[gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[THUFIR HAWAT]

I've read <http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Skype> and it looks ok.  Under
fedora it never quite worked right, some sort of incompatability with
xmms I suspect.  Just sorta soliciting experiences with skype and
gentoo :)

If I can get it working properly that'd be one less reason to use windows :)

-Thufir

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Jason Weisberger]

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I wrote most of that howto on the gentoo wiki, and I have to say that once
you set up alsa, oss emulation, and skype correctly, it works like a charm.
I even have it redirecting output to another sound card which I have a
headset built into.

A few things to note:

-Because this is an earlier version of the skype base software, a few
features are missing and probably will be for some time.  This includes
video, advanced noise reduction, ability to redirect output to one mixer and
input to another, and the list goes on.  But for my purposes, it's just
fine.

-There's a bug that pops up every now and then where Skype won't close your
oss sound device after ending a call.  The only way I've seen to fix this is
to close Skype, restart alsa, then reopen Skype.  Large pain in the butt.

Apparently Skype has been working furiously on a newer version where alsa
support and the like will be built in, but I'm waiting to see that one.

--JBDubbs (jbdubbs@gmail.com)

On 3/21/06, THUFIR HAWAT <hawat.thufir@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I've read <http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Skype> and it looks ok.  Under
> fedora it never quite worked right, some sort of incompatability with
> xmms I suspect.  Just sorta soliciting experiences with skype and
> gentoo :)
>
> If I can get it working properly that'd be one less reason to use windows
> :)
>
> -Thufir
>
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>


--
Jason Weisberger
jbdubbs@gmail.com

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Iain Buchanan]

On Tue, 2006-03-21 at 20:57 +0000, THUFIR HAWAT wrote:
> I've read <http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Skype> and it looks ok.  Under
> fedora it never quite worked right, some sort of incompatability with
> xmms I suspect.  Just sorta soliciting experiences with skype and
> gentoo :)

No offence to the wiki-author, but I tend to do this first:

$ emerge skype

and see what happens.  I've never had any issues and I've been using
skype for ages.

Of course, YMMV, which is where the wiki comes in :)
-- 
Iain Buchanan <iaindb@netspace.net.au>

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Ralph Slooten]

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Hash: SHA1

Jason Weisberger wrote:
> Apparently Skype has been working furiously on a newer version where
> alsa support and the like will be built in, but I'm waiting to see that one.

Just to give a little inside heads-up ~

Firstly I would not call it "furiously" ... it's more like "when they
have time". Yes it's true that alsa-support is being developed, and the
current "beta-beta" builds (not available to the public) use alsa, but
since they released their first alsa-supporting version until the
present it has _never_ worked on either of my gentoo machines. I do beta
testing for Skype btw. Some users on other distros (like redhat) report
success, but I still have to find a gentoo-user who has. The idea of
alsa is great, but the fact that it's all pre-compiled delivers the
issue of compatibility problems with the different alsa versions.

So don't hold your breath ;-) I think the current public release of
Skype will be around for quite a long time, until either:
a) they get more personal to develop the Linux port
b) they open up certain parts of the application (like it's alsa
integration) for self-compiling (like vmware and it's modules) which
imho would solve some compatibility issues.

They also have to eventually rebuild the whole Skype application too it
seems, as it has many design flaws apparently. I'm not saying security
flaws though, just limitations due to it's design.

That being said though, I still think Skype is great. I use it quite a
bit from time to time with good friends and all the main features work
pretty darn well, even with plain OSS-emulation (/dev/dsp).


Greetings,
Ralph

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[michael]

I've been hearing some good things about Gizmo, for one, that it's more
Linux-friendly. Haven't tried it myself yet.

Anybody have anything to say about gizmo?

