Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)*  RP	

Deliverable Number: D0
Contractual Date of Delivery: 29 February 1996
Actual Date of Delivery: 29 February 1996
Title of Deliverable:  Initial MERCI software Deliverable
Work-Package contributing to the Deliverable: 2, 3
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  TO
Author(s):  VAT : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory) 
                  VIC  : Steve McCanne, Van Jacobson (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)
                  WB   : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)
                  NTE : Mark Handley (University College London)
                  SD    : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)	

Abstract:
All the tools described in this document are freely available on World-Wide Web and ftp sites around the world.  
The tools have been selected to provide a baseline set for multimedia conferencing.  The baseline we have chosen is that the tools should be RTP/2 compliant.  
The following tools are delivered:
      Audio:                      VAT 4.0
      Video:                      VIC 2.7
      Shared workspace:   WB 1.59
                                      NTE 1.6
      Conference control: SD 1.16

We have documented each of the tools under the headings Release Description, Systems Requirements List, Installation Guidelines, and the Web source for the software.

Keyword list:
multimedia conferencing, video, audio, shared workspace, RTP/2, MBONE, multicast

This document is available in both HTML and RTF at URL: 
http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/merci/deliverables/	

VAT 4.0
Release Description
VAT is an audio conferencing tool which allows users to conduct host-to-host or multihost audio teleconferences over an Internet (multihost conferences require that the kernel support IP multicast ). On most architectures, no hardware other than a microphone is required - sound I/O is via the built-in audio hardware. On DEC systems, an AudioFile server must be running. 
Systems Requirements List
Version 4.0 is available for the following platforms:
SunOS 4.x (4.0b2)
SunOS 5.4 (4.0b2)
SunOS 5.5 (4.0b2)
SGI (4.0b1)
DEC OSF/1  (4.0b1)
HP (4.0b1)
FreeBSD (4.0b1)
NetBSD (4.0b1)
Linux (4.0a2)
Windows/95 (4.0b2)
Windows/NT (4.0b2)
Installation Guidelines
gunzip the distribution file and refer to the MICE-NSC User documentation at:
http://www-mice-nsc.cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice-nsc/tools/
Web source 
ftp://cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice/videoconference/

VIC 2.7
Release Description
VIC is based on version 2 of the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), which provides basic real-time media communication support. Although VIC can be run point-to-point using standard unicast IP addresses, it is primarily intended as a multiparty conferencing application.
Systems Requirements List
Version 2.7 is available for the following platforms:
SunOS 4.x 
SunOS 5.4  
SunOS 5.5  
SGI        
DEC Ultrix 
DEC OSF/1  
HP         
FreeBSD   
NetBSD     
Linux 
NeXT 
Windows/95 
Windows/NT 
Installation Guidelines
gunzip the distribution file and refer to the MICE-National Support Centre User Documentation at
http://www-mice-nsc.cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice-nsc/tools/
Web source
ftp://cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice/videoconference/

WB 1.59
Release Description
This is a beta-release of the LBL 'whiteboard' for the platforms listed below. Since this is an early beta, we expect it change frequently as users find bugs & we make our fumbling attempts to fix them.  Before using wb, read the file NOTES from the distribution (note especially the .sd.tcl change needed if you are running sd v1.14 or earlier) and print and read the postscript file lblwb.ps. 

The whiteboard tool is intended to work in conjunction with the other LBL conferencing tools.  These tools will work for point-to-point communication but they will be most useful in an environment that supports IP multicast. The SGI and Solaris 2.x kernels come from the vendor with multicast support. Ultrix and SunOS 4.x do not. If your kernel doesn't support IP multicast, you can ftp the necessary support from host gregorio.stanford.edu, files vmtp-ip/ipmult-*. 
Systems Requirements List
Version 1.59 is available for the following platforms:
SunOS 4.x 
SunOS 5.4  
SunOS 5.5  
SGI        
DEC Ultrix 
DEC OSF/1  
HP   
FreeBSD    
NetBSD     
Linux         
Installation Guidelines
gunzip the distribution file and refer to the MICE-National Support Centre User Documentation at
http://www-mice-nsc.cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice-nsc/tools/
Web source
ftp://cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice/videoconference/

NTE 1.5a14
Release Description
NTE is a shared text editor designed for use on the Mbone. It is not a word processor (it is not clear that word processing is a useful task to share) and it is not a whiteboard - if you want a whiteboard, wb from LBL is a much better whiteboard. 

