[Linux-aus] NBN discussion

[Bret Busby]

On Sun, 30 Jun 2013, Russell Stuart wrote:

> Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 20:55:02
> From: Russell Stuart <russell-linuxaus at stuart.id.au>
> To: Linux Australia List <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au>
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] NBN discussion
> 
> On Sun, 2013-06-30 at 12:21 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
>> Whlst this is (apparently) not yet available in the VOIP software
>> applications available for Debian Linux 6, it is, I believe, available
>> for Skype for Windows (and so, hopefully, it will be "only a matter of
>> time" before it becomes available in a relatively stable software
>> package for open source operating systems).
>
> There are in fact many VOIP phones available for Linux, and Debian.
>
> But given how you worded this perhaps we should step back a bit.
> Firstly, there are many VOIP protocols.  Skype, Google Hangouts, H232,
> SIP to name a few of the better known ones.
>
>

In having snipped the paragraph preceding the paragraph above, from what 
I had posted, your quote of what I wrote, is out of context.

What I had written, in context, was that high definition video call 
software, and, video conferencing software, appears to be not yet 
available in the VOIP software that is available for Debian 6 Linux.

I believe that to still be correct.

This had been dealt with, on various lists, including the Ekiga list 
(in which I and another person, had been unable to get the particular 
version (that was the applicable version in the Debian Linux 6 
repository) of Ekiga, to work for video calls). The answer was "well, 
the latest version works, and, it is available for Debian 
experimental", but it will not be ported to (then) Debian stable.

Similarly, we had tried video calls with Linphone, and, they did not 
work.

We also tried video calls between each of the combinations, involving 
Skype, Ekiga, and Linphone, for the versions that are available for 
Debian Linux 6 (I think that the other person was using a version of 
Ubuntu, as one of the operating system platforms that the other person 
tried, but, the package version numbers were close enough to each 
other).

The only successful video calls, that we could make, were Skype to 
Skype.

And, I have used the version of Skype that I have installed ("Skype 
(Beta 2.2.0.35", that, I believe, was sourced from the Debian Linux 6 
repository), to communicate, internationally, with Skype (version 4.x, I 
think) running on MS Windows (Microsoft now owns Skype, but, as the 
version that I have, is free, and, runs on Debian Linux 6, just because 
Microsoft now owns Skype, is not sufficient reason to not use Skype).

So, I think that people should be careful, when snipping the text of 
messages to which they are responding, so that they are not quoting out 
of context.

And, the other person and I, when we were experimenting with the VOIP 
software, tried the different VOIP software packages mentioned, and, 
discussed others, as listed on a wikipedia web page about VOIP software.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992
....................................................