[Interopcast-general][icecast-dev] about translating documentation, but not only documentation.

[Arnaud Ebalard]

Michael Smith wrote:

>On Thursday 31 July 2003 10:56, Pierre Jarillon wrote:
>  
>
>>First, can you test interopcast ? On the CVS
>>http://savannah.nongnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/interopcast/ENSEIRB/icecast/icec
>>ast/ See http://savannah.nongnu.org/cvs/?group=interopcast
>>
>>interopcast is an improvement of icecast2. We wrote to the author but he
>>doesn't reply to the last mails and don't use the job we did.
>>    
>>
>
>I'm sorry for not replying to your mail - I moved recently, around the time 
>you were corresponding with me, and didn't have regular internet access for a 
>while (and still don't at home, which is where all my old mail is...)
>
>My intent was definately not to ignore you and your contributions - if you got 
>that impression, I'm very sorry.
>  
>
Ok, but the messages have been sent to the mailing list. I hope you are 
not the only one
on that list. Someone else could have given us an answer, or at least, 
comments about
the sources.

>>We don't wish a fork, but I fear to make it necessary.
>>I am sure that Michael Smith don't like to write a documentation as
>>he don't like comments in the sources. So, you can translate the
>>documentation.
>>    
>>
>
>I think that's rather unfair. Yes, I don't particularly enjoy writing 
>documentation (I have pretty limited time at the moment to spend on icecast, 
>and documentation isn't my (personal) top priority), but "don't like comments 
>in the sources" is simply untrue and totally unsubstantiated.
>
We didn't find comments on the sources when we entered into it. If you 
watched at our
code, there's many comments in order to help future developpers not to 
spend weeks to
understand what the codes does.

>More complete function documentation in the icecast sources would be a 
>worthwhile goal, as it would help new developers getting up to speed - but 
>this is the first time I've heard any complaints about the degree to which 
>the code itself is commented.
>  
>
Sorry, but as new developper on the project at the beginning, and 
without any kind
of developper documentation, it was the way we saw it.

>User/Admin documentation, on the other hand, is something that we desperately 
>need. I really do want to try and integrate the documentation you and your 
>students have written, but it's difficult - you haven't exactly gone to a lot 
>of effort to send the icecast developers patches. It's also (taking a quick 
>look at your cvs repository) looking quite difficult to just mass-merge 
>everything from your sources, since you've reorganised everything.
>
>I'm _very_ interested in getting your documentation into mainline icecast, and 
>merging back those code changes you've made that are appropriate.
>  
>
We commented our sources and made documentation (user & developper) on 
what we
wrote. I understand it is difficult to merge our changes into your codes :

-  Format module and buffer module (now known as streambuf) were totaly 
rewritten in
order to add new capabilities, modularity and improve performances. It's 
(I think) easier
to add new ogg formats because, there's a recognition of ogg 
encapsulated format which
transparently toggle to the good plugin function (speex, vorbis (but we 
could easily add
fLaC, theora, ...)). The new streambuf module works was rewritten to 
allow less
memory allocations and reallocations

-  Source and Slave modules have been remodularised (does this word exist?).

-  Three of us worked on the new IcecastAdmin part and they wish to 
continue their work
in september. The IcecastAdmin part is at the moment a standalone 
process that listen for
securised connections (OpenSSL) from browsers and allow the client to 
modify the
XML configuration file of Icecast. It could then merge into Icecast as a 
thread and be used
to make hot securised modifications to the Icecast server.

-To be honest, the MP3 support was not our main goal so we rewrite the 
module to support
MP3 streams but no tests weremade on it.
The main problem we encountered was the difficulty to find an MP3 
streamer that was
compatible with Icecast2.

<p>At the end, our modifications were stable. Our version of Icecast works 
for Ogg streams from
ices and can be heard by Ogg123, mplayer, xmms ...
As I said, no tests were made on MP3 (but MP3 was not developped to be 
streamed, as you
know...)
We added support for ogg speex streams but we didn't found any available 
streamer, but the
structure of the stream is the same as for vorbis. When an Icecast2 
streamer will be available,
it would only need minor fixes.
To add fLaC support, it could now be as easy as for speex except for 
metadata that should be
extended (not a big work).
YP has to be tested : no changes were made, but with remodularisation ...
...

There is another possibility if you could find some time to spend on it 
: take our version, try
to add the main patches from last months and make it available to people 
for tests. If this
give good results, you could take the time to add some of our changes. 
It's only an idea, but
it could allow you to see if our changes are interesting and valuables 
things or not.

I probably forgot some things. Feel free to ask your questions. Another 
contributors on
interopcast should also feel free to add comments to my mail. (I don't 
mean comments
on my english ;-)

Cordially,

Arnaud Ebalard.

<p><p>--- >8 ----
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