Icecast Streaming Media Server

[scrmod]

Hallo @all,
i'm a little irritated:
We're running icecast 2.3.2 without any KH's. Works fine and our station is listed in the stream directory if i'm searching for it via search-field / command. I can tune in and music comes up very soon.
(http://dir.xiph.org/index.php -->SEARCH)

Looking for our station via yp.xml or ml_icecastlist.dll (plugin in Winamp and BASS 2.4) our station sometimes is not listed for several days although it is shown if using the obove method.
I haven't got any idea why.

Thanks for reply.
scrmod

[karlH]

I've asked balbinus to look into it.

karl.

[scrmod]

Thanks for your efforts Karl.

Additional remark: We're serving listeners from countries as Ukraine Russia... Mainly these listeners are using the Bass2.4 lib with the icecastlist.dll plugin to find their stations.

[scrmod]

Suppose balbinus has quit his job or emigrated to somewhere ......

[karlH]

I haven't heard back from him yet, he may be away at the moment or busy. Make sure you have the error log showing the updates occurring and you can email him. I can see the yp.xml updating but I obviously don't know which streams are yours.

karl.

[scrmod]

Here my idea:
albinus is working with duplicate stream directories.
The 1st one is the original containing all current streams, processed eg. by the "search-cmd" and icecast-servers.
The 2nd one is a dup directory accessed by ml_icecastlist.dll, yp.xml and similar procedures.
But the 2nd directory is updated irregular.
If not broadcasting 24/7 or changing their ip-address, stations possibly are not listed in the dup for several hours or even days.
On some days the duplicate directory is not updated 24 hours or more (happened last weekend).
So all listeners using the mechanism of eg. Winamp or Bass/2.4 probably won't find their stations.
And those stations will loose listeners.

[jorgosch]

Here's my idea:
dir.xiph.org works with a fixed number of pages per filter. Stations that don't have enough listeners fall off the last page. Maybe that's the case with you?

[scrmod]

Thanks jorgosch, but i don't think so. Some reasons:
1. the amount of streams often differs between "http://dir.xiph.org/index.php" and "icecaslist.dll (Winamp)".
2. in "http://dir.xiph.org/index.php" the CURRENT names of the artists/songs of all stations are shown while these names in yp.xml / icecastlist.dll don't vary for eg. hours or even days.
3. some stations listed via icecastlist.dll or yp.xml have already left dir.xiph.org hours ago.
4: After starting our stream it takes only a few minutes until it's listed in http://dir.xiph.org/index.php (search function).And you can connect to it.
But it often takes several hours until it's listed via ml_icecastlist.dll in Winamp and Bass/2.4 or xp.xml.

[scrmod]

The problem is still remaining.......

[karlH]

does icecaslist.dll request the yp.xml, it's not something I've used. If the stream is not showing then I can have a look but I would need some specific streams to check. It may be a limit within the dll.

karl.

[scrmod]

Hi Karl,
thanks for picking up my tiny problem again.

I'll try to give a full explanation:

the ml_icecastlist is a plugin for Winamp (--> http://www.oddsock.org/tools/ ---- "Icecast Stream Directory Winamp Media Library Plugin ")
If installed press Winamp-MB-button. On the lower left of the appearing window you will find "Icecast Stream Directory".
Now you may list the entire directory or type in a full or part qualified station name. The results will be listed in the window.
This results are always the same as they are shown by using yp.xml.

This plugin is used by BASS/2.4, too. Explanation: Bass2.4 is a module you may link to your C++, VisualBasic or Delphi-Programs to process
your soundcard. This module allows you to implement the ml_icecastlist. See "Un4seen Developments Ltd." www.un4seen.com.

Both methods (Winamp-plugin and Bass2.4) are used by quite a lot of listenes to find their stations, especially if the stations are not
broadcasting 24/7. Remark: the listeners of eastern europe are mainly using Bass2.4-programs.

As mentioned the results of yp.xml and ml_icecastlist are identical. But they often differ from results of the search-function of
http://dir.xiph.org.
That means:
1: the station is broadcasting and listed in http://dir.xiph.org, but often not listed in winamp, yp.xml or bass2.4 for days or even weeks (happens
to our stations within the past 4 weeks). In Winamp, yp.xml and Bass the results have been the same for a 4 weeks period (same stations with same songnames).

2. and in Winamp , yp.xml and Bass stations are listed allthough they had quit hours, days or weeks ago. They are not listed in http://dir.xiph.org anymore
after they had quit..

No errors are reported in the log files of icecast.-

So we stopped broadcasting via Icecast. But we WANT TO USE ICECAST.

We will restart broadcasting on Tue, Nov. 2, 4 pm (GMT+1). to find the errors.
Our station name is "BalticSea Radio".

[karlH]

I did spot a php memory limit being reached causing a yp.xml generation problem. I've fixed that and so far it seems to be working as it should.

karl.

[scrmod]

Wow Karl, tried it and it seems to work fine.
Thank you for your efforts.

greets from Kiel