Re: Re[2]: Linux on N.P.R.

[Bruce Smith <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >      One way to download it yourself would be to change your options 
> >      for your helpers in Netscrape.  Set your "Action" to Save to Disk 
> >      for Real Audio stuff.
> Its not going to be that simple. RAM files are nothing more than files
> which let the realaudio player know information about where the realaudio
> server is, and what file to ask it for. (realaudio doesnt use http)

Ya, I figured that out too.   :(

> As far as i know, the free players dont let you save audio samples to
> disk. SO, we have a couple possibilities that i can see.
> 
> the 'best' way would be to fine out the spec on how realaudio
> communicates, and write a dummy client that just writes stuff to disk
> instead of playing it. However, im sure RA doesnt just go publishing their
> communications specs, so this would be difficult.

True, no specs, no source code.  :(

> Another choice would be to purchase the professional version (or whatever
> they call the non-free client) and use that to download things you wish to
> keep. This isnt great since its not free (and this is just my memory,
> those clients might not have this functionality either)

I checked real's knowledge base.  The non-free version lets you
record what you're playing ONLY if the provider lets you.
Probably not an option most of the time.   :(

> Yet another way is a real hack thats sitting in the back of my mind. Heres
> what im thinking:
> 	Remove /dev/audio or /dev/dsp and make it a zero length normal
> file. then, if the RA player is stupid, and doesnt need to do ioctl();'s
> on the device, then it would simply write a *.au or dsp style normal file,
> which could be copied (and then the device could be remade). The downside
> to this is that it might jsut not work at all :)

I was hoping to find some easy way to do this.  I don't want to
go to all that trouble.  It's not that important to me. 

> Anyone else have some other ideas? (something obvious im not seeing? :)

Sticking a microphone in front of the speaker is sounding better all 
the time!  :)   Or maybe piping it to the aux-in of another sound card?

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Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
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