The web interface - page five

We noted "# sourced by /etc/init.d/icecast2" in the comments in /etc/default/icecast2. What that means is that is the init file we use to start icecast. You can start icecast without using the init file, but by using it icecast is started and run under the correct user.
/etc/default/icecast2 start

You can now access the icecast web admin pages from the local server at http://localhost:8000/ or from a remote machine [within your network] at your server's IP address, as; http://yourserversIPadr:8000 [ example http://192.168.1.21:8000 ] Once logged on you will see global stats, but of course no stream or user info because there aren't either yet. Once run, icecast will create access.log and error.log files in /var/log/icecast2/.

To kill icecast enter;
/etc/default/icecast2 stop


The icecast streaming server is now installed, configured, and if you were able to access the web pages, running. But as is, by itself, it is not very usefull. To make it work, to make it useful you must feed it a stream with a stream source client.

The thing I always had trouble getting my head around was why a streaming server needed to be fed a stream. By my thinking it should just, you know, take a song and, you know, stream. But it doesn't work that way. You need a client for the stream source. The other thing I had great trouble getting and coming to terms with is the role of the listen-socket, port 8000. Does listen port mean where your clients, your listeners, listen? Or does it mean where your icecast server "listens" for the stream source?

It appears not only does it mean both, but it also means where your icecast server 'listens' for the web admin. I have a hard time accepting that multiple streams can go up, come down, and be administered through the same port, and that it all can be done with no collisions or adverse affects. But it can. So, if you are like me, suspend your disbelief and trust me; It will all work.

From here on, for "your server's IP address" I will use ; 192.168.1.21 and for passwords I'll use "my1pa55w0rd". Remember, you change these to reflect your setup.