README.md

<!-- TOC -->

- [AURA Engine](#aura-engine)
    - [Features](#features)
    - [Architecture](#architecture)
    - [Requirements](#requirements)
    - [Getting Started](#getting-started)
        - [Install System Packages](#install-system-packages)
        - [Install Python Packages](#install-python-packages)
        - [Setup Database](#setup-database)
        - [Alternative Sound Servers](#alternative-sound-servers)
        - [Configuration](#configuration)
    - [Running the Engine](#running-the-engine)
    - [Logging](#logging)
    - [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions)
        - [Which Audio Interface / Soundcard is compatible with Aura?](#which-audio-interface--soundcard-is-compatible-with-aura)
        - [ALSA Settings](#alsa-settings)
            - [In the Liquidsoap Logs I get 'Error when starting output output_lineout_0: Failure("Error while setting open_pcm: Device or resource busy")!'. What does it mean?](#in-the-liquidsoap-logs-i-get-error-when-starting-output-output_lineout_0-failureerror-while-setting-open_pcm-device-or-resource-busy-what-does-it-mean)
            - [How can I find the audio device IDs, required for settings in engine.ini?](#how-can-i-find-the-audio-device-ids-required-for-settings-in-engineini)
    - [Resources](#resources)

<!-- /TOC -->

# AURA Engine

Aura Engine is a play-out engine as part of Automated Radio (Aura) system,
specifically build for the requirements of community radios.

## Features

- Play audio from multiple sources
- Dynamic switching of sources
- Record output to filesystem
- Stream output to an Icecast Server
- Multichannel Line-out
- Blank Detenction / Silence Detecter
- Auto Pilot a.k.a. Fallback Handling

Read more on the [Engine Features](docs/engine-features.md) page.

## Architecture

AURA Engine as part of the AURA Radio Suite uses an modulear architecture
based on a REST API. All external information is retrieved using JSON data-structures.

To learn more, checkout the [Engine Developer Guide](docs/developer-guide.md) or visit
 the [Aura Meta](https://gitlab.servus.at/autoradio/meta) repository.

## Requirements

**Hardware Requirements:** This depends on how many audio sources and targets you are
 going to use, but for the most common scenarios any current hardware should be sufficient.
 For the audio devices it is required to use an interface which has supported ALSA drivers.

**Operating System:** Any linux system with ALSA, PulseAudio or Jack2 support should work. 
It is tested and coded on Debian Stretch and Ubuntu 18.0 with Python 3.6+.


## Getting Started

```bash
git clone https://gitlab.servus.at/autoradio/engine
```

### Install System Packages

On a Debian / Ubuntu machine:

```bash
sudo apt install \
    git \
    python3 python3-pip \
    redis-server \
    liquidsoap liquidsoap-plugin-icecast \
    mariadb-server libmariadbclient-dev \
    quelcom \
    liquidsoap-plugin-alsa liquidsoap-plugin-pulseaudio
```


**File Formats:** Depending on what stream you are going to send, and what recordings you are going to use:
```bash
sudo apt install \
    liquidsoap-plugin-aac # for aac support
    liquidsoap-plugin-flac # for flac support
    liquidsoap-plugin-lame liquidsoap-plugin-mad # for mp3 support
    liquidsoap-plugin-opus # for opus support
    liquidsoap-plugin-vorbis # for ogg support
```

To simply install support for all available file formats do:

```bash
sudo apt install \
    liquidsoap-plugin-all
```


### Install Python Packages

```bash
sudo pip3 install -r requirements.txt
```


### Setup Database


```bash
mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE aura_engine CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;  
CREATE USER 'aura'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure-password';  
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON aura_engine.* TO 'aura'@'localhost';  
```

### Alternative Sound Servers

Beside ALSA the sound servers **Jack Audio** and **Pulse Audio** are supported.

**Using JACK:**

Install the JACK daemon and GUI:
```bash
    sudo apt-get install jackd qjackctl 
```

Please ensure to enable "*realtime process priority*" when installing JACK to keep latency low.
Now, you are able to configure your hardware settings using following command:

```bash
    qjackctl
```

Next you need to install the JACK plugin for Liquidsoap:

```bash
sudo apt install \
    liquidsoap-plugin-jack
```


### Configuration

Run

```bash
  sh init.sh
```

This creates the folder */var/audio* and copies some default configuration
to */etc/aura/engine.ini*

After that, you have to edit the settings in */etc/aura/engine.ini*. Ensure to take your time to carefully review those settings!



## Running the Engine ###

To start the AuRa Engine execute:

    systemctl start aura-lqs
    systemctl start aura-engine  

and on system boot run following:

    systemctl enable aura-lqs
    systemctl enable aura-engine

The first service starts the LiquidSoap Engine, while the latter boots the actual AuRa Engine.

## Logging

You can access the service logs using:

    journalctl -u aura-lqs

and

    journalctl -u aura-engine

respectively.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Which Audio Interface / Soundcard is compatible with Aura?

Basically any audio device which is supported by Linux Debian/Ubuntu and has ALSA drivers.
Engine has been tested with following audio interfaces:

- ASUS Xonar DGX,
- Roland Duo-Capture Ex
- Onboard Soundcard (HDA Intel ALC262)
- Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6


### ALSA Settings

#### In the Liquidsoap Logs I get 'Error when starting output output_lineout_0: Failure("Error while setting open_pcm: Device or resource busy")!'. What does it mean?

You probably have set a wrong or occupied device ID.


#### How can I find the audio device IDs, required for settings in engine.ini?

* **ALSA**: You can get the device numbers or IDs by executing:

    cat /proc/asound/cards

* **Pulse Audio**: You might not need this for Pulse Audio, but still, to see all available devices use:

    pactl list



**If you cannot find correct ALSA settings**  
Well, this is - at least for me - a hard one. I could not manage to find correct ALSA settings for the above mentioned soundcards. The best experience i had with the ASUS Xonar DGX, but still very problematic (especially the first couple of minutes after starting liquidsoap). Since i enabled JACK support i only use that. It is also a bit of trial and error, but works pretty much out of the box.

**If you experience 'hangs' or other artefacts on the output signal**
 * reduce the quality (especially, when hangs are on the stream) or
 * install the realtime kernel with

   ```bash
   apt install linux-image-rt-amd64
   reboot
   ```

   or
 * invest in better hardware


## Resources ##

* **Python**: https://docs.python.org/
* **Redis**: https://redis.io/
* **Liquidsoap**: https://www.liquidsoap.info/doc-1.4.0/
* **Jack Audio**: https://jackaudio.org/