The MBshare Project
 

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7...harebanner.png
The MBshare Project is a meeting place for the community to selectively discover & share music collections with one another in realtime.
When you're all set up, you can simply allow someone access to your music collection, and that person can explore your library and
download what they wish. If you only want certain collections to be available, you can easily designate a specified folder for any occasion,
at any time. Ultimately, this project is an effort to streamline the way we explore and share our music with the community.




HOW DOES IT WORK?
Each participant downloads a free P2P client called Soulseek, performs the initial setup, sets their shared folder, then posts their Soulseek username
in this thread, which will also be included in the "participants" section below. Participants can then request access to other participants' shares, and if
that person accepts, he or she can add the requestee's name to their buddy list in Soulseek, which will give them access to their share. Sounds easy
enough, right? Well, if you're interested in participating, let's go through the steps necessary to get you started!


WHAT DO I DO?

• First, click this link, download and run the installer. This is the setup program for Soulseek. (If necessary, skip ahead to relevant parts)
• Follow the wizard, choosing your preferable installation location.
• Once the installation is completed, you can then locate the program and run it for the first time. You will be prompted to choose a user name and password.
• For this installation, I chose my "Milkenstein", and set my password. When this is done, the program is ready to configure.
• In the program, go to OPTIONS > GENERAL OPTIONS, then click "Test firewall and router settings". A browser window will open up.

*** If it says that your port is CLOSED, and that Soulseek needs to be configured correctly, scroll down to TROUBLESHOOTING, otherwise read on.

• If everything's OK, press "OK" and you will return back to the main client.
• Go to OPTIONS > FILE SHARING CONFIGURATION, and select your save folder. This is where your downloads will end up.
• Next, click "Add Shared Folder". This is the folder you're going to share with participants. It can be your root music folder with your entire library, or whatever you specify.
• WHEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR SHARED FOLDER, SELECT "FOLDER IS ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO PEOPLE IN MY USER'S LIST"!
• Click OK. Then decide whether you would like to accept uploads or not. It's not really necessary for our purpose, though. Then select "OK".
• YOU'RE ALMOST DONE! When you have a participant's Soulseek name, simply right-click the large white box on the top right and choose "Add User".

*** Adding that user gives THEM permission to access YOUR share. You can only access THEIR share if they add you as well, if you've both set your
clients up with the same permissions. ***

To browse the shared files of folks in your buddy list, simply right-click their name when they're online, and choose "Browse files". You can then look around and download what you want.

- Finally, there are some things you can set as you explore the program. In general, the TRANSFERS button will show you active transfers to and from, once you've
double-clicked a song or folder. Each user can set his/her maximum download instances and maximum upload instances in the TRANSFERS window.
- It is recommended that Max D/L KBPS remains at 0 (unlimited) and U/L be reasonable. If you set your upload KBPS to something like 5 kbps, it will take FOREVER
for that person to download even a song, much less an album. Just keep it at 0 (unlimited) unless a person's downloading is maxing out your bandwidth. 100 kbps is
good enough without infringing on most people's bandwidth. If necessary, adjust accordingly.

AND REMEMBER! BOTH PARTIES HAVE TO BE ONLINE FOR A TRANSFER TO TAKE PLACE. So use this thread to coordinate!


Once you've added someone, you can right click their name and send a message to them, and a chat window will open.

HAVE FUN!







