Provided by: rat_4.2.22-2.2ubuntu1_amd64 
NAME
rat - unicast and multicast audio conferencing tool
SYNOPSIS
rat [options] address/port
DESCRIPTION
RAT is a network audio conferencing and streaming application with support for multiple
sampling rates, error concealment, and redundant audio encoding. Transmissions can be
between two participants directly (unicast) or between a group of participants on a common
multicast address.
To initiate a unicast conference the user specifies the address of the destination host
name or IP address and a port number. To participate in a multicast conference a Class D
group address should be specified together with a port number. The application uses the
greatest even integer less than or equal to the port specified for data (RTP) and the port
above for control messages (RTCP). The protocols RTP and RTCP used are specified in RFC
1889.
OPTIONS
The following options are supported:
-agc 1|0
Enable automatic gain control (AGC).
-allowloopback
Causes rtp packets to be loopbacked during multicast sessions.
-crypt key
Enable encryption, with the specified key. Encryption is done using DES, and is
believed compatible with encrypting versions of vat.
-C name
Sets the RAT window title to name.
-E email
Sets the email address transmitted to remote participants.
-f codec
Specifies the primary encoding used when transmitting audio.
-L location
Sets the location description transmitted to remote participants.
-N username
Sets the username transmitted to remote participants.
-P phone
Sets the phone number transmitted to remote participants.
-pt type/codec
Specifies the payload type to be used for codec.
-r codec/offset
Specifies the coding used for the redundant encoder and the offset of the redundant
encoding relative to the primary in audio frames.
-repair method
Specifies the use of receiver based repair technique based on method. This can
currently be none or repeat.
-t ttl Specifies the TTL (time to live) value set in the packet headers. This limits the
scope of the packets. The following values are generally considered
appropriate:
4 campus/organization
16 country
64 continent
127 planet
-silence 1|0
Turns silence suppression on or off.
-version
Displays the version number.
USER INTERFACE
Main Window
The main window of RAT is split into three sections. At the top of the window are the
audio device port and volume selectors, and the mutes for incoming and outgoing audio. In
the middle the list of participants shows local and remote conference members. Active
speakers are highlighted. Clicking the left mouse button on the name of a remote
participant will display a user information panel, giving various reception statistics for
that user. Individuals can be selectively muted by clicking on them with the middle mouse
button on three button systems, or moving the mouse to the individual and pressing the m.
At the bottom of the window are buttons for the options panel, the about panel, and to
quit.
Pressing the right mouse button anywhere within the RAT window will temporarily toggle the
state of the audio input mute: this allows a "push-to-talk" mode of operation.
Options
RAT supports a large number of options and pressing the "options" button will launch the
optinos panel. The best approach to see what is available is to go and explore. The
options panel has a category menu at the top and by clicking on it options in the
different categories are presented.
Personal
User details that are conveyed to other conference participants.
Transmission
Allows the selection of codec used for transmission, the setting of the number, of
units of audio per packet, and the selection of redundant audio data.
Reception
Options that control how received audio is decoded.
Audio Options to select and configure the available audio device, and features that
pertain to audio handling (i.e. silence suppression, agc, audio loopback, and echo
suppression).
Codecs Displays details on available codecs and allows for them to be assigned to
alternate RTP payload numbers. Map payload numbers at your own peril.
Security
Allows DES encryption of audio for incoming and outgoing streams.
Interface
Allows users to control balloon help, enable lip synchronization with suitably
modified versions of VIC , and displaying of windows for reception quality and file
playback and recording.
EXAMPLES
To start a unicast session between the current host and the host shrew.cs.ucl.ac.uk using
port 12000 type:
rat shrew.cs.ucl.ac.uk/12000
To join a multicast session on group address 224.5.6.7 and port 8110 type, using primary
encoding of dvi and a secondary encoding of lpc:
rat -f dvi/lpc 224.5.6.7/8110
AUTHORS
This version of RAT was written by Orion Hodson <O.Hodson@cs.ucl.ac.uk> and Colin Perkins
<C.Perkins@cs.ucl.ac.uk> in the Networked Multimedia Group, University College London.
Markus Iken contributed the 3d rendering code. Bob's Olson and Lindell contributed the
ALSA audio interface.
The first version of RAT was developed by Vicky Hardman <V.Hardman@cs.ucl.ac.uk> and
Isidor Kouvelas <I.Kouvelas@cs.ucl.ac.uk> at University College London. The DES
encryption was written by Saleem Bhatti <S.Bhatti@cs.ucl.ac.uk> and integrated by Darren
Harris.
RAT has been supported by the following projects: <IP> MICE Multimedia Conferencing in
Europe (ESPRIT)
MERCI Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration
ReLaTe Remote Language Teaching for Super Janet (BT/JISC)
RAT Robust Audio Tool (EPSRC/BT)
This software has benefited from hardware donations by Sun Microsystems and Hewlett
Packard, and software donations by Microsoft.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Roy Bennett, Davide Cavagnino, Jon Crowcroft, Ross Finlayson, Atanu Ghosh, Terry
Gibbons, Jeremy Hall, Mark Handley, Marcus Iken, Iain McKay, Roman Kurmanowyts, Robert
Olson, Fulvio Risso, Roy Rodenstein, Lorenzo Vicisano, Anna Watson, Michael Wallbaum, Hui
Zhao, and our collegues at UCL who have provided countless suggestions and extended good
humour through the buggy pre-releases.
Modifications for HP-UX by Terje Vernly <terjeve@usit.uio.no> and Geir Harald Hansen
<g.h.hansen@usit.uio.no>.
This software is derived, in part, from publically available source code with the
following copyright:
Copyright (c) 1991-1993,1996 Regents of the University of California.
Copyright (c) 1992 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam.
Copyright (c) 1991,1992 RSA Data Security, Inc.
Copyright (c) 1992 Jutta Degener and Carsten Bormann, Technische Universitaet Berlin.
Copyright (c) 1994 Henning Schulzrinne.
Copyright (c) 1994 Paul Stewart.
This product includes software developed by the Computer Systems Engineering Group and by
the Network Research Group at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Encryption features of this software use the RSA Data Security, Inc. MD5 Message-Digest
Algorithm.
FEEDBACK
Please send comments, bug-reports, patches, and suggestions to rat-trap@cs.ucl.ac.uk.
Please check http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/multimedia/software for latest release
information.
14 January 2000 rat(1)