readme++

README.md

@@ -29,3 +29,96 @@ for (almost) gapless playback, even when the data is stored on a NAS or cloud
 when storing data on a cloud, it would take forever to load all songs and scan them for metadata.
 you would also run into issues with different file formats and where to store the cover images.
 a custom database speeds up server startup and allows for more features.
+
+## usage
+
+### build
+
+build `musicdb-server` and `musicdb-client` using cargo.
+for the client, you may need to change the path used in `include_bytes!(...)` to one that actually points to a valid font on your system.
+
+## setup
+
+### server/client
+
+#### prep
+
+You need some directory where your music is located (mp3 files).
+I will assume this is `/music` for simplicity.
+
+The structure should be `/music/Artist/Album/Song.mp3` so we can automatically
+populate the database with your songs. if it isn't, songs will need to be added manually (for now).
+
+You will also need a file that will hold your database.
+I will assume this is `dbfile`.
+
+Note: Instead of adding the executables (`musicdb-client` and `musicdb-server`) to your `$PATH`, you can run `cargo run --release -- ` followed by the arguments.
+Since this is using cargo, you need to be in the source directorie for whatever you want to run.
+
+#### initializing the server
+
+run the server without arguments to see the current syntax.
+
+To initialize a new database:
+
+```sh
+musicdb-server dbfile --init /music --tcp 127.0.0.1:12345 --web 127.0.0.1:8080
+```
+
+#### adding songs
+
+While the server is running, the client can add songs to it:
+
+##### automatically
+
+If your files are stored as `/music/Artist/Album/Song.mp3`,
+the client can go through these files and add them all to the database.
+For this to work, the client should be running on the same machine as the server
+(the contents of `/music` must match).
+
+```sh
+musicdb-client filldb 127.0.0.1:12345
+```
+
+You can open `127.0.0.1:8080` in a browser to see the songs being added in real-time.
+
+##### manually
+
+You can use the client's cli mode to manually add songs (this is annoying. don't.)
+
+```sh
+musicdb-client cli 127.0.0.1:12345
+```
+
+##### saving
+
+```sh
+musicdb-client cli 127.0.0.1:12345
+```
+
+Now, start the client's cli mode and type 'save'. The server will now create (or overwrite) `dbfile`.
+
+And that's it - you can now use the player. For a user-friendly(er) interface, start the client in gui mode:
+
+```sh
+musicdb-client gui 127.0.0.1:12345
+```
+
+#### (re)starting the server
+
+To load an existing dbfile, remove the `init` part from the command used earlier:
+
+```sh
+musicdb-server dbfile --tcp 127.0.0.1:12345 --web 127.0.0.1:8080
+```
+
+And that's it - the rest should just work.
+
+### syncplayer
+
+If `/music` is the same on two devices, one can act as the server and the other as a client
+that simply mirrors the server using the client's syncplayer mode:
+
+```sh
+musicdb-client syncplayer 127.0.0.1:12345
+```