Icecast Streaming Media Server

[Guest]

The faq is written for someone VERY cpu savy

I just want to stream some mp3s to a few frineds is there like a super simple step by step?

I d/l the Icecast client but then it went off on modifiying the icecast.xml file ....and I was lost right there


any help?

[karlH]

There are different ways that icecast can be setup and used, and there are certain things we just don't know in each situation, eg externally addressable hostname.

From your description you need a source client that reads and streams mp3 files, so something like ices 0.4, ezstream or oddcast will suffice. Most of the default settings in icecast are fine, there isn't that much in the configuration file and the options are documented.

karl.

[Anonymous]

I need the world's most simple icecast installation.

I have some friends who follow a local band, and often call others to give them 'cellcerts'. The person giving the cellcert needs to be able to use winamp to stream to my icecast server so multiple people can listen at once and chat about the show.

I'd like to use MP3 format for this, encoded on the streamer's PC, not on the server.

I've tried reading the how-to, but it's a wreck later on in the file, very incomplete. It seems to be out of date with the current version of icecast as well.

I've got simplecast for the streamer to use to broadcast to my icecast server. I'm not entirely sure how to configure the server though. I'm not even sure if it's running.

Any advice?

[karlH]

The setup you have described so far does not sound complicated. A minimal config, with the <hostname> set accordingly, simplecast connects as an icecast2 source client with the password defined in <source-password>. If you want to verify if the server is running and accessible then, using your web broser, get the page at http://hostname:port/status.xsl

Obviously without any more details, it will be next to impossible to comment much further. Don't forget that in XML everything between <!-- and --> is a comment.

karl.

[Anonymous]

http://hostname:port/status.xsl

I can get there with Firefox. I get a message saying the XSLT file cannot be parsed. In IE, it says 'page cannot be displayed'. But I can't quite figure out if I should be using port 8000 or 8001. 8001 produces a failure no matter what I do.

I cannot find documentation that entails a step by step procedure for setting up my relay person's access anywhere. The incredibly long detailed one doesn't even mention this type of scenario.

[karlH]

the xslt cannot be parsed messages is generated from icecast so icecast is running, however the webroot setting (in the xml) is not pointing at the right directory (it should have the status.xsl file as we ship it). As for which port to use. icecast can listen on many ports, you can get away with just the one port, but if a port is defined as shoutcast-compat then normal GET requests like for /status.xsl won't work. The shoutcast-compat is for the quirk of shoutcast-style source clients only.

Another place to check beside the official documentation is http://www.gnuware.com/icecast/

karl.

[Anonymous]

Thank you.

I'm going to have a go at it again this afternoon.

That link you posted is the one I cannot find a clear instruction on how to send data to my icecast server in.

For example, I'm using Simplecast, and it talks about a mountpoint of /live, but everything in the documentation that references mountpoints talks about relaying from a master server, or using actual filenames. I can't even figure out if I need to make a file called live, or just let it happen or what.

Thanks for the clarification on the XSLT message.

This thing is nuts. Someone needs to write a PHP based installer/configurator thingee.

[Anonymous]

You can try using my guide that I wrote.

http://www33.websamba.com/cnmsales/oddcast%20tutorial.html

The only differnece will be on oddcast instead of using linein you will want to select the source of your music which i assume will be your main line.

[karlH]

A mountpoint is just an external reference, no file needs to exist if the mountpoint is supposed to be a stream (whether from a relay or from a source client). An icecast2 source client like simplecast will provide the mountpoint when it connects to icecast, that name is then used to uniquely reference the stream. If listeners want that stream then they should request it. It really isn't any more difficult than that and Icecast doesn't even need to know the mountpoint names.

karl.

[Anonymous]

So anyway, I don't have to build a mountpoint in the icecast configuration of /live or whatever?

[karlH]

Exactly, you don't have to. You _can_ state a <mount> block for the /live mountpoint which many do as they want to specify mountpoint specific settings like authentication.

karl.

[Anonymous]

If I'm sending a pre-encoded mp3 to the server for relay, do I need to have lame installed or ices or anything like that?

[karlH]

You need a source client like ices, so that a connection can be authenticated and data can be streamed to icecast. You'll only need lame if you are re-encoding the file to another setting (eg lower bitrate). If the files are already pre-recorded to a setting appropriate for streaming them no re-encoding needs to be done, and the likes of ices or ezstream could be used.

karl.

[Anonymous]

I have source clients doing the mp3 encoding and transfer to the remote icecast server via simplecast for windows.

Given that, do I need anything anything other than icecast on the server?

[karlH]

ices 2 is Ogg only, ices 0.4 is different. If another source client is used like simplecast then fine, you only need icecast, no other app is required.

karl.