This glossary explains terms found in KH configuration files and logs. The descriptions apply to the version documented here. Similarly named settings may work differently in other Icecast branches.
Mount
A stream path and the selected policy attached to it.
Source client
An encoder or sender supplying encoded media to KH.
Listener
A client consuming a delivered media response.
Codec
The media encoding; a URL suffix cannot prove it.
Container
The structure carrying encoded media and associated data.
Mount pattern
A wildcard rule considered after an exact mount match.
Priority
A numeric ordering rule; smaller mount-pattern values take precedence.
Relay
A local stream fetched from another server rather than uploaded by an encoder.
Origin candidate
One host entry in a relay, with its own remote path and priority.
On-demand relay
A relay whose fetching follows listener demand.
Fallback
A compatible alternate destination used under configured failure/full conditions.
Source takeover
The explicit KH policy permitting a new source to replace the current source.
Queue
Buffered media retained for delivery; its limit affects lagging listeners.
Burst
The initial portion offered quickly to a joining listener.
ICY metadata
Interleaved metadata for applicable streams; distinct from Ogg comments.
Authentication callback
A backend request with an explicit response-header approval contract.
XSLT
A transformation producing a web view from XML state.
YP directory
A discovery listing; neither media transport nor access control.
Pinned snapshot
The exact commit reviewed here, distinct from a similarly named release.
Apply a definition in context
Start with mount selection for policy questions and media delivery for playback questions. A definition alone is not an acceptance test.