The Firefly Media Server (formerly mt-daap) is a fast DAAP server that is simple to install and even easier to configure. Firefly resides on a single Linux machine that doesn’t have to be a powerhouse. In fact, you can install this lightweight server on Ubuntu Server and you’re almost ready to go. In this article you will see how to do just that – install and configure Firefly Media Server on Ubuntu Server.

Features

The Firefly server has all of the features you will want in a DAAP server:

• Supports Unix/POSIX
• Beta for Windows in the works
• On the fly transcoding of OGG, FLAC, Apple Lossless, and WM
• User-created smart playlist support
• Integrates with iTunes and many other DAAP-supporting media players
• Serve streaming radio stations

Installation

Since we are installing on a Ubuntu Server, the installation is simple:

1. Open up a terminal (or just log into your servers’ console)
2. Issue the command sudo apt-get install mt-daap
3. Enter your user password

That’s it. Now it’s time to set it up.

Configuration file

There is only one configuration file for Firefly: /etc/mt-daapd.conf. This file is quite easy to set up. For a basic DAAP server, out of the box, there is really only one option you must configure. If you open up the configuration file look for the line:

mp3_dir = /home/media/music

This is the line you will need to change to reflect the directory you will serve your media from. For my setup I created a new sub-directory in /opt called music. Do this with the command:

sudo mkdir /opt/media

Now you have to make that directory readable by the DAAP server with the command:

sudo chmod ug+r -R /opt/media

Now all files and sub-directories created with the /opt/media directory will have the proper permissions such that the DAAP server can serve up the files.

Of course what you have just set up is a very basic DAAP server. There are a lot of other options within the configuration file you can set up, such as:

• servername: This is the name your DAAP server will broadcast. By default the server will be listed as Firefly RELEASE_NUMBER HOSTNAME (Where RELEASE_NUMBER is the release number of the Firefly installation and HOSTNAME is the hostname of the server.)
• password protection: This will cause any user attempting to access the DAAP server to have to enter a password in order to see the files.
• port: If you need to use a port other than the default (3689), configure it here.
• extensions: The file types you want to allow to be served by your DAAP server.
• Valid codectypes: These are the configurations for the format conversion. There are already lines for this in the configuration file – you just have to uncomment the ones you want to add for internal conversion.
• rescan_interval: If you want to enable background scanning you need to uncomment this entry and set an interval. This will enable you to add new files without having to restart the DAAP server to pick up the new files. Very handy if you frequently add new files.

There are other configuration options, but those are the ones you will want to focus on first.

Start the daemon

After your configuration file is complete, go ahead and move your media files into the directory and then start the server with the command:

sudo /etc/init.d/mt-daap start

With the server up and running you can fire up a DAAP enabled client, like iTunes or Songbird (Note: Songbird requires the addition of a DAAP add on), and you should automatically see the files on the DAAP server.

Final thoughts

Setting up a DAAP server is a great idea for a small internal network where you want to be able to share out a multi-media library. Anyone looking to set this up, and has a Linux server up and running, would do well to give Firefly a try. The simplicity, size, and speed of this server makes it the perfect candidate.

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Pulptunes is a iTunes music server that can stream mp3 and m4a files over the Internet. The music can then be accessed in any modern web browser including Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Opera. The user can then access the music that is stored on his local computer system over the Internet.

PulpTunes is not only available for Windows operating systems but also Linux and Macintosh. The software program tries to find the location of the iTunes XML file automatically which worked fine on the test system. Linux users and those where it was not found automatically need to add the path to the program manually.

Songs can be played directly in the web browser or downloaded with a right-click. All iTunes playlists and genres are available in the interface which makes it easier to locate albums or songs. A search is also provided to search the music collection.

Advanced options are available that include a basic user management so that only authorized users have access to the web service. Other options include:

• Displays cover art if found
• Generate direct links to songs or playlists to send to your friends
• iTunes DJ integration
• Command-line mode for server environments
• Adjustable buffer level

PulpTunes needs to be running on the local computer system so that users can connect to the service over the Internet.

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Sockso is a multi-platform music server that can be run under Windows, Linux and Macintosh. Setup differs depending on the operating system. Windows users simply download the Sockso distribution from the website and unpack it into a directory on their hard drive. They then execute the windows.bat file which will load the Sockso server interface.

This is where the administrator adds music from the computer to the music server. All that is needed is to click on the Connection button and add folders to the server. The Collection Manager is also the place to create playlists that are then accessible in the web interface.

It is a good idea to test the music server both locally and on the Internet before sending the information to your friends. The default port is 4444 which means that you can fire up a browser and load http://localhost:4444/ or http://network ip:4444/ to test the music server locally.

Checking if the music server is working on the Internet demands knowledge of the current IP of the computer. If you do not know about it you can Check the IP here at Ghacks. Then load http://your IP:4444/ in a browser which should also display the web interface of the music server.

If that is working you can begin to send that link to your friends so that they can tune in and listen to your music. It is also possible to simply use this as a way to listen to your own music collection while on the road.

Sockso does work fine as a music server and it is usually only a matter of minutes before it is up and running. It does have some serious limitations though. There is no user administration which means that anyone can connect to the music server not just the invited friends. Users who receive a dynamic IP from their Internet Provider will either have to check their IPs regularly or use a service that gives them a static IP.

It’s probably the safest to run Sockso only on a local network. It can be configured to allow music uploads as well and it could become a popular application in University dorms or company networks.

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