TROUBLESHOOTING
- If your listening port is closed, you will need to manually make some adjustments so that your router will make a port available for Soulseek to use.
You need to log into your router to do this. If you do not know how to log into your router:
- In Windows, simply go to your START bar, and type CMD in your run bar, and hit enter. The command prompt will open.
- Type IPCONFIG and hit enter. Locate DEFAULT GATEWAY. (make a note of your copmputer's IP address while doing this)
- Type the DEFAULT GATEWAY IP address into your browser's URL section and hit enter. You should now either be in your router's config page, or
be prompted for a username and password.
- Enter any necessary details to enter your router's config page.
- Once in your router's config page, locate the "port forwarding" section. Sometimes this is called "applications and gaming", or "virtual servers".
- If you have successfully located the correct section, choose to enter a custom service, then enter an identifier like "soulseek" in the service name.
- Set the protocol to TCP/UDP.
- Copy the "listening port" number from the General Options in Soulseek, and paste that into the "starting port" (and ending port) in your router.
- If there is a "server IP" needed, enter your computer's IP address, which you saw when you ran IPCONFIG to get the default gateway. For some,
you need to click your PC represented in this section of your router, and this will achieve the same effect.
- Apply the settings, then go back to the General Options in the Soulseek client and press the "Test firewall and router settings" button again.
- If the browser popup says that the port is open and Soulseek is configured correctly, then YOU WIN! If not, please post here and your issue will
be addressed personally.
- If you've won, please continue the steps where you left off in the WHAT DO I DO? section.

PARTICIPANTS

I just wanted to post this for you guys to feedback on. If you think this is a good idea and have any input, post it here. I'm accepting everything from policy to layout. Add your ideas so we can get this rolling!

I'm down for this as long as you freaks stay out of my vintage porn folder

my username is fuck forever

I'd probably be up for this if my collection wasn't so small.

Still, this is great! :>

I'm down for this. It seems like a really good idea to me. My username is "Abear".

Similar to my Musicbanter Ark idea that got shot down

Sounds pretty damn similar to me...

I am very keen for this! Is it illegal or traceable? As in my country I will get in trouble from October if caught.

Freebase I can't get into my routers config page cuz it requires a password and username. Any help?

Password and username for your router might be written on the bottom of it. If they're not, your ISP is a bastard as it's not particularly fair game to deny you access to your own router!

I've set it all up, sounds like a great idea! Username: Chronosynclastic

Gonna make an account for this now, good idea!

username is PandaJames....I like pandas. I'll add you all, add me back.

Well there are all these codes etc but I have no idea whats the user name and password. Is it the p/n or s/n?

When I open the program it just closes itself down and comes up with a message saying
"You have been disconnected because your account was used to sign in on another computer"
:(

I like the idea a lot, but I remember having problems using Soulseek and uTorrent at the same time. So I'm not sure if I want it to keep running.
Wouldn't it be a nicer idea (just a thought) to have a shared webfolder of some sort, to which people can upload tracks they think are great? Just a thought.

James: it's possible that the program is simply minimised (possibly to the tray down by the time) and so you're trying to run two instances of the program without realising.

Vanilla: I honestly have no idea: even here between ISPs the protocol/passwords/layout are completely different, I couldn't tell you what it'd be like on the other side of the world. If there's anything vaguely approaching something that looks like a username/password on it, then try that (my router incidentally asked me for a password but didn't have one), otherwise, there might be documentation associated with the router/ISP that'll have it... if all else fails, try googling the isp and "router password" to see if google has any answers.

@s_k: I'll be running both at the same time over the next few days, I'll let you know if I notice any problems.

Oh I can try it myself. I have this PC that's always on, so I'm pretty much the perfect sharer :D. But I remember having trouble downloading with one of the two when they were running at the same time. Long time ago though.

that was it. Thanks :)

SOMEONE COME ONLINE AND SHARE WITH ME! I want to try this out.

My internet isn't working right now... I'm doing this all through my phone.

..and I'm in college and setting things up to bypass the college proxy is a royal pain in the ass, and I should be studying...

I should be studying too.

I'll be on in a couple hours, I have to go to class :(

So there's no version for Mac? Darn. I'll have to figure something out then. I don't have a lot of music on my Windows computer and no external hard drive to transfer my library onto it. :(

That's what I was thinking. Me feel sad, me have no Windows.

Network-cable ;).

Yeah, the world is a dark place with no windows :D.

The concept is similar, but I don't think the community digs the idea of having to upload their entire library to a server (or even portions of it)... Having a p2p client makes it extremely efficient and hassle-free.

