If it is not skype, what can I use?

ezzetabi · 2007-09-09 08:40:58

After reading this article about how to skype reads passwd and other unnecessary files in /etc I am thinking about using an other application for telephony.
What do you think is the `other' best choice?

archer108 · 2007-09-09 09:37:14

i use gizmoproject.com works fine on archlinux, not so popular as skype there is a aur packet for it.
http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?d … s=0&SeB=nd

geek.arnuld · 2007-09-09 16:46:29

Try "Ekiga", it is already in pacman

ise · 2007-09-09 16:59:33

wengophone is another good piece of software. You will find it in AUR.

skottish · 2007-09-09 17:33:52

ise wrote:

wengophone is another good piece of software. You will find it in AUR.

It works well for you?

Twinklephone is a good voice only program.

ise · 2007-09-09 18:31:17

wengophone works perfect for me. It has the same functionality as skype. The advantage of werngophone is, that audio and video over all OSs just works (Linux, Mac, Windows).

Last edited by ise (2007-09-09 18:33:37)

skottish · 2007-09-09 18:41:24

ise wrote:

wengophone works perfect for me. It has the same functionality as skype. Audio and video over all OSs (Linux, Mac, Windows)

Cool. I haven't had any luck, but then again, I'm on 64 bit.

By the way everyone, Berkus is a Skype dev and is around here. So if you have any questions about Skype and privacy, ask. Personally I think that it's useful not to assume that Skype is going the data mining path, but it's certainly an important discussion that should be out in the open. In the article posted above, one of the concerns is that Skype is looking at /etc/passwd. If you strace whoami, you'll see one possibility of where that may come from.

Last edited by skottish (2007-09-09 18:42:32)

ise · 2007-09-09 20:21:04

skottish wrote:

Cool. I haven't had any luck, but then again, I'm on 64 bit.

There is an source build in AUR. Try this, if you are on Arch64.

skottish · 2007-09-09 20:38:11

I've compiled Wengophone for DJClue and myself at least 40 times. I rolled back to GCC 4.0, the recommended version of QT 4, rebuilt boost.. everything the Wengo devs suggested, and have never had one build that functioned. The last time I tried was with the current software in repos and I get exactly the same results. It will compile successfully, but it won't connect to the network

ise · 2007-09-09 20:49:09

Runs fine here. just take this PKGBUILD from AUR: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?d … =1&ID=8014
I have compiled it right now again, and it works on arch64 btw.

Last edited by ise (2007-09-09 20:49:37)

skottish · 2007-09-09 21:08:04

Quick question before I start here. My FFMPEG is not from the repos and doesn't have all of the exter C stuff. I'm not going to patch it if you had success with the one in the repos. Are you using the stock Arch build?

ise · 2007-09-09 21:18:07

skottish wrote:

Quick question before I start here. My FFMPEG is not from the repos and doesn't have all of the exter C stuff. I'm not going to patch it if you had success with the one in the repos. Are you using the stock Arch build?

Yes, all from the original repos from arch.

Noneus · 2007-09-09 21:49:10

I suggest Wengophone. Really all the features in Windows and Mac work for Linux too. Even videotelephony. I just compiled wengophone-ng without any problems on arch64.

F · 2007-09-10 02:37:36

none of you guys know of, by any chance, a terminal-based telephony application?

/me gets on knees and prays.

skottish · 2007-09-10 03:52:48

Well, I'm glad Wengophone works for someone on 64 bit. Both 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 blow up trying to reach the network on my machine. And this with only software from the repos. Interestingly these are the worst builds I've see from Wengo since 2.1.0. Hmmm???

Personally I'm going to try 2.2 here soon (the alpha is in testing). That version should be compatible with newer versions of FFMPEG anyway. There have been a whole bunch of changes in FFMPEG in the last few months, both at the API and user levels.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited to replace the word beta with the word alpha above, and to let the community know that 2.2 alpha does build against very modern FFMPEG code. It still doesn't work for me. Apparently the problem I'm having is very common and it stretches back multiple version. Hardware or networking problem?

