README.md

# AURA Engine

This piece of Software is part of 'AURA - AUtomated RAdio'. 

AURA Engine does:
 * requesting the programme from an external Source
 * switches the soundserver at the correct time to a given source for a specific show 
 * records what is broadcasted

## Installation

### Software

#### Operating System

Any sound supporting linux system should work. It is tested and coded on a **debian stretch**

#### Packages

On a debian machine:

```bash
sudo apt install git \
    python3 python3-pip \ 
    liquidsoap liquidsoap-plugin-alsa liquidsoap-plugin-ao liquidsoap-plugin-faad \ 
    liquidsoap-plugin-flac liquidsoap-plugin-icecast liquidsoap-plugin-lame \
    liquidsoap-plugin-mad liquidsoap-plugin-ogg liquidsoap-plugin-pulseaudio \
    liquidsoap-plugin-samplerate liquidsoap-plugin-taglib liquidsoap-plugin-voaacenc \
    liquidsoap-plugin-vorbis
```

#### Python Packages

```
sudo pip3 install Flask Flask-Babel flask-babel-utclocal-utils \
    flask-mongoengine Flask-RESTful Flask-SQLAlchemy Flask-WTF \
    mysqlclient redis simplejson
```

#### aura.py

It is the server which is connected to the external programme source, to liquidsoap and is listening for redis pubsub messages.

#### Guru

The commandline tool for interacting with the server.

#### Liquidsoap

The heart of AURA Engine. It uses the built in mixer, to switch between different sources. A source can be a stream, the filesystem or linein 

### Hardware

#### Soundcard
AURA Engine ist tested with an ASUS Xonar DGX. It should work with every by ALSA supported soundcard. PulseAudio support is planned.

#### Hard/Soft
When you use ALSA, you will have to play around with ALSA settings. In the folder ./modules/liquidsoap is a scipt called alsa_settings_tester.liq. You can start it with 'liquidsoap -v --debug alsa_settings_tester.liq'. Changing and playing with settings can help you to find correct ALSA settings.