Icecast Streaming Media Server

[mkido]

Hi! IceCast Streamers, how are you today?


A newbie is moving on Configuration files, this time <mount>. I repeat the same environmental setting from a previous post for readers of Forum.

I installed one version of ices-0.4 for MP3, and an official icecast-2.3.1-4 on Fedora Core 7 Linux, and I made initial tests.

I tested ices-0.4 by user level "mkido" at /home/mkido/, and it responds.

I tested icecast-2.3.1-4 by root user "root", and it responds.


Now, while I am working on <mount> configuration.


The "icecast.xml" states that "Only define a <mount> section if you want to use advanced options". Do I need to go for advanced options?

Then "ices.conf" file has <Mountpoint>/ices</Mountpoint>.

<!-- The name of the mountpoint on the icecast server -->
<Mountpoint>/ices</Mountpoint>


Because Centova version ices-0.4 is running (I explained about it a few days ago, mkido posting in Source Client), ices (executable file) locates at,

/usr/local/ices/bin/

I believe this is not the standard location. Therefore, I am more careful about <mount> setting. Should I set the <Mountpoint>? Thank you for your help.


mkido



Here the directory, /usr/local/ices/, looks like below.

[root@biwa ~]# cd /usr/local/ices/
[root@biwa ices]# ll
total 28
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2010-10-17 22:54 bin
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2010-10-17 22:54 doc
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2010-10-19 08:09 etc
drwxr-xr-x 7 root root 4096 2010-10-17 22:54 include
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2010-10-17 22:54 lib
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2010-10-17 22:54 man
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 2010-10-17 22:54 share
[root@biwa ices]#



The reason I ask about is because I saw the following DEBUG below,

[code]
biwa$ices -v
Logfile opened
DEBUG: Sending following information to libshout:
DEBUG: Stream: 0
DEBUG: Host: 64.214.83.249:8000 (protocol: http)
DEBUG: Mount: /ices, Password: source7844
DEBUG: Name: Default stream URL: http://localhost/
DEBUG: Genre: Default genre Desc: Default description
DEBUG: Bitrate: 128 Public: 0
DEBUG: Dump file: (null)
DEBUG: Initializing playlist handler...
DEBUG: Initializing builting playlist handler...
DEBUG: Randomizing playlist
DEBUG: Startup complete

DEBUG: Builtin playlist handler serving: /home/mkido/2010-03.en_01_01_01.mp3
DEBUG: Filename cleaned up from [/home/mkido/2010-03.en_01_01_01.mp3] to [2010-03.en_01_01_01]
DEBUG: MPEG-1 layer III, 192 kbps, 44100 Hz, j-stereo
DEBUG: Ext: 0 Mode_Ext: 0 Copyright: 0 Original: 0
DEBUG: Error Protection: 1 Emphasis: 0 Padding: 1
Playing /home/mkido/2010-03.en_01_01_01.mp3
Error during send: Mount failed on http://64.214.83.249:8000/ices, error: Couldn't connect
Error during send: Mount failed on http://64.214.83.249:8000/ices, error: Couldn't connect
Error during send: Mount failed on http://64.214.83.249:8000/ices, error: Couldn't connect
Error during send: Mount failed on http://64.214.83.249:8000/ices, error: Couldn't connect
Error during send: Mount failed on http://64.214.83.249:8000/ices, error: Couldn't connect
Error during send: Mount failed on http://64.214.83.249:8000/ices, error: Couldn't connect

[/code]

[karlH]

[mkido]

Thank you, karl.