Soulseek isn't illegal. p2p clients, in and of themselves, aren't illegal. The only thing that's illegal is distributing copyrighted material, which is at the user's discretion. Will someone notice if you do that? No. The connection is between the person sharing, and the person downloading. There's nowhere near the transparency that exists in torrents, where you're downloading from multiple sources, any of which could (and usually are) be honey-pots that exist to log the IP of everyone who downloads illegally. You're taking more risk by downloading a file from a media upload site, as all those logs are stored on a central server. This is completely different, and there is no server for the transaction. It's just you, and a friend, transferring a file over the internet. The only thing that can possibly happen, is Soulseek gets shut down for "suspicion" of aiding in illegal activity, which hasn't happened in all the years they've been running.

As far as your user name and password, you might be able to reset it by using the reset button that should be located somewhere on the unit... or by unplugging the unit for a while. Mainly you want to get it to its factory defaults. The username for routers is usually ADMIN. There is usually no password by default. Try that. If it's not working, simply look at the make and model of your router and google how to reset it to its defaults, and what the default username/password is. The info is most definitely available.

Too much work for most people, and would take too long to upload large amounts of material. Most people don't have amazing upload bandwidth. p2p clients make it extremely easy, quick, and allows for more options.

As for why you would use Soulseek and uTorrent simultaneously, I dunno. I don't think everyone else would be.

uTorrent usually is up & running hear so I can just put files in the autostart folder. You can add a folder to uTorrent. Every torrent you put in there will start downloading.
So it's running most of the time on the PC in my living room (which is always on) and I just put files on that PC from any PC in the house.

What kind of issues have you had while running both simultaneously?

Mostly that either of them just stopped downloading. Or the speed went very, very low. like... 3kb/s.
I got my internet up & running again (it was a ****ing awful day because of that, took me hours and hours, **** it...) so I'll try it out now :).
Problem is, I am allowed to download here but I'm not allowed to share. So I won't just share my 'downloads' folder. I guess I'll just put some really good albums in it so people can have a listen :).

Yea that might be more of a bandwidth thing.
In any case, I changed my user name and am now sharing my music directory (which isn't that extensive... I'm too lazy to rip all my cds), my entire sample library for music production, and all my vst plugs for music production. (P.S... if you want the bare vst plugs, you need to allow the .dll extension. Since we all trust each other, simply go to your OPTIONS > GENERAL OPTIONS, and select NONE in the Extension filtering mode drop down.)
So if anyone is interested, they can browse through and take what they like.

I'll update my username in the first post.

Obviously, if someone wants access to my share, simply request it here in this thread, provide your username, and I'll add it to my list.

nah, 20mbit back then, 40 now. I don't think that's the prob.
My music directory is huuuuuge, but I won't be sharing all of it.
I'll give it a go, just a sec.

Eitherway, soulseek will always be buggy. Be prepared to be frustrated.

I'm interested in setting up but it will have to be later today. Hopefully I'll be up and sharing by nightfall Pacific time...

I'll be online later (probably after 9pm, 10pm GMT), and my laptop is always on overnight, so any americans, aussies, or insomniacs are free to add me and steal what they like. I put my music folder on sharing, which is pretty much everything I've bothered to get/re-rip/download since my last external died with my entire virtual library...

I'll add people later, when I get home.

Cool deal.
I'm not sure about this, but I believe that once you've established someone's file index, they don't have to be online for you to browse through it. You can then simply do like you would do to download, and the files will be placed in a queue until that person logs on, and will start from there.

That's right. People could get online by request eventually.
Working it out with FBD now.

I'm afraid the port fowarding bit will scare some people.
But we'll see :)

Update... s_k and I have successfully synced up and are lurking each other's folders as we speak. :D

Hahaha, lurker.
I have a 'musicbanter' folder for you to have a look at.
I never keep my downloads in the folders they are downlaoded to, so I'll just put some stuff in the Musicbanter folder every now and then

Update...
Download speeds are looking good (enough) from the states to the Netherlands.
Once everyone gets onboard and sorted, there shouldn't be any issues. If anyone has any problems, post them here and we'll get you sorted out.

Hey Jeremy, it won't let me share my main music folder because it's a main folder or something, do I have to move everything or is there a way I can circumvent this issue?