The http mode of this
+tool can be used to receive data from any http streaming source.
-Debian packages: libogg-dev libvorbis-dev
+-----------
+para_filter
+-----------
-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).
+A filter program that converts from stdin and writes to stdout.
-If you intend to use the optional ortp streamer:
+para_filter combines several decoders (mp3, oggvorbis, aac) and a
+volume normalizer. New filters can be added easily. It is possible
+to "chain" any number of filters, like UNIX pipes.
- - libortp
+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 and
+volume normalization.
- http://www.linphone.org/ortp/
+----------
+para_write
+----------
+A modular audio stream writer. It supports a simple file writer
+output plug-in and optional wav/raw players for ALSA (Linux) and for
+coreaudio (Mac OS). para_write can also be used as a stand-alone wav
+or raw audio player.
-For the optional SDL-based gui, the following packages must be installed:
+-----------
+para_audiod
+-----------
- - X (usually shipped with distro)
+The local daemon that collects information from para_server.
- http://www.x.org/
+It runs on the client side and connects to para_server. As soon as
+para_server announces the availability of an audio 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.
- - libSDL (usually shipped with distro)
+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.
- http://www.libsdl.org/index.php
+-----------
+para_audioc
+-----------
- - SDL_image
+The client program which talks to para_audiod. Used to control
+para_audiod, to receive status info, or to grab the stream at any
+point in the filter chain.
- http://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_image/
+para_audioc (hence para_audiod) is needed by para_gui see below.
-For para_slider, the zero memory widget library is neccessary. Get it at
+--------
+para_gui
+--------
- http://www710.univ-lyon1.fr/~exco/ZMW/
+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.
-Finally, para_krell needs
+---------
+para_fade
+---------
- - gtk2
+A (Linux-only) alarm clock and volume-fader.
- http://www.gtk.org/
+---------------
+bash_completion
+---------------
- - gkrellm2
+A small bash script for inclusion in ~/.bashrc. It gives you command
+line completion for some paraslash commands.
- http://members.dslextreme.com/users/billw/gkrellm/gkrellm.html
+-------
+LICENSE
+-------
-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.
-LIMITATIONS:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~
-The mysql selector assumes that the basenames of your audio files are
-unique. If this is not the case, don't use this selector, rename your
-files, or create your own one.
+----------
+THE AUTHOR
+----------
-THE AUTHOR:
-~~~~~~~~~~~
-Author: Andre Noll <maan@systemlinux.org>
+Andre Noll <maan@systemlinux.org>
Comments and bug reports are welcome.
projects / paraslash.git / blobdiff