Icecast Streaming Media Server

[mkido]

Hi! Everyone,

I finally get started here. Thank everyone. Now, I loaded IceCast 2.3.1 on a Fedora Core 4 server, I mean I went through icecast-2.3.1-0.src.rpm downloading, ./configure, make, then make install, all steps were done after a few struggles. The installation was completed successfully. I saw icecast application at,
/usr/local/bin/icecast
AND icecast.xml at
/usr/local/etc/icecast.xml

I checked on the IceCast's base directory,
/usr/local/share/icecast/
and I saw all were there, and only LogDir wasn't there, so I created a logdir as suggested.

/usr/local/var/log/icecast/ -- was created.

It was the time to do the first run of IceCast 2.3.1, so I dared to jump in it without editing configuration file icecast.xml. I did it by a Terminal command line below,

$ icecast -c /usr/local/etc/icecast.xml [ENTER]

I didn't see any big annoucement or error report, but when I looked at the error.log report, I saw icecast got started.

Up to this step, I set up on a Laptop at my regular office with DHCP connection. Before further configuration and experiment, I brought the Linux server to the my business Web Server collocation place, an ISP office, and connected it under the static IP, 64.214.83.249.

It is running now as a Web Server with IceCast 2.3.1 loaded inside. I only edited one line in the icecast.xml that is,
<hostname>64.214.83.249</hostname>.

And I run it again, this time remotely by Telnet Putty.
$ icecast -c /usr/local/etc/icecast.xml [ENTER]

I want to attach the log picture here, so that you may see the action of IceCast. Finally, here is my question. What is the next configuraion step should I take? I haven't edited any, neither <authentication> nor <mount>. I wish to place .mp3 and .m3u file in the same Linux server, may I? Thank you. Help a newbie, please.

[img]http://www.tunefind.org/htm/temporary_2/2010-01-23.icecast_initial_log.jpg[/img]

Thanks.

[epe]

my first suggestion: Fedora-4 is EOL long time ago.

Try installing Fedora-12, then:

[mkido]

Yah, you are right.
Fedora Core 4 is a little old version.


But is a strange habit I must confess, I always buy a second hand Laptop PC, which is a few to several years old at good economy price (~ $ 100 or $ 200).

To work best with the second hand PCs, I have also the habit of loading a couple to several years old Operating System, whichever plaform goes, PC, MAC, and LINUX. That is why it is Fedora Core 4.

Well, I understand your suggestion, and I should challenge Linux Fedora Core 10 to Fedora Core 12 soon (in my office currently is running Fedora Core 7 at most). Meanwhile, may I just go ahead with current Fedora Core 4? Because, as far as the loaded IceCast is goes, the version 2.3.1 which I loaded (compiled) is only one version older than current 2.3.2. I would say, it is still very good one, isn't it?


May I continue further discussion of IceCast configuration? Because IceCast loading has been done already. Or if you strongly suggest me to upgrade Fedora Core 12, for further application environment setup or else, please tell me about it. So that I may swtich on to Fedora Core 12 to manage to get an extra PC.

Thanks.

[mkido]

Hi! Everyone at IceCast.

Let me just go ahead, setting aside upgrade issue of FC4 to FC12. Could someone explain two terms in icecast.xml configuration file. <relay> and <mount>. When I am trying to do MP3 stream cast from ONE server, I mean both IceCast 2.3.1 program and MP3 source file, and M3U a pointer file, ALL are in the same server computer, then can I ignore <relay>? Is <relay> is to deal with multiple servers, or when source client MP3 is at another server computer? Do I understand correctly?

One more brand newbie's question. What are <mount> and "mountpoint"? If all three (IceCast program, MP3, M3U) are in the same computer, the <mount> and "mounpoint" is just the locations of directory to designate source client, M3U and MP3? Do I understand correctly? Thank you for your newbiew help !

[karlH]

relay is to tell icecast to relay an existing stream located on the specified server. you only have 2 ways to get streams into icecast, with a source client or via relaying.

A mountpoint is a unique reference to one of the streams that is active on icecast. The <mount> tags impose limits or setting suitable for that stream eg maximum listener count. A mountpoint does not refer to a file system object like a directory, but it can refer to a file like the status.xsl page.

karl.

[mkido]

Wow, thank Karl!

