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(stub) == Introduction == Dr.Octo is a proprietary/closed-source broadcast automation system I developed approximately 1992. It was the beginning of something I'd envisioned back in 1971, but computer technology needed to evolve a bit before it became practical. All versions of Dr.Octo are primarily written in Perl, with significant portions also in Tcl/TK. Other languages are employed to a lesser degree where needed. The core operating system is BSD_Unix/Linux. == Version 1.0 == Dr.Octo Version 1.0 ran on SunOS 4.1.3 (I think) and was essentially a demo, executing on a very small library of program material. All the basic features were there, including some that don't exist in later versions due to various limitations. I was probably its only listener, and it got me through some difficult times, as someone close to me died just after it was "finished" (could run on its own). There was a haunting classical piece in this versions' limited repertoire (can't remember the name now) that sort of hung in the air and made time stop. Or maybe I was just mourning. But whenever I think about about this version of the software, I think about that piece, and for a brief moment I'm transported back to that time. Ghost in the machine! == Version 2.0 == In 1996, Dr.Octo was incarnated in Version 2.0 of necessity. It was still running on SunOS, now at the end (Version 4.1.4), and running on SparcStation hardware. The main program source(s) were massive jukeboxes of CD's containing pre-produced programming. Whereas V1.0 was essentially a solo effort both in programming and realization of a working system, V2.0 was a group effort, with fellow humans creating programming material and a result that was both listenable and durable. Program material from that effort is still being aired today, using later versions of Dr.Octo. == Version 3.0 == In the 2002-2003 timeframe, Dr.Octo Version 3.0 evolved from 2.0. Still using the massive jukeboxes, the main improvement was an X-Widows GUI, a Web Interface (allowing listeners to see what was playing and interact to a limited degree), and various internal improvements that allowed more fine-grained scheduling to be done, as well as improved DJ-Assist mode (not present in Version 2). This system was in production until the fall of 2005. This version was hampered by the entire library being on CD. It wasn't quite possible to put even some of it on hard disk yet, as the necessary codecs just weren't there yet. The original vision remained incomplete despite the improvements. == Development Hiatus == In late 2005, stuff happened, and everything broke and/or went away for reasons beyond the scope of this document. The programming "made the jump" to Live365, and lived there in an extremely limited form until early 2011. Actually, that incarnation is still in existence. It's not running Dr. Octo, of course, it's living on Live365's software, but it's tuned to sound as though it's running on Dr. Octo to the extent possible on Live365. == Version 4.0 == In early 2011, Dr.Octo Version 4.0 was hatched, so to speak. An unusual case of an entire re-write from scratch (as the original code had been lost). In V4, the primary program source resides on hard disk, making it much easier and more efficient to work with than the CD carousels. This version is implemented on Ubuntu Linux, with some instances also running on Debian (and variants thereof). Due to the necessity of starting over from scratch, V4 does not (yet) have a GUI, and the Web Interface is, so far, primordial. New features such as program catching, distributor integration, Twitter integration, support for multiple program streams, and vastly improved DJ assist mode have been implemented. Remote control, submission, and collaboration features are very nice to have. Integrated flow and calendar-based scheduling have been implemented, and self-service web-based spot/PSA submission and scheduling is soon to be released. This release, as well as earlier releases, is incredibly stable and capable of running for very long periods of time, and with remote collaboration and submission possible, the product remains fresh even during long periods of unattended operation.
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