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Skype VoIP Software Released For Linux

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the skype-fi dept.

pmf writes "Skype Technologies has just released a free beta version of their software for Linux. Skype is well known P2P VoIP technology that, according to them: '...is addressing all the problems of legacy VoIP solutions: bad sound quality, difficult to set up and configure, and the need for expensive, centralized infrastructure.'"

10 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seeing as how this is from the Kazaa people, are we to expect spyware in this product?

    1. Re:Spyware by starflt · · Score: 5, Funny
      [JARRING CHORD]

      Nooooobody expects spyware! Our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise, and Internet Explorer exploits... Exploits and surprise. Our two weapons are surprise and Internet Explorer exploits... and uncaring users.. . Our *three* weapons are surprise, IE exploits, and uncaring users... and an almost fanatical devotion to an annoyance-marketing based business model. Our *four*... no... *Amongst* our weapons... Amongst our *weaponry*, are such elements as surprise, IE exploits... I'll come in again.

    2. Re:Spyware by Rexdude · · Score: 5, Informative

      The guys behind this are the ones who *invented* Kazaa and the FastTrack protocol-they later sold it to Sharman Networks, who are the ones who added the spyware. There's no spyware in this-their website boldly displays this fact, instead of burying it under legalese.

      --
      "..One hosts to look them up, one DNS to find them, and in the darkness BIND them."
    3. Re:Spyware by ohad_l · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why the hell should we not be expecting spyware? Spyware is indeed extremely improbable in open source software, but here's a great example - Skype - of an application that is not open sourced. Linux does not inherently make spyware impossible - it's just that most software that is used with Linux is open-source, and therefore easily freed of spyware.

      Skype could indeed contain spyware. We can and will probably use the flexibility of various firewalling and sniffing utilities to block it.

      --
      If it weren't for fog, the world would run at a really crappy framerate.
  2. Test your connection first... by fiji · · Score: 5, Informative

    Before you download and configure this, test your connection out so see if it can handle VoIP. You can also play with different codecs to see if one is better than the other over your connection.

    -ben

  3. Skype disadvantages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Skype is hype...

    * Skype is proprietary.
    * Skype is using a proprietary protocol that no VoIP carriers/providers will be using.
    * Skype has better sound quality? Let me laugh, it just happens that Skype is only able to do audio, so all your upload can be devoted to audio.

    OK, Skype is a nice toy for Windows users. For Linux users, there is GnomeMeeting (http://www.gnomemeeting.org) and Linphone.

  4. How about the FWD? by Milo+of+Kroton · · Score: 5, Informative

    Free World Dialup makes a good product which I find is better and is the superior option of choices. You can find this with the Google searches for terms like Free World Dialup with the quotes surrounding.

    --
    Read journal when you are not understand
  5. this is fantastic news by Schlemphfer · · Score: 5, Informative
    For me, Skype is one of the last products that's keeping me tied to an XP box. Your performance may vary, but I've found that the quality of calls I make anywhere in the US is significantly higher than what I get through a regular phone line (assuming both parties are using broadband.)

    Overseas, I've had less luck. From my place in Central NY, my Skype calls to a friend in Amsterdam are generally intolerable, although he reports that it works fine when he talks to his brother in Philly. I've had poor but acceptable connections using Skype to talk to a friend in Madrid.

    Voice quality has continued to improve slightly with each new release of Skype. But for me, the verdict is Skype is sensational within North America, and barely tolerable or outright unusable for calling overseas.

    Still, I wish everyone had broadband and Skype. Even without taking the fact that it's free, it just sounds measurably better than standard long distance calls within the US.

    --
    I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
  6. Re:If it's not Ogg.... by p80 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Are you talking about Ogg Vorbis or Ogg FLAC or Ogg Speex? Speex is better for that kind of task.
    "Speex is an Open Source/Free Software patent-free audio compression format designed for speech" and speex is part of the xiph foundation :-)

    --
    download and burn linux with one click on windows
  7. FreeWorld Dialup by 4ginandtonics · · Score: 5, Informative

    As someone else mentioned - FreeWorld Dialup is a great way to go for voip:

    - standards based
    - Free
    - Windows, Linux and pocketpc clients available
    - Call 800 numbers and more
    - Call to/from vonage customers
    - get free phone number and have people call you
    - Get a wisip phone (WiFi SIP) and you have the closest thing to a IP mobile phone you can get.

    FreeWorld Dialup

    I'm currently running windows and ipaq (pocketpc 2002) clients fine. And calling my home vonage service - no problem!