*********************************************************************** * * * The Network Audio System (NAS) * * * * An Audio Protocol For Networks * * * *********************************************************************** or open ("/dev/audio")? Just Say No! This directory tree contains sources for the Network Audio System, a network-transparent, client/server audio system, including: o sample server implementations - VOXware (FreeBSD, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SVR4.[02], Unixware 2.x/7.x) - HPUX 10.10.X, 11.x - Microsoft Windows under Cygwin - SunOS 4.1.[23], Solaris 2.x, (Sparc and Intel) - Sun Sparc 1 AM79C30A Digital Subscriber Controller and Sparc 10 Dual Basic Rate ISDN Interface - SGI Indigo (IRIX 5.x) o an application programming interface library o a variety of sample applications The client software can also be used with several models of NCD X terminals as well as NCD's PCXware (an X server for PCs running Microsoft Windows). Key features of the Network Audio System include: o Device-independent audio over the network o Lots of audio file and data formats o Can store sounds in server for rapid replay o Extensive mixing, separating, and manipulation of audio data o Simultaneous use of audio devices by multiple applications o Use by a growing number of ISVs o Small size o Free! No obnoxious licensing terms Please note that the Network Audio System has no relationship to the NetAudio products from Townshend Computer Tools. Look at the file doc/xcon94paper.ps for a paper on the Network Audio System. * * * * * A X11 build environment (make, xmkmf, imake, X11/ headers, etc) is required to compile NAS. * * * * * I. Roadmap Here is a quick guide to where things are in this distribution (relative to the directory nas/): README this file FAQ some common questions HISTORY log of changes BUGS known landmines BUILDNOTES notes on building under various OSs, X releases TODO things we'd like to get around to doing RELEASE release identification doc/ not enough documentation; overview, slides, lib config/ a little bit of imake stuff lib/audio/ API used by sample programs clients/audio/ sample programs server/ server code dia/ device-independent bits dda/sun/ device-dependent audio driver for Sun dda/sgi/ device-dependent audio driver for SGI Indigo dda/voxware/ device-dependent audio driver for VOXware dda/hpux/ device-dependent audio driver for Hpux When built, the server will be in server/nasd, the library in lib/audio/libaudio.a, lib/audio/libaudio.so.*, and the sample applications in clients/audio/aufoo/aufoo. In addition, the separate distribution sounds.tar.Z contains a directory of example sounds: examples/sounds/ various sounds that can be played If you don't have your own sound bites to nibble, grab these. * * * * * II. Building the Release To build the software: 1. Make sure you have imake. (See the BUILDNOTES file if you want to try building with X11R4). 2. Do "xmkmf" to create the initial Makefile. For Unixware 7, use: "imake -DUseInstalled -I/usr/lib/X11/config" 3. Do "make World" (note the uppercase World) to build the distribution. If you'd like to enable the option of having the audio library automatically start up an NAS server on the local host when necessary, use the following command to build the distribution: make WORLDOPTS='-k CDEBUGFLAGS="$(CDEBUGFLAGS) -DSTARTSERVER"' World 4. If everything built successfully, you can install it using "make install"; to temporarily stage it under some directory, use "make install DESTDIR=/usr/tmp/nas" or some such. 5. To install the manual pages, use "make install.man" or "make install.man DESTDIR=/usr/tmp/nas" as above. A complete installation should include the following files: /usr/include/audio/Afuncproto.h Header files /usr/include/audio/Afuncs.h /usr/include/audio/Amd.h /usr/include/audio/Aos.h /usr/include/audio/Aosdefs.h /usr/include/audio/Aproto.h /usr/include/audio/audio.h /usr/include/audio/Alibint.h /usr/include/audio/Alibnet.h /usr/include/audio/Xtutil.h /usr/include/audio/audiolib.h /usr/include/audio/audioutil.h /usr/include/audio/snd.h /usr/include/audio/wave.h /usr/include/audio/voc.h /usr/include/audio/aiff.h /usr/include/audio/sound.h /usr/include/audio/soundlib.h /usr/include/audio/fileutil.h /usr/include/audio/8svx.h /usr/include/audio/Astreams.h /usr/bin/X11/auconvert Sample programs /usr/bin/X11/auctl /usr/bin/X11/audemo /usr/bin/X11/audial /usr/bin/X11/auedit /usr/bin/X11/auinfo /usr/bin/X11/aupanel /usr/bin/X11/auplay /usr/bin/X11/aurecord /usr/bin/X11/autool /usr/bin/X11/auwave /usr/bin/X11/auphone /usr/bin/X11/auscope /usr/bin/X11/soundtoh /usr/bin/X11/issndfile /usr/bin/X11/playbucket /usr/bin/X11/checkmail /usr/man/mann/*.n Client, server, and misc man pages /usr/man/man3/*.3 API man pages /usr/lib/libaudio.