Last edited by skottish (2007-09-11 01:13:23)

Eliteforce · 2007-09-10 19:03:42

F wrote:

none of you guys know of, by any chance, a terminal-based telephony application?
/me gets on knees and prays.

gnu freetalk?

dunkelstern · 2007-09-12 23:53:17

Try kcall (see AUR) it's a SIP phone client so it's standard VoIP.
But it uses the OSS interface to your soundcard (much crackling here)

Alternatively you may try twinkle (it's SIP too)

iphitus · 2007-09-13 04:41:10

Over-reaction. Even a little research shows that skype isnt doing anything malicious.

ls -lh, also shows /etc/passwd when strace'd. It's looking up your username to match your uid. Skype's probably using similar libc calls to get username. Skype itself is probably not reading it.

As for the firefox profile, Skype has a firefox extension. It's most likely just doing a find on your firefox profile to see if you have the extension installed.

Don't jump to conclusions. There's no evidence skype sends info home. Run wireshark and check for yourself before you boycott anything on accusations with no evidence.

Other closed source apps would show similar results on a strace.

James

ezzetabi · 2007-09-13 19:34:49

iphitus, actually you are jumping to conclusions. I never said Skype was doing anything evil.
But after the slashdot article I wondered: `what good alternatives are there?'

buttons · 2007-09-13 22:31:08

None of the above. Wengo is tolerable, and may one day add a Skype-In-like feature, making it actually useful. Until then, Skype is really the only thing out there.

Also, wengo is very temperamental. Not a good quality in something as serious as voip communication.

Kei · 2007-09-14 08:57:17

I recommend Wengo. Okay, maybe there's no evidence that Skype is calling home, but: Skype uses a proprietary protocol instead of the open standard SIP. Because of that Skype is the only client which can connect to its network. We shouldn't support that way. When everybody uses Skype, no one will be able to use an alternative client instead because of that protocol. No one knows what the Skype developers will do when everybody is depending on them.

It's better to use OSS with open protocolls.

lloeki · 2007-09-14 09:20:47

Ekiga is good.

My ISP (free.fr) provides a VoIP line together with ADSL with its set-top box (just plug a phone at the back and voila). Internally they use SIP, so they provide us with the means to use softphones like Ekiga. Unfortunately, they failed to comply with the standard in some way, and ekiga 2.x is a bit strict about it, so it fails to connect (I hear there's a workaround for this case in svn). But it works with some other SIP clients.

Whatever, had my ISP respect SIP standards I could use the VoIP line they provide with Ekiga, and miss none of skype features (incl. land-in and land-out for a ridiculous price). Except reaching skype guys. But then, I can call any SIP user. Screw it, that just sounds too much like MSNM vs jabber. While I can tolerate some closed-sourceness, I can't stand being locked in like that.

Last edited by lloeki (2007-09-14 09:21:54)

CPUnltd · 2010-01-03 00:18:25

hello... one of the new guys around here... been searching for something to replace twinklephone... I have 2 lines I need to work with and twinkle is coughing up a lung trying to work with pulseaudio. Will let me make/recieve one call per initiation (which means I have to kill and restart it after every successful call in or out) and I am seriously looking for a replacement. Their mailing list has all but died as far as support seems to be nowadays and I am tired of asking questions there... so I'm ready to move on... any suggestions? I really only have 2 requirements... I can connect at least 2 separate SIP numbers to it and it can do custom ringtones (wav/mp3/flac/whatever) so I can have a different tone to distinguish between lines before even looking at my callerID. Thanks in advance everybody!

Arch Linux

#1 2007-09-09 08:40:58

If it is not skype, what can I use?

#2 2007-09-09 09:37:14

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#3 2007-09-09 16:46:29

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#4 2007-09-09 16:59:33

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#5 2007-09-09 17:33:52

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#6 2007-09-09 18:31:17

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#7 2007-09-09 18:41:24

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#8 2007-09-09 20:21:04

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#9 2007-09-09 20:38:11

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#10 2007-09-09 20:49:09

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#11 2007-09-09 21:08:04

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#12 2007-09-09 21:18:07

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#13 2007-09-09 21:49:10

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#14 2007-09-10 02:37:36

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#15 2007-09-10 03:52:48

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#16 2007-09-10 19:03:42

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#17 2007-09-12 23:53:17

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#18 2007-09-13 04:41:10

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#19 2007-09-13 19:34:49

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#20 2007-09-13 22:31:08

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#21 2007-09-14 08:57:17

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#22 2007-09-14 09:20:47

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

#23 2010-01-03 00:18:25

Re: If it is not skype, what can I use?

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