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-
- CU-SeeMe (General Information)
- Desktop Videoconferencing Software
- from Cornell University
-
- A videoconferencing program, CU-SeeMe, is available free from Cornell
- University under copyright of Cornell and its collaborators. CU-SeeMe
- provides a one-to-one connection, or by use of a reflector, a one-to-many,
- a several-to-several, or a several-to-many conference depending on user
- needs and hardware capabilities. It displays 4-bit grayscale video windows
- at 160x120 pixels or at double that diameter. The PC version does not (yet)
- include audio. So as far as we know, CU-SeeMe was the first and may still
- be the only software available for personal computers which supports
- real-time multiparty videoconferencing on the Internet.
-
- CU-SeeMe is intended to provide useful conferencing at minimal cost.
- Receiving requires only a personal computer with a screen capable of
- displaying 256 colors and a connection to the Internet. Sending requires the
- same plus a camera and video capture capability such as a VideoSpigot
- for Windows or Creative Labs Video Blaster board.
-
- At this time, CU-SeeMe runs in an early prototype under Windows and in a
- more mature version on the Macintosh using an IP network connection. With
- CU-SeeMe each participant can decide to be a sender, a receiver, or both.
- Warning: Although being improved with each version, CU-SeeMe is not mature
- production software--USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. And also, PLEASE TREAT THE
- INTERNET KINDLY--keep b/w limits set down under 100kbps, or less if you
- share limited bandwidth with others. Many folks connected to the Internet
- can use CU-SeeMe with default settings and cause no problem to anyone else;
- but unfortunately, not everyone. If you don't know whether using CU-SeeMe
- will mess up the network for someone else, check it out first, please.
-
- CU-SeeMe initially was written for the Macintosh by Tim Dorcey with design
- assistance and sponsorship by Richard Cogger of the Advanced Technology
- Group in the Network Resources division of Cornell University's Information
- Technologies (CIT). Important early contributions came from: Cornell
- University Medical Colleges (CUMC), Scott Brim, and John Lynn. Steve Edgar
- and Rich Kennerly have done the main work in developing the Windows
- version.
-
- Since October 1, 1993, the CU-SeeMe Project receives funding from the
- National Science Foundation. NYSERNet (New York State Educational Research
- Network) provides valuable support for CU-SeeMe spreading the word
- throughout the Internet community as well as creating one of the first
- public reflector sites for user testing. And a very significant
- collaborative effort at Cornell University Medical Colleges (CUMC)
- contributes to substantial expertise and code.
-
- This material is partially based on work sponsored by the National Science
- Foundation under Cooperative Agreement No. NCR-9318337. The Government has
- certain rights in this material. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions
- or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author
- and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
- Foundation.
-
- Other documents, CU-SeeMe Project: Plans, Goals, & Rationale, and
- Information on Public Reflectors will also be available (soon) on our ftp
- server for those interested in more detail about how to get and use the
- program. Subscription to a cu-seeme-l maillist is also available for
- communication among CU-SeeMe users.
-
- Please send comments, suggestions and bug reports to r.cogger@cornell.edu.
- You can be a great help in making CU-SeeMe a good, stable application.
-
- Be Seeing You!
- ********************************************************
- Copyright C1993, 1994, Cornell University
-
- Cornell hereby grants permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute the
- CU-SeeMe version 0.60 program for any purpose and without fee, provided
- that these copyright and permission notices appear on all copies and
- supporting documentation, the name of Cornell not be used in advertising or
- publicity pertaining to distribution of the program without specific prior
- permission, notice be given in supporting documentation that copying and
- distribution is by permission of Cornell. CORNELL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS
- OR WARRANTEES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. By way of example, but not limitation,
- CORNELL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTEES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
- FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE OR
- DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADEMARKS, OR
- OTHER RIGHTS. Cornell shall not be held liable for any liability with
- respect to any claim by the user or any other party arising from use of the
- program.
-
- ********************************************************
-
- HOW TO OBTAIN CU-SeeME SOFTWARE
-
- Use ftp (File Transfer Protocol) to:
-
- Server: gated.cornell.edu
- UserID: anonymous
- Password: <none>
- directory: /pub/video
-
- PC Windows versions have a 'W' in the version number which distinguishes
- them from Macintosh versions.
-
- Download the latest README file, if there is one later than the date at the
- top of this file you are reading. Then get the application and other files
- you need.
- *****************************************************************************
-
- HOW TO TEST CU-SeeMe
-
- To connect for a CU-SeeMe video conference, you must have the IP address of
- another CU-SeeMe user or the address of a CU-SeeMe reflector. If calling
- another user, the user must have CU-SeeMe running in *WAITING* status on
- their desktop. Use Connect or Connect to > in the Connections menu. We
- suggest that you begin by using two PCs, one connecting to the other,
- for a first test of CU-SeeMe.
-
- You will need to use a reflector to have a multiparty conference on the
- Internet. The CU-SeeMe reflector program is a Unix program which we have
- tested so far only on Sun Sparc workstations. If you are not familiar with
- IP networks, reflectors and/or your particular network set-up, ask your
- system administrator for help in operating a CU-SeeMe reflector.
