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Gmail Video Chat Now Available On Linux
borfast writes "If you use Gmail on Linux, you may have wondered when you would be able to use the voice and video chat that Windows and Mac users have enjoyed for quite some time. The wait is finally over; Google yesterday announced video support for Linux browsers. Now if only Pidgin could provide solid video chat functionality in their client..."
According to the brief announcement on the Google blog, "Voice and video chat for Linux supports Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distributions, and RPM support will be coming soon."
Shows where Google's priorities (rightly) are. We have been waiting for years and can't even get a decently-working version of flash for Linux. Foreshadowing, perhaps?
Empathy has already supported XMPP video chats for years! And has been compatible with Google non-standard variant almost since it was announced.
hopefully it'll work in Firefox too? I mean, Iceweasel?
While nice that this feature is coming to Linux , I really wish that they would have released a tarball, bunzip, or whatever so non Debian/Ubuntu users can also try it out.
Well, if you didn't mind screwing around with ffmpeg, ffserver, and VLC Media Player, you could have done audioconferencing and videoconferencing already. Be warned, it isn't for the people who stray away from compiling and documentation.
Sadly enough, I didn't get any ofthe usual announcement email from Google.
It's ridiculous that I have to read every day their blog in order to know the news about the services I'm using...
Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
For sure they won't ever become so stupid. [VR-1988]
This is great and all, but it's obviously just the byproduct of Google preparing ChromeOS. Linux-based, browser-only.
Why do you say that?
There are very few things that are an issue anymore (gaming is limited tho).
Now if only Pidgin could provide solid video chat functionality in their client..."
Forget (just) video chat! How about file & photo sharing (Yahoo I'm looking at you!), better social media integration and a stock appearance that wasn't fugly?
Frankly, if Kopete wasn't such a POS in *buntu-land for the past year, I would have ditched Pidgin a long time ago.
I call it 'The Aristocrats'
Linux on the desktop hasn't really ever made significant enough inroads to matter all that much. With OSX whetting the whistle of most people who want *nix on the desktop, I doubt that Linux on the desktop will ever be anything more than what it is now: a tiny, marginalized platform only used by uber-geeks. It seems to me that companies are releasing Linux versions of software are releasing later and later, if ever.
I don't respond to AC's.
Well, after 3 years without trying Linux I decided to give it a shot with Linux Mint. It's great! The installation process was better than in Mac OS X. Even error messages were clear to understand (My DVD drive wasn't reading properly the installation disc). The only problems are the ones we all know about: lack of *Microsoft* office (but that's not an issue for most of us), lack of proper Adobe Flash, shitty ATI drivers (luckily I have an Nvidia card) and so on.
.NET soon, but other than that, I don't think I'll use Windows much.
But the experience with the OS is surprisingly positive. I have a Windows XP partition because I will need to program in
``Now if only Pidgin could provide solid video chat functionality in their client...''
I honestly think the Pidgin team isn't that interested in such features. Video chat was coded for it years ago (back when it was still called Gaim), but that code was never adopted. I guess it just isn't a very big deal, or else I expect people would have switched to software that does do video chat, like the gaim-vv fork, Kopete, or AMSN. I don't see that happening, though. And Skype got by without video support for years, too. The world at large doesn't really seem to care about video chat.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
Google is also about to release ChromeOS which is Linux based for netbooks and laptops.
please provide a tarball.
My karma is not a Chameleon.
"anymore"? I think Linux matters more every year. We don't have so many "Year of the Linux Desktop" stories because we've finally managed to pound it into most people's heads that there will not be any such thing, and that in fact it is probably impossible for such a thing to ever happen again (short of a technological singularity) due to the importance of legacy systems and the complexity of a modern computing system. Linux continues to gain seats (and servers) so it continually becomes more relevant. And if we ever do get this alleged impending flood of ARM netbooks and tablets, you're going to see it become very important indeed. This is Microsoft's worst nightmare. It almost makes me want to go buy a shitty ARM netbook right now to prove that people want these devices and will take even inferior ones over Windows-based solutions. I am distinctly unhappy with the software experience on my LT3102u :(
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
But the experience with the OS is surprisingly positive. I have a Windows XP partition because I will need to program in .NET soon, but other than that, I don't think I'll use Windows much.
Try using Mono.
