Posted by
ryuzaki0
on from the open-is-better-right dept.
slackah writes "OpenWengo an open source alternative to skype. It includes features such as sip calls, SMS, video conference, and automatic NAT configuration. It's still under heavy development, but it looks very promising."
Also has a singularly unhelpful website, but that may be partially down to the/. effect meaning I can't reach the source code. Ah well, maybe it'll be good when it's done!:)
They happen to be using Trac as a web-based wiki/issue tracker/project management tool, and they're using an old version.
Trac's development trunk has fixed some of these locking issues with SQLite as well as allowed for using Postgres as a backend. I'm still not sure if it would survive a slashdotting, but it would be better performance than this.
I don't think their dev server is any indication of the level of service...
-- Mind the gap
Just in case..
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Free as in... Windows?
by
Masque
·
· Score: 5, Informative
This is an "alternative to Skype" in the same way that Google Talk is - it's an alternative if you happen to be running Windows 2000/XP. I have too much to do during the day to mess with running Windows, so it looks like I'm sticking with Skype or GizmoProject. No affiliation with either, aside from liking the fact that they work on more than one OS.
Re:Free as in... Windows?
by
stuuf
·
· Score: 1, Informative
Uh... Google Talk just uses the Jabber/XMPP protocol, so you can connect to it with Gaim, Psi, or whatever you want.
--
Everyone is born right-handed; only the greatest overcome it
Re:Free as in... Windows?
by
jma05
·
· Score: 2, Informative
But Jabber doesn't do voice.
Re:Free as in... Windows?
by
LnxAddct
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Google extended the Jabber protocol to support voice in a jabber friendly way. They are preparing the spec for public release right now and I assume it'll be integrated with Gaim. Google paid several developers for Gaim over the "Summer of Code" and I believe they still have other resources dedicated to adding features to gaim. Regardless, if it is an open spec it will eventually be added to Gaim and Google's protocol will most likely support Speex according to their site. Regards, Steve
Re:Hopefully not GPL'd
by
j.leidner
·
· Score: 3, Informative
1. Code compile with gcc does NOT automatically fall under the GPL (read up on the differences between GPL and LGPL).
2. You don't have to use GCC to compile your project. (There are also commmercial compilers for C++, for example Intel has one.). Your Windows re-write of the project seems like a big waste just because your lawyers don't have a clue.
3. You don't have to open-source ALL your code, only the changes to the core Linux operating system. Surely you could have split your system into an application layer and an OS layer, only opening up the latter (probably with very limited use to your competitor compared to the former).
4. If your project management was unaware of the licensing situation before embarking on a project, that doesn't sound good, uh-oh. You had better try to silently move to work a more competent project leader.
Better luck next time!
Re:The real power of Skype
by
sulimma
·
· Score: 3, Informative
If it supports SIP calls it supports PC-to-POTS and POTS-to-PC.
You can pay external SIP-gateways for PC-to-POTS. You can POTS-to-PC for free.
The beauty of it is that you can rent phone numbers in as many area codes or countries as you like and route them to your computer.
Re:Hopefully not GPL'd
by
AKAImBatman
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Besides being trolled, point 1 is factually incorrect. The use of GPL or LGPL doesn't matter in the case of GCC, because the output of GPLed programs is not covered by the GPL. Only if your code links to GCC or some other (L)GPL package will the GPL be invoked. Here's the relevant section of the GPL:
The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
Re:Open source alternative added value
by
Lumpy
·
· Score: 5, Informative
true. if you want that just use asterisk and a SIP phone.
myself and a few friends all have asterisk systems and broadvoice. if I want to call california my asterisk system sees that and routes the call to his asterisk system and then out his broadvoice connection. works great take no effort and does not mess up his use of his broadvoice line as broadvoice allows 4 voice channels to be open on one line. he can have 2 calls going on while I use one channel.
if you are a techie type of person screwing around with these desktop app based systems is a waste of time. use real SIP hardware and get in on the real fun.
nothing like your own conference bridge to have 12 frinds all yakking away in.
-- Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Phone Gaim?
by
johnnyproton
·
· Score: 5, Informative
I know this was made by the guys at Lindows but it seems like such a great project. Wonder why the Gaim developers don't talk about it on their own home page?
It seems this would be a great option for GNOME in general. I'd love to have this functionality tied into my Evolution Data Server instead of creating yet another buddy list, etc.
AFAIK, sip is being coded and/or already added.. it has voice, video, text chat... open source and in pretty good shape compared to the pre-alpha software in the story..
http://www.gnomemeeting.org/
GnomeMeeting
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Informative
GnomeMeeting has been doing that for years with H.323 and SIP. They are using the same protocols and technics to cross NAT.
Sorry, but I really don't see what's new with this openwengo thing.
Re:Hopefully not GPL'd
by
Nekkrist
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Although we had planned for no one outside of this company to ever
use, let alone see the source code, we were now put in a difficult
position. We could either give away our hard work, or come up with
another solution.
