ALSAnetSTREAM

alsanetstream is a lightweight Python application that lets you seamlessly redirect audio from one computer to another over a network connection. It can use ALSA, JACK or a file for input/output and it also sports an easy-to-use ncurses interface (svn version).
Dependencies:
python (>2.5)
pyalsaaudio for ALSA support
pyjack for JACK support


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alsanetstream is still insanely alpha and should be taken with a grain of salt. It should work for you, but it is probably full of annoying bugs. Development is ongoing, so if you find a problem, please, post it in the forums.
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For v0.3 alsanetstream is being completely rewritten. The new version resides in SVN and is working, but there are, still, a lot of things to be done (see ROADMAP in svn:/dist for more information on where the project currently is). Also the modules pyjack and pyalsaaudio, that alsanetstream depends on, are being rewritten and will eventually be integrated into the package. As it is with most open source software of this young age, the SVN version probably works best, so my advice is to go get it, if you're planning to do anything more serious than messing around.
Features planned for v0.3:
* Complete rewrite, code starting to look more like a full-blown application and not some proof-of-concept script
* Drivers - ALSA, JACK, FILE (mp3, ogg, wav)
* ncurses interface with a configuration wizard
* On-the-fly lossless compression


Latest release: v0.2-alpha - get it from HERE

SVN is cutting-edge, new features are always there first, try it sometime (;



Here is a short tutorial (for v0.2, versions >0.3 feature an ncurses interface).

1) Install alsanetstream on both computers (PC1 and PC2)

2) Run the alsanetstream server on PC1 (192.168.1.1), for example:

alsanetstream --server --interface eth0 --port 9115 --driver jack --verbose

3) Run the client on PC2 (192.168.1.2)

alsanetstream --client --connect 192.168.1.1:9115 --driver alsa --verbose

If you did it right everything you play on PC1 should be played on PC2 instead.



Solutions for some problems:

1) ALSA doesn't capture any audio / I don't hear anything using ALSA

alsanetstream captures audio from the default ALSA capture device. You must set this yourself (using alsamixer) to Sound Output (or however it is called on your system). If you don't have a capture device that mirrors audio output (most internal soundcards don't) you can use a cable between your speakers output and microphone input, then set the ALSA capture device to Microphone.

If you don't have the Sound Output device and don't want to use a cable, you should use the JACK driver.

2) ..



Useful links:

sourceforge page

download

support forum

or email me at alexander.dzhoganov _at_ gmail _dot_ com