Using NTE can be very interactive - unless you lock a block of text, anyone else in your session can edit that text or delete it. This is intentional. Many people can (if they wish) edit the same document simultaneously. Many people can even edit the same block of text simultaneously, but if more than one person tries to edit the same line at one time, a conflict will occur, which results in only one of the changes being preserved. 

In general, it is up to you how you use NTE. You must develop human protocols to be able to collaborate, even in face-to-face meetings, and NTE is no exception. It will work well if you cooperate, and not if you don't. It only provides minimal protection against disruptive participants 

NTE tries hard to ensure you don't get confused by unexpected events caused by other users - it always tells you who did what if it can. However, it can't do the impossible, and sometimes network conditions may mean that a change arrives somewhat delayed. If this happens, NTE will reach a consistent result, but this may not be what you expected. Thus we recommend using NTE as part of a multimedia conference in which it is a support tool, rather than as the only channel of communication.
Systems Requirements List
The binary is still nt, rather than nte following the recent name change.
Version 1.5a14 is available for the following platforms:
SunOS 4.x 
SunOS 5.4  
SunOS 5.5  
SGI        
HP   
Installation Guidelines
gunzip the distribution file and refer to the MICE-National Support Centre User Documentation at
http://www-mice-nsc.cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice-nsc/tools/
Web source
ftp://cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice/videoconference

SD 1.16
Release Description
Sd provides:
•	A dynamically updated list of available sessions (e.g., vat audio conferences, NV or IVS video conferences, LBL whiteboard conferences).
•	An easy way to join any available session(s).
•	An easy way to create and advertise new session(s).

To use sd, just type "sd &" (i.e., run it in the background).  You should see an X window with two panes & some buttons across the bottom.  If you leave sd running, the top pane should slowly fill with session names (session announcements are made infrequently so announcements won't take up all the available network bandwidth).  If you click on a session name, information about the session will appear in the bottom pane.  If you double click on the name (or click on the "open" button), sd will start up the appropriate tools for the session (vat, NV, IVS and/or wb). 
Systems Requirements List
Version 1.16 is available for the following platforms:
SunOS 4.x 
SGI        
DEC Ultrix 
DEC OSF/1  
HP   
FreeBSD    
NetBSD     
Linux         
Installation Guidelines
gunzip the distribution file and refer to the MICE-National Support Centre User Documentation at
http://www-mice-nsc.cs.ucl.ac.uk/mice-nsc/tools/
Web source
ftp://ftp.ee.lbl.gov/conferencing/sd

How should I submit deliverables?

1.Hard Copies (incl. one unbound copy) by normal mail AND

2.By Email or by Floppy Disk in RTF and HTML format, Graphics in GIF or JPEG. Scan discs for viruses before submission, and please tell us which virus checker (and version) you have used.

3.All public deliverables should be made available through WWW and/or FTP in HTML and RTF format.  You should also give the Commission (and preferably SCIMITAR) the URL of the site on which you intend to maintain these deliverables.

4.Content of deliverables are described in Appendix C of the Hand-outs for the Preparation of the Project Programme. These guidelines are available through the TERENA ftp server

5.Deliverables which are demonstrators or demonstrations should be documented through video recordings containing proof of all required functionality and be delivered in VHS (PAL), 3 copies, and Betacam format, 2 copies, (to facilitate video post processing).

6.Prototype and software deliverables should be documented with a full release description, a detailed systems requirements list and guidelines for installation and operation on the supported platforms.  Where appropriate, the information needed to construct an image file, for example a UNIX build file, should be supplied.