[a|so] API library /usr/lib/X11/AuErrorDB Error database /usr/bin/X11/nasd NAS server for your hardware (voxware, sun, hpux and sgi) * * * * * III. Using the Network Audio System Now that you have things built, you can use the Network Audio System as follows (assuming ksh): $ nasd -aa & # -aa allows any host access $ export AUDIOSERVER="`hostname`:0" $ auinfo $ audemo examples/sounds $ ... If you are using it over the network, the shorthand syntax for specifying an audio server is hostname:0. Access control is still a bit primitive.... * * * * * IV. Using the Network Audio System with Sun Deskset The "autool" program can be used as a replacement for audiotool. This allows Sun Deskset applications (e.g. mailtool, etc.) to be used with the Network Audio System. See the autool man page (clients/audio/autool/autool.man) for details on how to configure Deskset. * * * * * V. Games Well, now that you have networked audio, it's time to actually use it for something. XBoing and xpilot are both distributed with Network Audio System support. Check ftp.x.org:/contrib/audio/nas/contrib for other applications that support the Network Audio System. * * * * * VI. Finding Sounds to Play With Users with some versions of SunOS can find a number of audio files to listen to in /usr/demo/SOUND/sounds/. Once the Network Audio System is running, they can be examined using: % audemo /usr/demo/SOUND/sounds A separate tar archive called sounds.tar.Z is available from ftp.x.org. For the true audio packrat, there are a number of anonymous ftp sites that contain archives of thousands of sound bites. The "Sound Site Newsletter" published periodically on comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard, comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc, and rec.games.misc contains a detailed list of machines, bulletin boards, etc. * * * * * VII. For More Information There is mailing list for folks who are working with the Network Audio System: nas@radscan.com General discussion of the Network Audio System majordomo@radscan.com Where to send requests to get on or off the mailing list. The body of the mail should contain a single line stating: subscribe nas The archives for this list can be found at: http://radscan.com/nas/nas-ml/ A web page dedicated to NAS can be found at http://radscan.com/nas.html This site will contain up to date information on NAS, and probably the most recent version (including point release and development versions). http://radscan.com/nas/nas-links.hmtl This page provides a small list of some utilities and software that incorporates or uses NAS. The Network Audio System has benefited greatly from the testing and contributions of many people on the mailing list. We'd like to thank them for their help and encourage everyone to participate in the on-going development process. We hope you enjoy the Network Audio System. There're still a few pieces to be added, but already a significant number of hardware and software vendors are finding that it solves their problems. Besides, you can't beat the price! :-) Jim Fulton, Greg Renda, Dave Lemke Network Computing Devices, Inc. Jon Trulson Me, at home. All the fine people on the NAS mailing list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1995 Network Computing Devices, Inc. Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name Network Computing Devices, Inc. not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of this software without specific, written prior permission. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED `AS-IS'. NETWORK COMPUTING DEVICES, INC., DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL NETWORK COMPUTING DEVICES, INC., BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IN AN ACTION IN CONTRACT, TORT OR NEGLIGENCE, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. Translation: You can do whatever you want with this software! $Id: README,v 1.13 2006/06/03 20:24:03 jon Exp $ $NCDId: @(#)README,v 1.30 1995/11/28 23:24:54 greg Exp $