The Internet CD Database Server (cddbd v1.4) README

Copyright (c) 1996  Steve Scherf
A Moondog Software Production

Author: Steve Scherf
Email:  steve@moonsoft.com
Rev:	@(#)$Id: README,v 1.5 1996/12/22 03:48:05 steve Exp steve $


INTRODUCTION
------------

The CD Database Server (cddbd) is a program designed to allow remote access
of xmcd-style Compact Disc database entries via the Internet. Xmcd is an
X11/Motif-based CD player utility written by Ti Kan, which, as of version
2.0 supports remote access of CDDB protocol servers. This server also
supports cda 2.0, a command-line driven, non-graphical CD player also
written by Ti Kan.

Other client software is starting to appear as well! The list is growing,
and so far includes:

- Xmcd for Unix
- Cda for Unix
- EasyCD2 for Windows 95/Windows NT
- DiscPlay for Windows 95
- mycdplayer for Windows 95
- Notify CD for Windows 95


Please see the file COPYING for the GNU General Public License.
Please see the file MANIFEST for the list of files in the CDDB server package.
Please see the file CDDBD_HOWTO for information on running the CDDB daemon.
Please see the files CDDBPROTO and DBFORMAT for information on using the
server from an application.

"CD Database Server", "Internet CD Database Server", "CD Server", "Internet
CD Server", "CDDB Protocol Server" and "CDDB Server", are all copyright (c)
1996 by Steve Scherf.

Permission for products to use the source code, text and/or interface
definitions provided in this package is granted with the following
restrictions: products that incorporate use of the CD database server package
in any way must adhere to the language of the GNU GPL, and must explicitly
give credit to the author both in all documentation and when the product is
operating. The latter need not appear conspicuously, but should be
viewable by the user through some obvious means.




NEW FEATURES
------------

New features in cddbd version 1.1:

- The "motd" command. This command will display the contents of the file
  designated by the server administrator as containing the "message of the
  day". This file is intended to contain information relevant to the local
  cddbd site, such as the administrator's email address, et cetera.

- The "log" command. This command displays statistics gathered from the
  message log, such as the total number of messages, the number of
  connections, errors and database accesses.

- Also, several minor fixes were made for portability purposes.


New features in cddbd version 1.2:

- Fuzzy matching of database entries for the "query" command has been
  implemented. If a query fails, cddbd now attempts to find close matches
  in the database and presents the list of matches, if any, to the client.
  Clients such as xmcd will offer the list of alternate choices to the
  user. Different pressings of the same CD may vary slightly in timing,
  so this algorithm is often able to locate database entries that were
  based on a different release of the same CD. So far fuzzy matching seems
  to work well based on this idea.

- The "log" commmand now provides information on the number of successful
  queries and fuzzy matches.


New features in cddbd version 1.3:

- Several enhancements to the "log" command. Log statistics now include
  more information. Log stats for the last day can be displayed with the
  "log day" command. The log file itself can be displayed with the "log get"
  command.

- Auto-truncation of the log file.

- Locking of critical files.

- Support for multiple protocol levels for future enhancements.

- Support for quoted arguments to commands.

- Permission to access the database, post DB entries, et cetera can now
  be controlled based on the user's Internet address.

- Improved the fuzzy match hashing algorithm so that duplicate links
  are excluded from the hash file.

- Complete database management capability.

- Ability to transmit and receive new database entries.

- Standalone server mode.

- Too many other features to list.


New features in cddbd version 1.3.1:

- Support for certain parts of the MIME protocol when processing email.

- Mail test mode which allows clients to submit email test entries
  without adding them to the database.

- Support for varying levels of strictness when verifying database entries.

- Certain reliability enhancements, to thwart malicious users.

- Fix for BSD-based systems to clean up zombie children in standalone mode.


SUPPORTED PLATFORMS
-------------------

The server should compile and run on just about any Unix or Unix-like
system. At the time of this release, cddbd has been successfully tested
on numerous platforms, including:

AIX
FreeBSD 2.x
HP-UX 9.x and 10.x
Linux 1.x
OSF/1
SCO UNIX 3.2v4.x or Open Server 5.x
Solaris 2.x
Stratus SVR4 FTX 3.x
SunOS 4.1.x
UnixWare 2.x


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
----------------

Credit must go to Ti Kan (ti@amb.org) for creating cddb, the CD database,
and coming up with the idea of using the Internet to give users access to
the database. His prototype is the basis for cddbd. He also maintains the
public server sites worldwide.

Thanks go to the many system administrators who have volunteered the use of
their sites as public CD database servers. Without them this probably would
not have become so popular! Thanks also go to the many users who use the
servers every day.


WHERE TO GET CDDBD
------------------

Cddbd servers are maintained at numerous sites on the Internet, but if you
would like to start your own this package contains the source code needed
to do so. This package can be obtained at:

        ftp.cddb.com:/pub/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.README
        ftp.cddb.com:/pub/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.tar.gz

        ftp.moonsoft.com:/pub/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.README
        ftp.moonsoft.com:/pub/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.tar.gz

        ftp.netcom.com:/pub/sc/scherf/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.README
        ftp.netcom.com:/pub/sc/scherf/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.tar.gz

        ftp.x.org:/contrib/applications/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.README
        ftp.x.org:/contrib/applications/cddbd-1.4/cddbd-1.4.tar.gz

The CD database itself is a rather large package that can be acquired
separately. The xmcd public CD database is available via anonymous FTP from
the following locations (this is periodically updated with more entries):

        ftp.netcom.com:/pub/tk/tkan/xmcd-cddb/xmcd-cddb.README
        ftp.netcom.com:/pub/tk/tkan/xmcd-cddb/xmcd-cddb.tar.gz

Alternately, you can also obtain the xmcd source code, CD database
and binary releases via the World Wide Web xmcd Home Page:

        http://sunsite.unc.edu/~cddb/xmcd/

The xmcd home page also contains a list of Internet CD database sites,
including the Moondog Software cddbd site at cddb.moonsoft.com.

Please note that all of the above FTP sites have maximum number-of-users
limits. You may have to keep trying to get in, especially during peak hours.
Some ftp sites are not secure, as it is commonly allowed for anyone to
anonymously post to them. The xmcd home page lists the checksum of all
xmcd-related packages, so you can be sure that your copy is genuine.


HELP WITH CDDBD
---------------

If you are interested in hearing about new releases of cddbd when they
arrive, you can join the cddb-info mailing list and be notified automatically.
To subscribe, send email to:

cddb-info@moonsoft.com

Be sure to put the word "subscribe" somewhere in the subject or message
body. To unsubscribe, simply use the word "unsubscribe" instead.

If you have any questions or comments about cddbd, I can be reached via email
at:

steve@moonsoft.com

I will gladly entertain suggestions for enhancements and gratefully accept
bug reports via email, though I may not be able to respond immediately. I'm
also interested in hearing about additional platforms on which cddbd has been
used successfully.

Happy computing,

Steve

---
Steve Scherf
steve@moonsoft.com
Moonsoft FTP: ftp.moonsoft.com
Moonsoft web: http://www.moonsoft.com