M

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006, Ralph Slooten wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> Jason Weisberger wrote:
>> Apparently Skype has been working furiously on a newer version where
>> alsa support and the like will be built in, but I'm waiting to see that one.
>
> Just to give a little inside heads-up ~
>
> Firstly I would not call it "furiously" ... it's more like "when they
> have time". Yes it's true that alsa-support is being developed, and the
> current "beta-beta" builds (not available to the public) use alsa, but
> since they released their first alsa-supporting version until the
> present it has _never_ worked on either of my gentoo machines. I do beta
> testing for Skype btw. Some users on other distros (like redhat) report
> success, but I still have to find a gentoo-user who has. The idea of
> alsa is great, but the fact that it's all pre-compiled delivers the
> issue of compatibility problems with the different alsa versions.
>
> So don't hold your breath ;-) I think the current public release of
> Skype will be around for quite a long time, until either:
> a) they get more personal to develop the Linux port
> b) they open up certain parts of the application (like it's alsa
> integration) for self-compiling (like vmware and it's modules) which
> imho would solve some compatibility issues.
>
> They also have to eventually rebuild the whole Skype application too it
> seems, as it has many design flaws apparently. I'm not saying security
> flaws though, just limitations due to it's design.
>
> That being said though, I still think Skype is great. I use it quite a
> bit from time to time with good friends and all the main features work
> pretty darn well, even with plain OSS-emulation (/dev/dsp).
>
>
> Greetings,
> Ralph
>
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> jh40V6tRLCTO6S5UfWMvYGw=
> =PctS
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> -- 
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>
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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Bryce Verdier]

I've tried both. And i have gotten skype to work with a USB headset, but 
the couple of months it took me to figure it out, and it  wasn't really 
worth it. Gizmo has promise, but right now it does not work on amd64. It 
might with a bit more effort but i haven't gotten around to it yet.

As a slight bonus though, you can use twinkle as a device to 
communitcate though gizmo's proxies. SO you can do everything phone 
related, but not IM related activities. They also give you 5 free dial 
out minutes to call POTS lines when you sign up, which does work through 
twinkle as well. Which i have tested to my cell phone, but have not 
called someone and talked to them.

All in all, i'm giving up on skype... 6 months without update is just 
obsurd( i said the same thing about mythtv during its 8 months of 
silence). And right now, until things change, i don't recommend anyone 
uses skype because their linux service is more like lip service.

Anyway, just my opinions, nothing more.

bryce


michael@michaelshiloh.com wrote:
> I've been hearing some good things about Gizmo, for one, that it's more
> Linux-friendly. Haven't tried it myself yet.
>
> Anybody have anything to say about gizmo?
>
> M
>
> On Wed, 22 Mar 2006, Ralph Slooten wrote:
>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> Hash: SHA1
>>
>> Jason Weisberger wrote:
>>> Apparently Skype has been working furiously on a newer version where
>>> alsa support and the like will be built in, but I'm waiting to see 
>>> that one.
>>
>> Just to give a little inside heads-up ~
>>
>> Firstly I would not call it "furiously" ... it's more like "when they
>> have time". Yes it's true that alsa-support is being developed, and the
>> current "beta-beta" builds (not available to the public) use alsa, but
>> since they released their first alsa-supporting version until the
>> present it has _never_ worked on either of my gentoo machines. I do beta
>> testing for Skype btw. Some users on other distros (like redhat) report
>> success, but I still have to find a gentoo-user who has. The idea of
>> alsa is great, but the fact that it's all pre-compiled delivers the
>> issue of compatibility problems with the different alsa versions.
>>
>> So don't hold your breath ;-) I think the current public release of
>> Skype will be around for quite a long time, until either:
>> a) they get more personal to develop the Linux port
>> b) they open up certain parts of the application (like it's alsa
>> integration) for self-compiling (like vmware and it's modules) which
>> imho would solve some compatibility issues.
>>
>> They also have to eventually rebuild the whole Skype application too it
>> seems, as it has many design flaws apparently. I'm not saying security
>> flaws though, just limitations due to it's design.
>>
>> That being said though, I still think Skype is great. I use it quite a
>> bit from time to time with good friends and all the main features work
>> pretty darn well, even with plain OSS-emulation (/dev/dsp).
>>
>>
>> Greetings,
>> Ralph
>>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>> Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux)
>>
>> iD8DBQFEIZawCt0ZF9kLPvYRAsIcAKCEyWFawXSBLVdUq2NtuVdmLOpUbgCfQk7p
>> jh40V6tRLCTO6S5UfWMvYGw=
>> =PctS
>> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>> -- 
>> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>>
>>

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Pongracz Istvan]

Hi.

