Avahi (Zeroconf) on Linux: What is it Good For?

"In truth, as yet there isn't that much Linux software that really uses mDNS. Apple have made rather more use of it: their software is called Bonjour, and handles printer setup, music sharing via iTunes, photo sharing via iPhoto, Skype, iChat, and an array of other software services. However, in terms of the technical implementation, avahi is an excellent piece of software, and capable of doing everything that Bonjour does. It's been suggested that the Debian/Ubuntu dev teams are actually trying to help give mDNS a bit of encouragement with the inclusion of avahi.

"So, what can you do with avahi on your Linux box? One possibility is to use it for networked music sharing. In particular, if some of your music is on laptops that appear and disappear from the network as they are moved around and shut down or booted up, auto music discovery is very handy. This is the same tech that Apple uses for iTunes. Since I have a Mac laptop and a couple of Debian desktops which live in another room, this sounded promising."

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