From the FAQ found here you should be able to see that if you were not intending to distribute the program, then you wouldn't have to make the source code available to anyone. In fact you only have to make the source available to people you distribute the program to. It sounds like you need some more competant lawyers.
Q: If I know someone has a copy of a GPL-covered program, can I demand he give me a copy?
A: No. The GPL gives him permission to make and redistribute copies of the program if he chooses to do so. He also has the right not to redistribute the program, if that is what he chooses.
Re:The real power of Skype
by
bonnseba
·
· Score: 2, Informative
But this one do.
Wengo is a french telco affiliated to "neuf telecom", one of the leaders. It offers PC to regular phone and regular phone to pc for France residents. They also have very competitive international rates.
http://www.wengo.fr/ (site in french).
Skype was soaring to popularity long before they introduced their "SkypeOut" functionality. Skype's real innovation was their NAT hole punching which meant that you didn't have to worry about fiddling with your firewall to get it to work, a major shortcoming of other VOIP apps.
Re:Disagree
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Informative
This memo documents the methods used by the current peer-to-peer (P2P) applications to communicate in the presence of middleboxes such as firewalls and network address translators (NAT). In addition, the memo suggests guidelines to application designers and middlebox implementers on the measures they could take to enable immediate, wide deployment of P2P applications with or without requiring the use of special proxy, relay or midcom protocols.
Slashdot Mirror
Development Status: Pre-Alpha
/. effect meaning I can't reach the source code. Ah well, maybe it'll be good when it's done! :)
Also has a singularly unhelpful website, but that may be partially down to the
Game dev and music blog
here's the Coral cache
This is an "alternative to Skype" in the same way that Google Talk is - it's an alternative if you happen to be running Windows 2000/XP. I have too much to do during the day to mess with running Windows, so it looks like I'm sticking with Skype or GizmoProject. No affiliation with either, aside from liking the fact that they work on more than one OS.
2. You don't have to use GCC to compile your project. (There are also commmercial compilers for C++, for example Intel has one.). Your Windows re-write of the project seems like a big waste just because your lawyers don't have a clue.
3. You don't have to open-source ALL your code, only the changes to the core Linux operating system. Surely you could have split your system into an application layer and an OS layer, only opening up the latter (probably with very limited use to your competitor compared to the former).
4. If your project management was unaware of the licensing situation before embarking on a project, that doesn't sound good, uh-oh. You had better try to silently move to work a more competent project leader.
Better luck next time!
If it supports SIP calls it supports PC-to-POTS and POTS-to-PC.
You can pay external SIP-gateways for PC-to-POTS. You can POTS-to-PC for free.
The beauty of it is that you can rent phone numbers in as many area codes or countries as you like and route them to your computer.
Thank you, please drive through.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
true. if you want that just use asterisk and a SIP phone.
myself and a few friends all have asterisk systems and broadvoice. if I want to call california my asterisk system sees that and routes the call to his asterisk system and then out his broadvoice connection. works great take no effort and does not mess up his use of his broadvoice line as broadvoice allows 4 voice channels to be open on one line. he can have 2 calls going on while I use one channel.
if you are a techie type of person screwing around with these desktop app based systems is a waste of time. use real SIP hardware and get in on the real fun.
nothing like your own conference bridge to have 12 frinds all yakking away in.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
I know this was made by the guys at Lindows but it seems like such a great project. Wonder why the Gaim developers don't talk about it on their own home page?
http://www.phonegaim.com/
It seems this would be a great option for GNOME in general. I'd love to have this functionality tied into my Evolution Data Server instead of creating yet another buddy list, etc.
AFAIK, sip is being coded and/or already added.. it has voice, video, text chat... open source and in pretty good shape compared to the pre-alpha software in the story..
http://www.gnomemeeting.org/
GnomeMeeting has been doing that for years with H.323 and SIP. They are using the same protocols and technics to cross NAT.
Sorry, but I really don't see what's new with this openwengo thing.
Although we had planned for no one outside of this company to ever use, let alone see the source code, we were now put in a difficult position. We could either give away our hard work, or come up with another solution.
From the FAQ found here you should be able to see that if you were not intending to distribute the program, then you wouldn't have to make the source code available to anyone. In fact you only have to make the source available to people you distribute the program to. It sounds like you need some more competant lawyers.
Q: If I know someone has a copy of a GPL-covered program, can I demand he give me a copy?
A: No. The GPL gives him permission to make and redistribute copies of the program if he chooses to do so. He also has the right not to redistribute the program, if that is what he chooses.
But this one do. Wengo is a french telco affiliated to "neuf telecom", one of the leaders. It offers PC to regular phone and regular phone to pc for France residents. They also have very competitive international rates. http://www.wengo.fr/ (site in french).
Skype was soaring to popularity long before they introduced their "SkypeOut" functionality. Skype's real innovation was their NAT hole punching which meant that you didn't have to worry about fiddling with your firewall to get it to work, a major shortcoming of other VOIP apps.