README file for PictureWindow (TM) Receive-only Version (pwrx) January 1993 -------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1993 Bolt Beranek and Newman Incorporated All Rights Reserved -------------------------------------------------------- The files in this directory contain a demonstration version of PictureWindow, BBN's Desktop Video Conferencing tool. This program is called pwrx. It allows you to connect to any full-featured PictureWindow system and to receive video conferences over the Internet from them. You will be able to talk with the sender via your SPARCstation audio system, but you will not be able to send video without purchasing the full-featured version of PictureWindow. You may redistribute this version of pwrx to anyone, provided you include all files on the pwrx diskette (or tarfile if you obtained this version electronically). You may not include this program with any product for sale without the express written consent of BBN. BBN has installed a PictureWindow system on the Internet to allow you to try out desktop video on your workstation. This system is listed in the domain name servers as video-demo.bbn.com, and its IP address is 192.52.71.19. The video input to this system is usually from a camera pointed at a street outside BBN in Cambridge, Massachusetts; however, other sources may be used on occasion. No audio is typically sent with this video, so you should not expect to hear anything on your workstation. We do limit the number of simultaneous connections allowed on this system. If you find you cannot connect to the demonstration system, you may need to try again at a less busy time. To run pwrx, you need the following configuration: * Sun Sparcstation 1, 1+, 2, IPC, IPX, or 10 workstation * 8-bit color or grayscale frame buffer * 24 Meg main memory (minimum) * Ethernet with TCP/IP protocol stack running (standard Sun configuration) Software requirements are: * SunOS 4.1.1 or later with IPC_SHMEM option (GENERIC kernel is fine, GENERIC_SMALL is not). * OpenWindows 2.0 or greater, or X11 Release 4 or greater with an 8-bit PseudoColor visual (Use the "xdpyinfo" command to display the available visuals and extensions.) *********************************************************************** * Note: Because PictureWindow uses the IPC_SHMEM option of X Windows,* * you MUST run pwrx on the same workstation as your X server. * * You cannot run pwrx on a file server and use an X terminal * * to view the results. You probably would not want to do this * * anyway because you'd be sending uncompressed video between * * your file server and your X terminal, thereby consuming * * excessive bandwidth on that network and reducing your * * video frame rate. * *********************************************************************** This tar distribution contains four files: File Purpose ---- -------- bin.sun4X/pwrx The receive-only PictureWindow program lib/picwin_sites The list of sites that appear in the scroll list for the Connect button lib/slate_fonts.config The font configuration information for the GUI. PWRX_README This documentation file If you did not, you can obtain a complete compressed tarfile from picwin.bbn.com by anonymous ftp. To uncompress and untar the files, type the following commands: uncompress pwrx_tarfile.Z tar xvf pwrx_tarfile You should now have the above files. Do not be concerned that your PWRX_README file has been overwritten. It is identical to this one you are reading now. Running pwrx ------------ Verify that you are running a kernel with the features listed under "Requirements", above. Verify that your X Window System window that you will run pwrx from is on the same machine as your X display server. This is typically the case if you are running OpenWindows on the console of your SPARCstation and you have not reset your DISPLAY environment variable. Verify that you are connected to an Internet segment has connectivity to the PictureWindow demonstration machine. You can verify this by typing ping video-demo.bbn.com or ping 192.52.71.19 Place the files from this distribution into a working directory. Define the environment variable MMCONF_DIR to be this directory; in other words, pwrx will read its configuration files from the directory $MMCONF_DIR/lib . Start your X server. Run pwrx as a background task. Do this by typing: pwrx & You should see a small control panel with the title "PictureWindow 1.3 (c) 1990-1993 BBN". During startup, ignore the following messages if they appear: Unknown port "bbn-picwin", using 1351 Can't open site file .picwin_sites Left-click on the "Connect" button with your mouse. This brings up a dialog box with a scrolling list of possible sites. Unless you have edited the $MMCONF_DIR/lib/picwin_sites file, it will contain only an entry for "BBN Video Demo System". Double-click on that entry (or single-click and then click on the "Connect" button below the list). A window will appear with the message "(no connection)". If all is well, the title bar will change to show the source of the video and you should begin to see video from the multicast source in a few seconds. The entire picture will fill in over the first minute or less. If your window appears and then immediately disappears, you should assume that your connection to the server was rejected, probably because there are already the maximum number of users allowed connected. Try your connection again later. You should use the "Hang up" button to end your use of pwrx. This removes your workstation from the multicast group and thus stops your local multicast router from sending the video packets onto your local ethernet. Left-click on the "Hang up all" button in the main window or the "Hang up" button in the video window to close the connection. If you do not do this within a minute or so, the server will automatically disconnect you to allow others to access the server. To Order PictureWindow ---------------------- If you wish to have full desktop video conferencing capability on your SPARCstation, you can order a fully-featured copy of PictureWindow from BBN by calling 1-800-422-2359. This system is fully compatible with pwrx, and will allow you to confer with both fully-capable and receive-only video systems. You can freely distribute the pwrx package to others with whom you wish to confer provided that all documentation and configuration files are included; however, you will not be able to receive video from those receive-only sites unless they purchase the fully-functional copy. PictureWindow requires a Sun Microsystems VideoPix card and a camera for transmission of video from your workstation. Pricing for each copy of PictureWindow is as follows: Commercial Price Educational Price ---------------- ----------------- Software and $495 $195 Documentation only (you supply the VideoPix board and camera) Package of $1495 $1295 VideoPix board, B+W CCD camera, Software, and Documentation We thank you for your interest in PictureWindow and hope you enjoy this demonstration.