Up to now, due to the initial test phases, (or missing pieces of knowledge to evoke from a Web page), I only tested both icecast and ices from command line(s). Namely, I logged into the Server machine remotely, and did

# icecast -c /etc/icecast.xml AND
$ ices -v


And they respond in error-log so-and-so. I haven't evoked IceCast/Ices at all from my Web browser. Do you think it is the time to try it from Web browser? Then, I will need a little study how to write .m3u file in HTML, pointing to MP3 file. One moment.

mkido

[mkido]

Hi, karl,

[quote]
What is icecast configured to listen on, you haven't said explicitly but I suspect it's on any address port 8000?
[/quote]


I just have <hostname> 64.214.83.249, and <listen-socket> <port>8000. Are they O.K.?

mkido


in "icecast.xml",

<!-- This is the hostname other people will use to connect to your server.
It affects mainly the urls generated by Icecast for playlists and yp
listings. -->
<hostname>64.214.83.249</hostname>

<!-- You can use these two if you only want a single listener -->
<!--<port>8000</port> -->
<!--<bind-address>127.0.0.1</bind-address>-->

<!-- You may have multiple <listener> elements -->
<listen-socket>
<port>8000</port>
<!-- <bind-address>127.0.0.1</bind-address> -->
</listen-socket>

[karlH]

the default setup should have the webroot containing the status.xsl and various small file so that you can get a status page up when requesting it http://127.0.0.1:8000/

As I've mentioned elsewhere, if you are within a private LAN (ie 192.168.x.x type addresses) and you try to use your external address then you may find that does not work as most if not all routers don't bounce connections back in. So your ices should refer to 127.0.0.1 or the LAN address (192.168.x.x). You do not have to create any m3u files

karl.

[mkido]

Hi! Karl, thanks, thanks,

Unfortunately, I do not understand what you say. I will think about it later. Meanwhile, I give you a little details of my Server and home office environment. My company is a small corporation, so it has only one server machine which is colocated at Azteca.Net in Los Angeles. I am responsible for the server computer Fecora Core 7 (64.214.83.249) about most of day to day management.

All server management was done from my home office remotely, which has static IP DSL connection recommended by Azteca.net, however, to share with a multiple PC/MAC, I inserted a router, so that the connection to the server computer always go through via DHCP.


Thus, locally (at my home office), I am within a private LAN (ie 192.168.x.x type addresses) due to DHCP. But all I poseted data here in IceCast forum is the server computer's responses (64.214.83.249) obtained remotely by ssh. I have not posted anything from a computer in my local private LAN.


Well, just I wanted to tell you about my company's server and my home office computer environment. Now, I will think about your comment later. Thanks.


mkido

[karlH]

The router is the NAT box (converting external 64... to 192.168..). If your ices on the server tries to connect to icecast on the same machine using the external address then what happens is that it goes to the router but does not bounce back in. Even if it did, you would only be wasting resources, after all you would not visit a neighbour by walking off in the opposite direction. Specify 127.0.0.1 or the 192.168.x.x address that way the connections are local.

karl.

[mkido]

Hi!, Dear karl, I think I am getting your point,

That is because ices and icecast exist in the same server computer, you are suggesting to use LOCAL setting, 127.0.0.1. That makes sense. Let me try. Thanks.

mkido

[mkido]

Dear karl, thanks many times,

This time, I will try another angle of discussion to evoke IceCast and Ices. That is from Web page by a browser. According to your comment, I even do not need m3u file. So, I just uploaded the simplest HTML page like below,

[code]
<html>
<p>
<a href="http://64.214.83.249:8000">http://64.214.83.249:8000</a>
</p>

</html>
[/code]

RESULT: Firefox browser can not connect to the server address 64.214.83.249:8000. And it didn't start anything.


Any suggestion, or any DEBUG probe, about my trial. thanks, thanks, ... a lot. This is the first time to try to access IceCast/Ices from an external Web browser.

mkido

[mkido]

Hi, I am just adding the IceCast error log here.

When people try to access the server (64.214.83.249:8000) from outside world, does the Web action will elicit like a push button to IceCast, => then IceCast requests the source signal to Ices-04?

How the actual flow-chart goes? Before the Web action takes place, both IceCast and Ices-0.4 are sleeping? Or they must be running? Excuse me, a newbie is like this, please be patient.

At /var/log/icecast/ there are three log files, only error.log has something to say, and the other two (access.log and playlist.log) are empty up to now.