I read this thread and I agreed with it.
Unfortunately the developers cannot use sound devices under linux.
I'm wondering, how can they develop this application under windows and
how can it work on that platform.

So, usually I can use it, but if I use a music player or see a movie, I
have to restart skype to get working.

Question is, why other guys do not start a real open source project to
make a phone application?
I have some ideas, some of them are crazy (probably :)

Regards,
István

Bryce Verdier wrote:
> 
> All in all, i'm giving up on skype... 6 months without update is just
> obsurd( i said the same thing about mythtv during its 8 months of
> silence). And right now, until things change, i don't recommend anyone
> uses skype because their linux service is more like lip service.
> 
> Anyway, just my opinions, nothing more.
> 
> bryce
> 

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Iain Buchanan]

On Wed, 2006-03-22 at 20:29 +0100, Pongracz Istvan wrote:

> So, usually I can use it, but if I use a music player or see a movie, I
> have to restart skype to get working.

try running skype in this wrapper:
esddsp skype
if you use gnome that is, and the software sound mixing is turned on in
your prefs.
-- 
Iain Buchanan <iaindb at netspace dot net dot au>

For good, return good.
For evil, return justice.

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Pongracz Istvan]

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Hash: SHA1

Thank you your help.
As I know,the running script uses arts or esd wrapper.
I saw that, it uses the esdwrapper, but it doesn't care.

But I will try your solution, maybe that is why I need.

Thank you again,
István

Iain Buchanan wrote:
> On Wed, 2006-03-22 at 20:29 +0100, Pongracz Istvan wrote:
> 
>> So, usually I can use it, but if I use a music player or see a movie, I
>> have to restart skype to get working.
> 
> try running skype in this wrapper:
> esddsp skype
> if you use gnome that is, and the software sound mixing is turned on in
> your prefs.

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Frédéric Grosshans]

> Question is, why other guys do not start a real open source project to
> make a phone application?

tou mean like ekiga http://www.ekiga.org ?

	Fred

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Pongracz Istvan]

Looks fine.
thank you

Frédéric Grosshans wrote:
>> Question is, why other guys do not start a real open source project to
>> make a phone application?
> 
> tou mean like ekiga http://www.ekiga.org ?
> 
> 	Fred
> 

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Matthias Bethke]

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Hi Pongracz,
on Wednesday, 2006-03-22 at 20:29:36, you wrote:
> Question is, why other guys do not start a real open source project to
> make a phone application?

Another one that has been in portage for a few weeks: net-im/wengophone
My experience is that the sound quality isn't quite as good as Skype's
and it can't do conferences (yet?) but OTOH it kinda supports webcams
which Skype's Linux version doesn't. "Kinda" because it's not quite
stable yet, once in a while it locks up or fails to display the other
sides's image, and it uses an awful lot of CPU, but at least it's there.

cheers!
	Matthias

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Re: [gentoo-user] skype experiences: good/bad/etc

[Istvan Pongracz]

Hi Matthias,

Thank you for your tipp, I'll check it.
I also checked ekiga, which is like gnomemeeting, but different ebuild,
downloadable from the site.

I tried this: esearch phone
there are several packages, really nice :)

cheers,
István


Matthias Bethke wrote:
> Hi Pongracz,
> on Wednesday, 2006-03-22 at 20:29:36, you wrote:
>> Question is, why other guys do not start a real open source project to
>> make a phone application?
> 
> Another one that has been in portage for a few weeks: net-im/wengophone
> My experience is that the sound quality isn't quite as good as Skype's
> and it can't do conferences (yet?) but OTOH it kinda supports webcams
> which Skype's Linux version doesn't. "Kinda" because it's not quite
> stable yet, once in a while it locks up or fails to display the other
> sides's image, and it uses an awful lot of CPU, but at least it's there.
> 
> cheers!
> 	Matthias
> 

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