				X11AMP for Linux

				   (c)1998

				     Psy
				    Fatal
				  Crocodile

TABLE OF CONTENTS
*****************

1. Disclaimer
2. Installation
   2.1 Basic Installation
   2.2 Borderless installation
3. Documentation
   3.1 Console Overview
   3.2 Playlist editor
4. Command Line Options
5. Features
   5.1  Supported Features
   5.2 Yet To Do
6. Obtaining X11AMP
7. Bugs
8. Contact Emails




1. Disclaimer
-------------

This version is considered an -BETA- release.  This means it may not be
stable.  You have been warned.  We are not liable for any damage caused by
the use of this program.

x11amp is NOT port of windows95's winamp. We just borrowed the GUI! :)


2. Installation
---------------

2.1 Basic Installation
----------------------

Just make sure x11amp is executeable and copy it to somewhere in the
executable PATH, like /usr/X11R6/bin or /usr/local/bin/ or something... then
just load it up! If you run x11amp as root or have it set uid root it will
play in realtime mode!


2.2 Borderless installation
---------------------------

As far as I know you can remove the borders in Afterstep and Window Maker. To
do this for x11amp just add this: 

Afterstep's ~/.steprc
Style "x11amp" Icon x11amp.xpm, NoTitle, NoHandles 

Fvwm's ~/.fvwm95rc
Style "x11amp" NoTitle 

Window Maker's ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMWindowAttributes
x11amp = {
Icon = x11amp.xpm;
NoTitlebar = YES;
NoResizebar = YES;
NoAppIcon = YES;
};


3. Documentation
----------------

3.1 Console Overview
--------------------

When you start up X11AMP, you will get a console very similar to that of
WinAMP.  

- On the top is the window title bar.  Clicking on the dot will minimize
X11AMP.  Clicking on the X will end the X11AMP session.

- There is a window in the upper left that shows the following:
   - Play state: Paused, Stopped, or Playing
   - Time elapsed in the current song
   - Spectrum Analyzer of the sound being played
     (This can be turned off with a command line switch)

- To the Right of the Spectrum analyzer is the title of the mp3 being played. 
  This also contains the length of the song being played, as well as its
  posision in the [unsorted] playlist

- Underneath the track title are the following static informational data:
   - MP3 bitrate in KBps (usually 128 or 112)
   - Sample Rate in KHz (usually 44)
   - Stereo or Mono channel mixing

- Underneath the informational data are a few controls you can play with:
   - The first slider controls the volume
   - The second slider controls the balance between speakers
   - The button marked "EQ" loads up the graphic Equalizer
     ** NOT implemented yet **
   - The button marked "PL" loads up the playlist editor described later in
     more detail
   - The LARGE slidebar moves from left to right as the song plays. You can
     drag this to jump to another place in the song.

- On the bottom of the console are the standard buttons you'd see on a CD
  player: Back 1 track, Play, Pause, Stop, Forward 1 track, and eject.

   - The "Eject" button doesn't REALLY eject, of course. :) It opens up the
     file requester.  The File Requester builds a playlist for the current
     X11AMP session.  You can use it to load files, add files to the list, or
     load all mp3s in a directory.

   - The Shuffle button does just that; it randomizes the sequence of the
     playlist


3.2 Playlist editor
-------------------

To access the Playlist editor, select the button labeled "PL" on the right
side of the x11amp console.

Just like in windows, If you want to select/deselect files in the
filrequester/playlisteditor use CTRL for files and SHIFT key for blocks of
files. to invoke the playlisteditor just hit the PL button to the right of
the balance bar. 

The first things you will see are two windows. The one to the left is a file
browser window and the one to the right the playlist(s). Now press the create
playlist button and a requester will popup and let you name your playlist. 
Now you will se ../ at the top of the right window, that indicates that you
are in a playlist and can add mp3(s).  Use the filebrowser at the left and
pick up the mp3(s) (SHIFT and CTRL works like in the filerequester) you would
like to have in your playlist and press the "done" key. x11amp now play your
playlist :)  Now if you have several playlists it's real easy to shitch
between them.. just open the playlisteditor and click on ../ and choose
another playlist to play.. You can also sort you playlist buy select a
file(s) in the playlist and then use those arrows (up and down) to change the
mp3 order to play. 

The playlists are stored in ~/.x11amp/ and they are plain text files which you 
can edit if you need to :)
 
you can also specify files in the command line.
Like ./x11amp file1.mp3 file2.mp3 file3.mp3 or wildcard ./x11amp *.mp3
This will also work if you have x11amp already started, the x11amp that
is active will just play the songs you specified on the command line!
Useful if you are using Midnight Commander like I do :)


4. Command Line Options
-----------------------


x11amp --help with produce:

Usage: x11amp [options] [files] ...

Options:
--------

-h, --help              Display this text and exit.
-s, --shuffle           Turn on shuffle play.
-r, --repeat            Turn on repeat play.
-b, --buffer <size>     Set the audio buffer size to <size> kb
-d, --downmix           Downmix stereo mp3's to mono
-o, --resolution <bits> Set playing resolution to <bits>
-z, --nospectrum        Turn off spectrum analyzer


5. Features
-----------

5.1 Supported Features
----------------------

Nice filerequester 
ADD button in filerequester
Seeking in files
Volume/Balance 
Shuffle play 
Repeat play 
Wildcard select from commandline
Playlist editor
Spectrum Analyzer


5.2 Yet To Do
-------------

Installation scripts for borderless use on different window-managers 
Streaming from the web/ftp 
Wharf (afterstep) version! 
YOU tell us


6. Obtaining X11AMP
-------------------

How do I get it?

Get the latest version from the web  http://www.x11amp.ml.org or FTP
ftp://ftp.x11amp.ml.org/x11amp/


7. Bugs
-------

Some.


8. Contact Emails
-----------------

Coder            : psy@x11amp.ml.org
GFX              : fatal@x11amp.ml.org          
Everything else  : Crocodile@x11amp.ml.org

