               ERIKYYYPHONE
          -----------------------

Version 1.0.1   (2000-09-19)


This is ERIKYYYPHONE, an internet audio
conferencing software. it already existed Christmas 1996.
No new features are added so far.
It produces very low traffic on your line!
Yes there already was this great audio conference software
back in those old good days! All i did was fix a bit
and automake it. See ChangeLog if you are interested.

I have founded this project, and i am still the only person
working on it.

I can be reached via email at:
erikyyy@erikyyy.de

My homepage is:
http://www.erikyyy.de/

(there is a link to erikyyyphone on it, here you can
obtain the newest version.)


------------------ FEEDBACK ------------------

if you want to give me some feedback... go ahead :-)
the project is still small, and i do not think to have very
many users. I am still the only developer !!!

destructive criticism will silently move to /dev/null
constructive criticism will be answered !

I got to say a BIG thank you to all the nice people of #linuxger,
of #linuxger on the citynet, and of #linux on the LinuxNet, that
helped me with this application !!!

Another BIG thank you goes to the Linux Documentation Project,
to all GNU people, and to the Linux project in general !!!

Keep up the good work.


----------------- USAGE INSTRUCTIONS ----------------

just start the server:

erikyyyphoneserver -a 127.0.0.1


and use another console to start the client:

erikyyyphone 127.0.0.1


The servers communicate with each other on the internet.
you control your server with your client.

once the client shows its main screen, you can enable recording
of digital audio by pressing the SPACEBAR. you will see that
"**" appears around "RECORD WISH". this means that recording
will actually be activated when possible. Recording IS really
activated, once you see "**" around "RECORD". why is it this
complicated? well, if someone is just speaking to you, your
soundcard is locked and recording is not possible. but because
"RECORD WISH" is activated, recording will be started, once
the person stops talking to you.

recorded sound is sent to all servers listed in the
"outgoing connects" list.

On the other hand, if any other servers connect you, they are
listed in the "incoming connects" list.

you can connect a new server by entering it's IP, for example:
10.50.121.4
please press ENTER when you are finished ;)
full names like "www.linux.org" are not supported, due to
some technical difficulties not mentioned in this file ...
  (hehe. now in the year 1999 i will tell you, why this is so.
  dns lookups do block and so sound cannot he heard)

the client can be stopped by pressing CONTROL C.
STOPPING THE CLIENT DOES NOT STOP EVENTUALLY ACTIVATED RECORDING!
IT ALSO DOESN'T STOP THE SERVER ! PEOPLE CAN STILL TALK TO YOU.
THE CLIENT DOES ONLY CONTROL THE SERVER. IT HAS NO FUNCTIONALITY
ITSELF. YOU CAN START AS MANY CLIENTS AS YOU WANT AT THE SAME TIME,
IF YOU WANT TO WORK WITH MULTIPLE CONSOLES.

the server can be killed by sending it a SIGTERM signal, or
just pressing CONTROL C in it's terminal.

ok. that should be enough for a first start :-)

good luck :-)


** FURTHER EXPLANATION **

if you want to see the full list of options that are available,
just do

erikyyyphoneserver

or

erikyyyphone

they will both tell you, how you have to use them :)



erikyyyphone client:

The client shows two lists.

1. incoming connects
--------------------

This list shows all the other servers that are just connected
with your server.
on the left side, you see their internet adress,
then their status (IDLE,BUFF,WANT,PLAY)
IDLE: no data is pending.
BUFF: data is in the buffer, but it won't be played yet.
WANT: data is in the buffer, it want's to be played, but the audio
      device is locked, because you are just recording, or because
      another incoming connect is just in the "PLAY" mode.
PLAY: the data is played and all the others are locked.

Why BUFF ?? Well. the internet is a slow dude :)
   ( aehm. now in the year 1999 it is still too slow, is it?)
so it is good, if audio data is played after a waiting period. the
waiting period is over, once the sender of the message stopped
his recording, or the status indicator on the right side
crosses the | .

on the right side their is a status bar. it looks something like this:

43 =====|==

each = is 8. so the number means the same than the ==== bar.
once the == cross the | , playing will be enabled.

2. outgoing connects
--------------------

This list shows all the other servers YOU just connect.
on the left side, you see their internet adress,
then their status (IDLE,BUFF,WANT,PLAY,CONN)

IDLE: nothing to do.
CONN: the connection is not yet established completely.
BUFF,WANT,PLAY have exactly the same meaning than in the
inconnection list. your server receives this information
from the other server. so here you see, if your data
is actually played at the other computer.

Keyboard control
----------------

SPACEBAR : RECORDWISH toggle.
UP,DOWN,LEFT,RIGHT arrows: move a white bar.
	the control of the bar may be confusing to you,
        but remember, that you are moving over a changing
	list :-)
k : kill the connection that is just under the white bar.
+,- : move the |.  this is only possible while you are over
	an incoming connect. Moving the | to the very left
	side changes it into an 'N'. this means, that
	playing will NEVER be enabled, before the other side
	stopped talking.

Control-C   stops the client, BUT NOT THE SERVER!


OK. i am sorry, this document is bullshit, but i still think
it helped you :-)
