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Linux Radio
An anonymous reader writes "This might very well be the nerdiest site we'll ever encounter... Linux Radio is an online radio station broadcasting the Linux kernel! Each time someone visit the site, a random source file is selected and read loudly by a virtual speaker materialized through the open source speech synthesizer eSpeak. Will it prove useful to anyone is probably a difficult question to answer, but the excitement provided is worth experiencing at least once. However, this concept proves once more the advantages of open source over proprietary software making such achievements impossible : whoever in his right mind would want to listen to binary files loudly?"
could you repeat that in binary please?
They need to slow it down a bit even if seems to mainly be saying asterisk, slash and sync for my file (mm/msync.c).
No.
See? That was easy.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
For some fscking reason, this thing actually sounds appealing and coherent to me. Not to mention relaxing and understandable.
Read radical news here
Seriously...there aren't any real people with enough time to carry out such an important task? What _is_ everyone doing?
This is stupid, period. This statement can't be bargained or reasoned with. It feels no pain, or remorse, or pity, or fear..and it absolutely will not stop...err ok enough.
I mean, c'mon, does Stephen Hawking really have time to read all this? And, this has to be the most tedious method of mirroring the kernel sources that I've ever "heard"
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
Presumably that's why they offer only source files (there are binary blobs in some drivers, though).
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
It's still better than at least 90% of what counts as "music" today.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
the free asterisk software foundation
If it were being broadcast on a shortwave radio band rather than internet radio, it might classify as one of the nerdier things ever. The internet is just so conventional.
... and then they built the supercollider.
"whoever in his right mind would want to listen to binary files loudly?"
I think you've finally solved the mystery of the 'numbers stations': it's not Russian spies sending secret messages, it's the oldest method of P2P file sharing!
wanting to prove that it's possible to install and run Linux on (nearly) any computer imaginable, but something tells me you're going to need a little more work in the patching, drivers, and other modifications department to get it running on H. sapiens wetware computers...just saying
In the eighties Dutch radio broadcast software in binary, so yeah, some people were actually enjoying listening to binary broadcasts :) :) See wikipedia for the gory details.
The idea was to tape it, and you could simply load the program in machines that used audio casettes for storage like the Commodore 64. IIRC there was some kind of encapsulation that maybe did parity or checksumming so you needed another program to get at the software. The software itself was BASIC sourcecode, so the broadcast was slightly more efficient than someone speaking the sourcecode out loud
Seriously...there aren't any _real_ people with enough time for such an important task? What _is_ everyone doing?
[quote]
whoever in his right mind would want to listen to binary files loudly?
[/quote]
Good thing it's actually reading the source code, and that I have a volume nob.
lol it's like the begats in the bible.
You have got to be kidding.
Gone!
Implanting Kernel Source into Brain, Please Wait............ Finished downloading source using ear:// connection, building kernel source.... Rebuilding initramfs........ Booting Linux Kernel, rootfs=/human/head/brain console=/dev/mouth First Successul HUMANDRIOD booted droid:/>
... just heard:
slash slash asterik asterisk THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED asterisk asterisk
At least they could give us Linux users a link to the streamed file so...., you know, we could actually play it in our music player.
Make all kernel developers to give some time to improve eSpeak and/or getting new voices for it. Will give a whole new dimension to that radio if is the Linus Torvalds voice the one reading the kernel source (and probably more interesting, the comments attached to it).
i love how it pronounces /linux/random.h as lin uuu x
The voice ruins it. For the real deal, just type "cat /boot/kernel/*" (in FreeBSD) or "cat/boot/vmlinuz". I actually do that from time to time, not sure why...
Caveat Utilitor
That is all.
I'll bet Cee-Loo Green could make a great song and video from it......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
This would be cool if they wrote something to generate some funky electronic beepbeepbeep music from the source files.
Linux.fm links to its "sister station"White Noise FM :
White Noise FM is an online radio broadcasting white noise, a sound known to improve concentration by covering background noise. It also helps relaxation, and can aid people to sleep. Although we're focusing on white noise at the moment, we have plans to add more colored sounds to our programs in the future : pink noise, brown noise, and grey noise. We aim to become a fully featured white noise generator!
It also features pink and brown(ian) noise
And WhiteNoise.fm in turn links to none other than Vuvuzela Radio !!:
Vuvuzela Radio is a station dedicated to playing the sound of the vuvuzela, the famous South African blowing horn the whole world learned to love (or hate) during the 2010 World Cup. We are broadcasting non-stop, without commercial breaks, so you can get your full daily dose : anywhere, anytime.
Though, I'm pretty certain that the four "streams" are actually pre-generated samples in a loop.
This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
listen to binary files loudly?
listeners of numbers stations usually do it.
I don't know, with pleasure or not, though.
Have you tried piping the output to /dev/audio?
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
Damn, at least it is better than both Spam Radio and Vuvuzela Radio.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
This is a joke, right? I searched for "Dumbest" and was surprised to find no comments with the word in it. This is supposed to be useful why? If you're going to "troll" me - at least please explain how you think this would be usefull, first!
. . . you find Linux source code read by a text to speech synthesizer appealing and relaxing.
