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 output
-plugin (writer), e.g. the alsa writer on linux systems. 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 tools: 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.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ * Linux and Mac OS support
+ * mp3, oggvorbis, aac(m4a) support
+ * local or remote http, dccp, and ortp network streaming
+ * volume normalizer
+ * stream grabbing at any point in the filter chain
+ * stand-alone command line receiver/decorer/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.
para_server (obligatory)
-----------------------
-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/ogg/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.
+
+It supports three builtin streaming methods (senders): http, dccp,
+or rtp.
The audio stream may be sent over the network by three different
senders:
-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 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.
+ * 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.
-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.
+para_server needs an audio file selector to work, mainly to determine
+which audio file to stream next. The following three selectors are
+built in:
+
+ * The random selector chooses audio files out of a given directory
+ by random
+
+ * The playlist selector chooses files from a specified playlist
+
+ * The (optional) mysql selector is more involved. It connects
+ to a mysql server which holds information on your audio files
+ and maintains statistics on the available audio files. 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.
-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.
+It is possible to switch between all supported selectors at any time.
+
+Despite of all these features, 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 (see below)
+is even smaller.
------------------------
para_client (obligatory)
-----------------------
-The client program to connect to para_server.
+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 crypted
+with a symmetric rc4 session key.
-------------------
para_recv (optional)
-------------------
-A command line http/dccp/rtp stream grabber.
+A command line http/dccp/rtp stream grabber. The http mode of this tool
+can be used to receive date from any http streaming source.
---------------------
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.
+A filter program that converts from stdin and writes to stdout. It
+is completely independent from the rest of paraslash, so it might be
+useful also for different purposes.
para_filter combines several decoders (mp3, oggvorbis, aac) and a
volume normalzer. New filters can be added easily due to the modular
para_write (obligatory)
----------------------
-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.
+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_write can also be
+used as a stand-alone wav or raw audio player.
---------------------------------------
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.
+The local daemon that collects information from para_server.
+
+It 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 output plugin (writer), e.g. the alsa writer on linux
+systems. It is possible to capture the stream at any position in the
+filter chain.
+
+para_audiod starts an appropriate receiver, filter and player as soon as
+para_server announces the availability (and the type) of an audio stream.
+Moreover, it 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)
projects / paraslash.git / commitdiff