[Server-devel] [XSCE] [Off Topic] More Linux users facing skype issues

[Adam Holt]

On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 8:11 PM, T Gillett <tgillett at gmail.com> wrote:

> You might also like to look at Jitsi as a Skype replacement (
> https://meet.jit.si) for group tele/video conference in particular.
>
> You just need a reasonably up to date browser such as Chrome or Firefox.
>
> Just go to the web site, launch a session, and then share the URL with all
> the participants.
>

Aside: a non-browser approach is in fact fundamental to most use cases.

The reason is that reliable calls are completely immune from browser
instability; no less searching among ~200 tabs for a live
family/community/business call Ain't Viable (!) ...even if that magical
crash-free / thrashing-free browser of the future one days appears on our
doorsteps, hahah :>

Something Google does not seem to understand yet, still a decade after
GChat etc -- everything looks like a nail, when you are the hammer?  Or
perhaps Google is/will one day face reality, issuing unobtrusive
Mac/Windows/Linux client software for Hangouts?

Conversely Microsoft is finally learning from others, offering a live URL
to Skype hangouts/calls for more open / ad hoc participation:
http://blogs.skype.com/2015/10/15/a-new-easier-way-to-start-a-skype-conversation-and-invite-anyone-to-join/

On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 10:02 AM, Adam Holt <holt at laptop.org> wrote:
>
>> One of our hackers in Haiti is of course a Linux diehard, who during our
>> weekly call today, kept being being blocked by Microsoft's
>> self-contradictory (and how am I supposed to upgrade??) message-of-death:
>>
>>    "[user] unable to join this call as they need to update Skype first"
>>
>> So we tried to hack Skype, by restarting the large group call to/between
>> Linux users first, and then adding all the other user incrementally from
>> there: Voila it worked flawlessly!
>>
>> Conclusion: there can be no mistake understanding why this is happening.
>> Evidently Microsoft prefers Linux over all other OS's, and so going forth
>> we will abide by their thoughtful pragmatism, and always begin with Linux
>> for a harmonious experience by all.
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 12:46 AM, Sameer Verma <sverma at sfsu.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Ring had a lot of active development. I've been using it since back when
>>> it was called SFLPhone.
>>>
>>> Sameer
>>> On Apr 1, 2016 6:25 PM, "Anish Mangal" <anishmg at umich.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Unfortunately, Antox - The Tox client for Android is quite buggy, and
>>>> AFAIK, doesn't support audio/video calling.
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 11:06 PM, Alex Perez <aperez at alexperez.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I’d also like to second that you guys look into Tox:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tox_(protocol). There are iOS/Android,
>>>>> OS X, (numerous) Windows and Linux clients.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Apr 1, 2016, at 6:34 AM, Anish Mangal <anishmg at umich.edu> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> https://linux.slashdot.org/story/16/03/31/1956218/skype-for-linux-dead-or-just-resting
>>>>>
>>>>> http://nickforall.nl/skype/
>>>>>
>>>>> and of-course
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.stallman.org/skype.html
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> This is not an excuse for not joining the weekly calls (sorry for
>>>>> that), but it has made it quite a bit harder to join skype calls, if you
>>>>> happen to run purer (purely) free software based software.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have an android phone with Cyanogenmod, and only f-droid (none of
>>>>> the google spyware). There is no way to get skype to run on it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Skype doesnt work on my fedora 21 box.
>>>>>
>>>>> The only way I am able to connect is via a VM running Linux mint.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> So far, it's been mostly me creating noise (and apologies for that),
>>>>> but I will continue to do so from time to time. Hopefully someone else who
>>>>> joins these calls regularly in the community values freedom.
>>>>>
>>>>> ==Alternatives==
>>>>>
>>>>> So far, I have found the  following alternatives.
>>>>> 1. Tox (http://tox.chat) - It has bad support for android, but it's
>>>>> linux client seems to work well
>>>>>
>>>>> 2. Ring (http://ring.cx) - It seems to have good support for android,
>>>>> and ofcourse Linux/Windoze/OSX
>>>>>
>>>>> 3. Mumble - This is widely used by many communities and well supported
>>>>> on most platforms
>>>>>
>>>>> 4. Having a SIP server - There are all kinds of apps that can connect
>>>>> to a SIP server,* including from within the browser* as well (see
>>>>> sip.js). This is also easy enough to host, and not bandwidth consuming.
>>>>> Willing to offer to setup one if someone can offer server space.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, all this is not to say, i wont join calls, I am sorry for
>>>>> that, but just making aware of where things are headed skype-wise.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Anish
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Anish
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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