Wonderful to get your help! Thanks. And very professional answers. I feel like reading C textbook of BW Kernighan and Dennis Richie's. I need to gradually digest (understand) all of these professional sentences (paragraphs).


Now, IceCast has only two ways to get stream, source client OR relaying existing stream, Karl said. My case is likely Souce Client case, do I understand correctly? Because I do not intend to be an Online radio broadcaster, but I would like to do static MP3 file into stream on Web surfer's demand. Then, do I ignore <relay> at this time? Sorry, a newbie doesn't know anything.

[karlH]

If you have a series of audio files you want to stream then yes, you'll be using a source client for that and therefore no relay. That application will crate the stream and send it to icecast (whether they are on the same machine or not is up to you).

Don't forget you can have any number of streams on icecast, each of which can be a relays or source client. In your case you may want a high bitrate stream and a low bitrate stream.

karl.

[mkido]

Thank you, Karl again and again,

Now,
>> That application will crate the stream and send it to icecast <<

In the middle of this sentence, there is "crate". You mean this isn't the typo of "create". Really "crate", a dictionary said, (noun) a packing case made of wooden slats, (verb) to pack into a crate. You meant this, didn't you? Now let me go ahead. Who will crate the stream and send out to IceCast? Do I need something else? Or just Apache server hpppd and Web browser's / local Windows Media Player interaction can prompt to crate the stream from static MP3 (with M3U) automatically in Fedora Core?

If a certain application program is required to crate the stream and send it to IseCast, please suggest the name of program. Thanks, always.

[mkido]

The same question in another word.

What is the popular name of source client? It appears that the source client does the encoding of a MP3 file into a stream. Where is the source client? Does it come with IceCast 2.3.1, or come with Fedora Core, or else another? If is it absolutely another application progam? If so, then how to and from where I can get it? Thank you, thank you....

[mkido]

IceCast2 glossary:

I found a little more info about Source Client.

>> A source client is an external program which is responsible for sending content data to icecast. Some source clients that support icecast2 are Oddcast, ices2, ices0.3, and DarkIce. <<

May I download these external progam Oddcast, OR, ices2, OR, ices0.3 OR DarkIce somewhere? One moment I will look them for.

[mkido]

Among the these four [ Oddcast, ices2, ices0.3, DarkIce ], I found [ Ices2 ] immediately at [www.icecast.org] -> DOWNLOAD page. So, I tried Ices2. I feel this is the Source Client to make a stream from the data. Do I understand correctly?


While I was trying to compile Ices2, I got an error during ./configuration. The error said I must install "libshout" at first. Then I did the "libshout" installation at first, and came back to Ices2 installation, namely I was redoing the [./configuration]. I still got the same error. Tomorrow, I will check all around carefully, and will come back this forum again. Meanwhile, any suggestion or advices about Ices2 compilation from the source codes is very welcome. Hope tomorrow, again.

[karlH]

The usual issue that a lack of libshout is that some people forget that most distributions package runtime and development packages, they install the runtime and forget that they are building from source which requires the development package. This is mentioned in the documentation.

karl.

[mkido]

Hi! Everyone at IceCast community,

Now, I clearly understand that IceCast 2.3.1-0 isn't enough to run stream audio. I need a souce client software which encodes MP3 or aother live sounds into a stream. Once they are converted into a proper stream, then I can feed the stream into IceCast 2.3.1-0.

Based on this understanding I looked for a Source Client software since yesterday. I found the following information in [www.icecast.org], that is,


ices2 (version 2.0) => source client for broadcasting in Ogg Vorbis format to an icecast2 server.

ices0 (version 0.4) => source client for broadcasting in MP3 format to an icecast2 server

So, I should go for "ices0 (version 0.4)" because my case is MP3 in my mind. I tried a wrong RPM yesterday, and I will try "ices-0.4.tar.gz" tomorrow. Talk to you later, everyone.

[url]http://www.icecast.org/ices.php[/url]

[mkido]

Hi! Everyone at IceCast!

The topic moved from IceCast-2.3.1 (Stream Casting Controller) to Ices-0.4 (Audio Stream encoder). So, I will continue to a new posting regarding Ices-0.4 installation help at the Source Client section as of Ices-0.4 under the almost same title. Thank you for your continuous support. Talk to you later. Bye now.

[jcr]

Ices 0.4 is also a bit outdated and unmaintained
I had to make numerouscahnges in sources to have it compile and run under Fedora 12..
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