I quote: "However, this concept proves once more the advantages of open source over proprietary software..." WTF??? You could have a machine read ANY pointless information into a 'net radio. It's not like this is useful in any way. If Open Source needs to have its source code read over internet radio to demonstrate an advantage over proprietary software, it needs to crawl into a nice quiet corner, lay down, and die. You want real advantages? Get reliability, scalability, security. Those are Open Source (potential) advantages. Reading source code on the net radio station? What a waste of time.
"Will it prove useful to anyone is probably a difficult question to answer,"
No it's not, this is completely worthless to EVERYONE. Simple test: Can you name a single way this could be useful? I can't.
-1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
I have noticed if you hold an older am radio next to a laptop computer, and tune it to very low and sometimes higher frequencies you can have a bit more realistic "radio broadcast from the kernel".
News for nerds? Check. Stuff that matters? ...
Step 1: write a automatic speech recognition app to ping that site and translate the words back to text.
Step 2:
Step 3: take over the world.
L053R
Fah, anyone can do it over the internet. I broadcast a weather report from a python weather script (found in the debian repo) and espeak on a dedicated debian xen domU through the sound chip into a ramsey fm10C and into the very exclusive FM cloud. The downside is my FM cloud is only about 1/2 mile across.
Serenity now, insanity later.
That works in Linux, but not in FreeBSD -- system permissions won't allow it, even as root.
:)
What this might say about the security of permissions in Linux vs BSD is left as an exercise for the reader.
Caveat Utilitor
I think they have tapped to the cylon that controls their ships. I hope that in the next kernel filles they will inglude bits of profecy in the comments.
And maybe older than that:
http://digg.com/news/technology/Linux_kernel_source_--_on_radio_
It was even discussed here (can't find the original submission though).
Léa Gris
I cant believe I wasted all of that time...
"whoever in his right mind would want to listen to binary files loudly?"
About as many people who want to listen to source files, I imagine.
Only _______s use flash to serve audio.
All my computer has been saying for about 5 minutes is "Hash include .h".
DNA -- National Dyslexic Association
zZzZZzzzzz
Its just Linux trying to comply with the ADA so blind people "access" the code.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Anyone has been able to make a program which translates the speech back to text in order to compile this kernel?
Yes who would want to listen to loud binary files? I like mine a little softer with the treble down a bit.
I prefer Classic Slashdot.
Access it? I'm pretty sure they wrote most of it.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
After listening for a minute or two I started to find it strangely relaxing. I think I'd prefer a different voice though.
For some reason, after months of having mod points out the wazoo, I haven't had mod points for a couple of weeks, This comment deserves +15 funny. Could someone get on that while I clean coffee out of my keyboard?
Modern, cool and therefore hip. Something I could, for obvious good reasons, ram down the throat of my teenage daughter?
How I hate the amorphous drivel coming from the main stream radio stations nowadays.
I hadn't the slightest objection to his spending his time planning massacres for the bourgeoisie... (P.G. Wodehouse)
I think I remember those. Was it before C10s came in?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
"This radio station is dedicated to the best scientist ever : Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory." :D
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
You mean like an MP3?
It's a sign of the End Times
We need to put up a transmitter broadcasting this. In 1,024 years when the electromagnetic radiation hits Microsoftopia, the people will finally receive a beacon of hope.
Phillip.
Property for sale in Nice, France
Sometimes, they broadcast ZX Spectrum, sometimes it was MSX programs.
The Dutch NOS radio created BASICODE to transmit BASIC binaries over radio. It was used in several countries until the early 90s.
BASICODE could be understood by almost all computers at the time, including Exidy Sorcerer, Colour Genie, Commodore PET, VIC-20, C64, Amiga, Sinclair ZX81, ZX Spectrum, QL, Acorn Atom, Micro, Electron, Tandy TRS-80, MSX, Oric Atmos, Philips P2000T, Grundy NewBrain, Amstrad CPC, IBM PC, Apple II, Texas Instruments TI-99/4A & Mattel Aquarius.
It only used a minimal subset of BASIC command, all system-specific commands were replaced by GOSUB calls, for example GOSUB 100 to clear the screen. The program itself would then start at line 1000.
Am I right *high five*
All of the other Numbers Stations have been shutting down. They had to go somewhere.
This is the poetry of the 22nd century!
But that's my favorite section of the Bible! Not much action, but what a cast of characters! :-D
I realize most people are thinking the same thing, but it needs to be said... What were the creators of this site thinking, using Flash? It just makes no sense to me. Was there no thought put into it at all? Are there actually Linux users/advocates out there who do not hate Flash?
I don't remember where (probably here on Slashdot, actually), but I once saw something from someone who took several binary file formats and cat'd them to /dev/dsp just to see what they sounded like.
I think his favorite was actually a filesystem, because of the patterns in data.
Go ahead, try it. But turn down your speakers' volume first, it'll be a bit loud.
As root you should have read acces to the device, so I'd try the commands:
Have fun!
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
I got crypto/deflate.c, so much of deflates, asterisks and cmp!
This reminds me of www.codeorgan.org
> whoever in his right mind would want to listen to binary files loudly?
Indeed, I prefer to listen to mine quietly.
With the right wording, we can hack into your brain!
Too bad they don't scroll the text for us who don't hear so well.
Oh come, on, this is ancient stuff.
What a depressingly stupid machine.
If they just added a bassline this would be amazing
This took some work by someone with some talent. Could not this/these talented person/people do something more usefull?
This is Xtreme ... I'm gonna use this as a lullaby to put me to sleep!!!