It would also be a "nice to have" if google could see to porting some version of their talk client so that I don't have to use my web-browser for the "official" plugin, that would be nice (though I've heard that empathy can do VV, I haven't had an opportunity to test that yet).
Oh, and while they're busy porting... how about a voice+video version for the Android, or at least voice.
No. It's not just you.
There are plenty of people who think that Linux doesn't matter that much any more. And, for them (and you), assuming you are talking about Linux on the desktop, you're right. Unless you want to make it matter, it doesn't.
Embedded devices like routers and cell phones and PVR/DVRs and the like are a whole separate discussion. Linux itself may matter to your lifestyle a little more than you think. But you don't need to worry about that any more than you have to worry about the brand of spark plugs in your car. It was part of the box you bought, that box would just have cost more if Linux wasn't available and the manufacturer had to license something else. Almost no one puts a sticker on their box that says "Linux Inside" any more than Ford puts "Delco Sparkplugs Inside" on their cars. It's part of what you bought, but not necessarily part of why you would want to choose that specific one over others.
But Linux on the desktop, whether you feel it matters to you or not, does benefit you in myriad small ways. Apple and Microsoft see Linux as a threat, and even as a minor threat Linux still drives Apple and Microsoft to improve their products. In the end, we all win when there's some form of perceived threat to the market leader that they can't simply destroy by discounting their product enough or buying out the competition or suing them into oblivion.
The threat the Linux community presents to Microsoft and Apple is that we are not not one person, it's not one organization, and they can't stop us. We are not one, we are legion. Microsoft (in particular) has to carefully consider the presence of Linux distros when setting pricing, adding features, fighting piracy, and attempting to position themselves as "worth the money" when compared to an operating system that is free for all to use and modify to suit their own tastes.
Linux on the desktop may never even approach Apple MacOS in terms of popularity. It's certainly not going to knock Microsoft off its perch in the near future. Maybe never. We penguinheads are perfectly fine with that, in fact most of us don't really care. We just want software we can use on our own terms. Some might prefer it because it costs no money, some might prefer it because no one can ever take it from us.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
login to gmail and go to your "settings", select "chat" from the tabs of things to change and you'll see the "Voice and video chat" section where it'll list the three devices( camera, microphone, speakers ) and the drop down lists should show what devices your system has available. To my surprise, it does list the USB camera and microphone but I have not tested this yet.
Looks pretty good so far.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
there is a "Verify your settings" link in that "Voice and video chat" section and clicking that link expands to show you a video window of what your camera is seeing, a mic level meter and a sound/speaker meter. The mic meter should move when you tap the mic or talk and there's a link to send a ring sound to your speakers to test that.
on my system, all 3 test passed. Well done Google but too bad none of the setup details were mentioned on the digitizor.com page.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
Easy enough to install .deb files even without alien.
Load the deb file into file-roller. Extract the data.tgz and control.tgz files. Move the files in the data.tgz file to their right places and run the postinst script from the control.tgz file.
Hmm, seems Google installs a daily cron job to check to see if there is an update for their plugin. Nice of them to do, but I'm not sure I'd want software updates until I decide to do them.
Post anonymously - For when your opinion embarrasses even you!
using the alien utility
alien -r google-talkplugin_current_amd64.deb
creates google-talkplugin-1.4.1.0-2.x86_64.rpm
rpm -i google-talkplugin-1.4.1.0-2.x86_64.rpm
a few dependency issues :
libcrypto.so.0.9.8 is needed by google-talkplugin-1.4.1.0-2.x86_64
libcrypto.so.0.9.8(OPENSSL_0.9.8) is needed by google-talkplugin-1.4.1.0-2.x86_64
libssl.so.0.9.8 is needed by google-talkplugin-1.4.1.0-2.x86_64
libssl.so.0.9.8(OPENSSL_0.9.8) is needed by google-talkplugin-1.4.1.0-2.x86_64
I know these are installed, both 64 and 686 versions, so i throw a --nodeps in and manually softlink the files in my lib/lib64 to the current versions /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/ /opt/google/talkplugin/libnpgoogletalk64.so /opt/google/talkplugin/libnpgtpo3dautoplugin.so :(
Fired up FF and I see no new extensions. Hmm
I checked the plugins folders and see the google talks files got linked to the 32bit path not the 64bit libs path
ls -l
libnpgoogletalk64.so ->
libnpgtpo3dautoplugin.so ->
So I link these in my 64 plugin path (/usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins/). Fired up FF again and now I have new plugins! no errors about depends in the terminal...
