***********************************************************************
* *
* 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 <your_email_address>
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.
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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 150 2006-06-03 20:25:50Z jon $
$NCDId: @(#)README,v 1.30 1995/11/28 23:24:54 greg Exp $
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