2011/5/14 Guru गुरु <[email protected]>: > > http://ostatic.com/blog/bye-bye-skype-top-3-free-replacements > > Skype has always been proprietary so those that prefer to use only Open > Source have relied upon free alternatives. Now with Microsoft's purchase of > Skype, Linux users are already predicting the end for them and are looking > for alternatives as well. It turns out that the Free Software Foundation has > had "Free software replacement for Skype" on their High-Priority List for a > while. > > The FSF suggests that folks use one of the free programs available for Linux > and help development by sending in bug reports. They cite China's spying on > Skype conversations as a good reason. Does anyone doubt Microsoft is capable > of similar? So, even if Microsoft doesn't give Linux (and Mac) users the > kibosh, I wouldn't trust them and proprietary software with my phone calls. > > Quite an extensive list of alternatives is already compiled at the FSF, some > of which I'd never heard of before. But several bring a familiar ring - if > you'll pardon the pun. > > 1. Linphone - Linphone is an internet phone or VoIP much like Skype. It > seems the page at the FSF needs a bit of updating, because Linphone 3.4.0 > was released in February 2011. The news page states that "the main point of > this new release is support for multiple simultaneous calls, with pause, > resume and transfer functionality." It is released under the GNU GPL v2 > license and commercial support is available as well. It comes in binaries > for Debian-based distros or build from source. Here's a screenshot from the > Linphone Website: > > 2. Ekiga - Ekiga was formerly known as GnomeMeeting, which many have heard > of. GnomeMeeting used to come with lots of distributions and Ekiga is still > seen in several. So, check your distribution's repos. It provides > "SoftPhone, Video Conferencing and Instant Messenger application[s] over the > Internet" and supports SIP and H.323. Ekiga is released under the GPL and > comes in binaries for lots of distros and in source code. Again, scarfed > screenshot from Ekiga Website: > > 3. Empathy - "Empathy is a messaging program which supports text, voice, and > video chat and file transfers over many different protocols." This one is > probably most well known because of its inclusion in Ubuntu. 3.1 was > released May 9. It is released under the GPL and comes in binaries for > Ubuntu. Looks like others will have to build it from source. Again, > shamelessly stolen screenshot: > ---- > > friends who have used these or have opinions, any suggestions on which of > these would be best for us to use... > regards > guru >
Qutecom is also a very good option and it's licensed under GPL. We have installed(on Debian GNU/Linux) it for only a few thousand users for a call centre in India. -- Regards, Tirveni Yadav What is this Universe ? From what it arises ? Into what does it go? In freedom it arises, In freedom it rests and into freedom it melts away. Upanishads. _______________________________________________ network mailing list [email protected] http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