Alas, gmail does not recognize they are there
from 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
to 45 2F 6E 40 3C DF 10 71 4E 41 DF AA 25 7D 31 3F
I think it's silly that one of Google's communication products doesn't work on their communication OS. It's especially raw now that Fring and Skype are splitsville.
... and that in fact it is probably impossible for such a thing to ever happen again (short of a technological singularity) due to the importance of legacy systems and the complexity of a modern computing system.
Linux can to everything what a modern computer system should do. So can the *BSD and BeOS. That was already since at least 5 years. Legacy application can Linux run just fine thanks to Wine. Other systems can run legacy applications fine as well, thanks to virtualization. What you mean by "technological singularity" I have no idea. The point is, we don't see the "Year of the Linux Desktop" or any other system because of the high entry bar in this marketplace. You have to convince first all the OEMs to support any other system besides Windows, and because of the deals with Microsoft it's mostly impossible. Why there was so much press about the Dell site, that state that Linux is more secure then Windows? Why is Dell offering only lower spec laptops with Linux but not for the other laptops as well?
Why is that anywhere else Linux is the market dominant system? Like in the Super Computers, the servers, movies special effects, the embedded devices like NAS, routers, now in TVs and now soon in the smart phone market. The "technological singularity" is happening in that places quite for some time now with Linux, but not in the desktop market. Coincidence?
http://www.mueller-public.de - My site http://www.anr-institute.com/ - Advanced Natural Research Institute
In the old days (yesterday) when I was using Empathy's Jabber/XMPP to do remote desktop control and file transfer, this was built in. Now how can I help gram-ma out?
And if we ever do get this alleged impending flood of ARM netbooks and tablets, you're going to see it become very important indeed.
That's a fantasy. It was a fantasy 3 years ago, it's a fantasy now. It's simply not. going. to. happen.
This is Microsoft's worst nightmare.
Microsoft already has OSes that run fine on ARM. They already have versions of Office that run on ARM. So... no it's not.
Comment of the year
If he needs to program on Windows, he should do it on Windows.
That said, a VM would work perfectly fine. Or even better, a completely separate dev machine (VS works a heck of a lot better when you dedicate a machine to it).
Just type: alien --to-rpm google-talkplugin_current_i386.deb
At least, this worked fine for Mandriva 2010.0 on a Dell mini 9.
Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
At the least - look at all those governmental, educational & generally public institution and business adoptions. And it picks up steam over time, should diffuse. At some point, the realization that x86 is not really required, that many ARM chips are good enough, should get through.
Should help with how OLPC XO-1 will have an ARM version soon (XO-1.75, IIRC); it was also the trigger of netbooks after all. Yes, MS desparately tried and succeeded in regaining that segment (derailing it a bit in the process) - this might not work so well with machines where it would be harder to justify price increases.
And remember, there are only a bit over 1 billion PCs in the world. Mobile phone uptake, at close to 5 billion now, probably hints at what is still possible...
One that hath name thou can not otter
Microsoft already has OSes that run fine on ARM. They already have versions of Office that run on ARM. So... no it's not.
Office isn't the problem, if they ported a real windows to ARM then a real Office would run on it. The primary problem that Microsoft faces in the ARM space is that Windows CE is a total fucking lemon in every way, while Windows NT is too heavy for a small portable device. Windows 9x was okay for a primarily single-task machine like an Xbox; Windows NT was fine for a heavy lifter like an Xbox 360, which really is an amazing amount of machine. But I've used various devices with Windows CE and all of them have been lemons. Even the GPS devices will display Microsoft-related failure; anyone who's used a WinCE PDA or phone (I own both and use neither... but occasionally I check into Android or at least Angstrom on one or the other) will recognize the symptoms immediately... and frequently.
In addition, the version of Office that runs on WinCE is a limited and laggy pile of bloatware. I have a 400MHz arm5vte PDA and a 600MHz arm9tdmi GPS, I have office on both of them, it's agonizingly slow. Am I the only one that remembers Word 5.1 on an SE or so as being better than this? As it so happens I have an SE with a 16MHz Radius accelerator+mono display card with Word 5.1 on it (makes a fine doorstop) and it IS better.
Microsoft has nothing credible to run on an ARM netbook.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Not being able to video chat on my linux box is what finally pushed me over the edge and I bought a Mac Pro workstation.