[code]
[2010-10-22 20:36:35] INFO main/main Icecast 2.3.1 server started
[2010-10-22 20:36:35] DBUG yp/yp_recheck_config Updating YP configuration
[2010-10-22 20:36:35] INFO stats/_stats_thread stats thread started
[2010-10-22 20:36:35] INFO fserve/fserv_thread_function file serving thread started
[2010-10-22 20:36:35] INFO yp/yp_update_thread YP update thread started
[2010-10-22 20:36:35] INFO auth/auth_run_thread Authentication thread started
[2010-10-22 20:36:36] DBUG slave/_slave_thread checking master stream list
[2010-10-22 20:36:45] INFO sighandler/_sig_die Caught signal 2, shutting down...
[2010-10-22 20:36:45] DBUG connection/_handle_connection Connection thread done
[2010-10-22 20:36:45] INFO main/main Shutting down
[2010-10-22 20:36:45] INFO fserve/fserve_shutdown file serving thread stopped
[2010-10-22 20:36:45] DBUG slave/slave_shutdown waiting for slave thread
[2010-10-22 20:36:46] DBUG slave/_slave_thread shutting down current relays
[2010-10-22 20:36:46] INFO slave/_slave_thread Slave thread shutdown complete
[2010-10-22 20:36:46] INFO auth/auth_run_thread Authenication thread shutting down
[2010-10-22 20:36:46] INFO auth/auth_shutdown Auth thread has terminated
[2010-10-22 20:36:46] INFO yp/yp_shutdown YP thread down
[2010-10-22 20:36:47] INFO stats/stats_shutdown stats thread finished
[/code]

[karlH]

If an external listener requests http://64.214.83.249:8000/ then it should return a web page. This is because the default xml has an alias of / to /status.xsl which produces html content.

icecast is supposed to be running all the time (or least when you want listener connecting), ices is supposed to be running whenever there is a stream to serve. As I've already mentioned, using the external address within the LAN won't work, that would apply to any application including ices and firefox.

karl.

[mkido]

Hi! karl, thanks many times,


I got very important concept, "IceCast and Ices must be running" during a listener to connect. Thanks, thanks. So I will work around further debug and setting on IceCast and Ices. I tried out the hostname back from 64.214.83.249 to 127.0.0.1, at first at ices.conf, then ices.conf and icescast.xml both. These change didn't result the immediate success of better status of running "ices" and running "icecast".


Well, I will work around. Now, let me ask one error line in icecast error log.
[quote][2010-10-22 20:36:45] INFO sighandler/_sig_die Caught signal 2, shutting down... [/quote]

Any good debug for this message? Thanks.

[karlH]

If the localhost address in the browser does not work then either the icecast is not running or it is blocked eg firewall (unlikely). The netstat -tnlp | grep 8000 should show the icecastl listening.

That log line is reporting that the server is shutting down because a signal terminated it.

karl.

[mkido]

Hi! karl, thank you, thank you.

I couldn't solve my issue immediately, but always I learn something from you. Thank you many times. I show you netstat below. Usually I work from LINUX (Fedora Core 7) even at home, but right now I am in Windows, so I try to post Img and Code below, because my posting didn't take [code],[quote]. Aha, I probably forgot about HTML ON in my Forum profile, I switch it later,

[code]-bash: [root@biwa: command not found
[root@biwa ~]# netstat -tnlp
Active Internet connections (only servers)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address Foreign Address State PID/Program name
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:2208 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2032/hpiod
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:3306 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2167/mysqld
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:750 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 1840/rpc.statd
tcp 0 0 192.168.122.1:53 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2504/dnsmasq
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:21 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2076/vsftpd
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:631 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2049/cupsd
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:25 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2211/sendmail: acce
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:2207 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2037/python
tcp 0 0 :::111 :::* LISTEN 1811/rpcbind
tcp 0 0 :::80 :::* LISTEN 2232/httpd
tcp 0 0 :::22 :::* LISTEN 2063/sshd
tcp 0 0 :::443 :::* LISTEN 2232/httpd
[root@biwa ~]#
[/code]
[img]http://www.tunefind.org/htm/temporary_2/netstat-tnlp.jpg[/img]

[quote]That log line is reporting that the server is shutting down because a signal terminated it. [/quote]

Now this signal termination is due to no signal from streamer Ices-0.4 OR refering to something else?

mkido

[mkido]

I got it, BBCode was OFF, I made it ON.