- Instructions on how to operate a reflector follow.
-
- ********************************************************
- HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE CU-SeeMe MAIL LIST
-
- For anyone interested in following developments in CU-SeeMe or its use, or
- in contacting other CU-SeeMe users, an automated maillist has been
- established. The list is provided for unrestricted discussion of the
- CU-SeeMe packet video software. Developers and project management all read
- the list. To date there has been little traffic, but we expect more as new
- versions are released over the next few months. We, and other users, would
- also like to hear about and discuss innovative uses of CU-SeeMe. Please
- write and tell us your story.
- To join the list, send a message with the following line as the entire
- message body to listserv@cornell.edu:
-
- subscribe cu-seeme-l <first name> <last name>
-
- (Substitute your actual name, please; it's amazing how many don't.)
- You should receive a confirming message with extensive instructions on
- use of the list.
-
- You can send mail to be distributed to the list to: cu-seeme-l@cornell.edu.
- Please be sure to send to this address ONLY when you want your message
- redistributed.
-
-
- ********************************************************
- HOW TO OPERATE A CU-SeeMe REFLECTOR:
-
- 1. Obtain software -- a tar file may be obtained via anonymous ftp from
- gated.cornell.edu in directory /pub/video as reflect.v9.tar. Untar and
- install in the usual way on a Sun Sparc with a good Internet connection.
-
- 2. Issue the unix command: "reflect" and then open connections to the Sun
- from Mac's running CU-SeeMe0.42 or CU-SeeMe0.60.
-
- 3. On the version 9 reflector, if you issure "reflect -s" each Mac will
- receive a copy of its own video stream as well as any other streams.
-
- 4. The tar file for v9 includes the sources for the reflector so folks can
- try porting to other platforms. Anything with Berkeley networking should
- be OK, but we did find an incompatibility with the sockets implementation
- in AIX for the RS-6000.
-
- 5. We have carried up to 6 participants on a reflector. But give some
- thought to how reflectors are linked together and how many streams are
- flowing on which paths. Currently, CU-SeeMe limits open windows to 8, but
- trying to have 8 folks each send one stream and receive 7 thru the same
- reflector, assuming it has just one ethernet interface, would mean 8
- streams in and 56 out. If each tries to get 100Kbps through at some point
- in time, you would be trying to get 6.4 Mbit/sec thru the ethernet. That
- would probablybe deep into the collision realm. With the -g and -r
- parameters, you can set up a reflector net which could give a fairly large
- conference; PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOAD YOU PUT ON THE INTERNET.
-
- The reflector (version .09) accepts the following parameters:
-
- -s self-reflect mode
- -d debug mode
- -t tracefile specifiy the name of a tracefile
- -c ipaddress normal client
- -r ipaddress "respond" as a server to a BCC client
- -g ipaddress "go get" video from specified BCC server
- -m ttl ipaddress multicast to ipaddress with TTL set to ttl
-
- -s is debugging option that sends the clients video stream back to himself
-
- -d prints out debugging and packet trace information
-
- -t traces "events" to the specified log file. Right now the reflector
- always logs "events" to a log file, if the file name is not specified
- the file reflect.log is used
-
- -c is used to construct an admit list for the reflector. If you want
- to restrict access to the reflector, use a series of -c options. Only
- those users with the listed IP addresses will be permitted to use the
- reflector. If no -c options are specified, the reflector will
- accept any and all clients.
-
- -r tells the reflector to "respond" to a second reflector, at the specified
- IP address, providing a "blind carbon copy" of all video streams coming
- to this reflector. Note that nothing is accepted from this second
- reflector, it is a one way pipe, intended to impact the conference
- minimally.
-
- -g tells the reflector to "go get" video from the primary reflector at the
- specified IP address, thus providing a watch only service for Mac
- clients who connect to this reflector to observe the conference on the
- primary reflector. Ordinarily, such clients should open connections
- unchoosing the "I will send" option, to conserve bandwidth.
- Alternatively, a reflector could use this option with the -m option to
- function as a relay to the mbone. Caution: you might think that setting
- up complementary -g -r pairs on two reflectors would give you a general
- inter-reflector link, allowing you to distribute reflector load. In fact
- it will produce a loop and a lot of collisions.
-
- -m multicast all video streams to the specified IP multicast group address
- (it *must* be a multicast group address) with the specified TTL. This
- option is currently only useful in conjunction with nv 3.1 used to
- receive the video streams. If compiling the sources, use -DMULTI to
- enable this option. To use -m, you must run the reflector on a unix
- system with multicast kernal.
-
- =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
-
- f.jill charboneau Advanced Technologies and Planning Group
- Cornell Information Technologies
- cu-seeme information designer Cornell University
- Ithaca N.Y. 14853
- jfc1@cornell.edu 607/255-5993
-
- "Never mistake a clear view for a short distance."
- -Paul Saffo
-
- +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
-
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