Bug#767299: ITP: librscode -- library implementing a Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm

[Christian Kastner <debian@kvr.at>]

Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist
Owner: Christian Kastner <debian@kvr.at>

* Package name    : librscode
  Version         : 1.3
  Upstream Author : Henry Minsky <hqm@alum.mit.edu>
* URL             : http://rscode.sourceforge.net
* License         : GPL-3+
  Programming Lang: C
  Description     : library implementing a Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm

The RSCODE project is an implementation of a Reed-Solomon error correction
algorithm. Error correcting codes are marvelous jewels of mathematics and
algorithms, providing an almost supernatural ability to recover good data from
a corrupted channel.

This implementation of the Reed-Solomon codes provide convenient 'byte-sized'
block coding which is convenient for adding protection to data which is stored
as eight-bit bytes (i.e., most common computer data).

The Reed-Solomon code is the same one used for encoding of data on Audio CD's
and CD-ROM disks, as well as many magnetic and optical disk controllers. You
basically want to use Reed-Solomon coding in any situation where "forward error
correction" is needed, i.e., the decoder will not have the option of requesting
retransmission of bad blocks.

There are many ways you might use error correction coding, such as a
high-reliability layer on top of a real-time streaming audio protocol which is
implemented atop an unreliable protocol such as UDP. Or else telemetry from a
remote data probe, or encoding of data into a photographic image. 

[This is the full upstream description. The package description will be
somewhat more terse.]