Linux: alternative to Skype

Question

linux

In connection with the topic The development of Skype for Linux has been stopped , I once again had a question that I finally want to clarify.

Is there a viable alternative to skype?

Necessary:

• Contact list
• Hassle-free one-on-one mic communication
• Possibility of audio conferencing for at least 3-4 people
• Possibility of video calls also without problems
• Support for linux and preferably at a level no worse than skype
• Possibility of calls outside (a la skype out)
• crosspaltformity

Desirable:

• Chat
• Videoconferencing
• Nice interface
• Free software + free protocol

Interested in the triple protocol (s) + client + supplier.

I tried it and for various reasons did not fit: gizmo5 (development was temporarily frozen), ekiga (it never started humanly), qutecom (former wengophone, also buggy), etc. etc.

For calls to the city via SIP (in my case, sipnet.ru), I found myself a good twinkle program , but it is not suitable as a replacement for Skype. In addition, a new version has not been released for almost 2 years.

PS Success stories with the software that I listed will do :)

Answer 1

Skype is irreplaceable...

Answer 2

google+
has a list of subscribers. the ability to write them a letter / message in jabber / audio-video call, centralized storage of logs in your mail account.
it works fine in ubuntu 10.04-12.04
and there is also a useful feature - free calls to the USA
for this, just go to google +, set the default location - USA and call in the format 800 288 9949 (instead of [phone])
all together is very strong shaken the percentage of skype usage in our team

Answer 3

XMPP aka Jabber
XMPP or Jabber (in fact, these words mean the same thing) is the name of an open decentralized network protocol that is used for instant messaging. It is designed as a server-client infrastructure with multiple servers all over the internet where anyone can get an account. These servers are typically connected to many clients on one side and to other Internet XMPP servers on the other side. Let's come up with a small example to explain how this works:
Romeo loves Juliet and wants to communicate with her through the Jabber network. He can write messages from his client (to which montague.net is connected) to his girlfriend, whose client is connected to the capulet.com server.
When he registered an account on the server, he chose the so-called JID (Jabber-Identifier). This JID works basically like an email address and is associated with the server name using the "@" symbol. An example for a valid Romeo JID is [email protected]
To communicate with other people, Romeo must add their JID to his contact list. They can be connected to the same server (for example, [email protected]), or they can come from a different server (for example, [email protected] or, of course, [email protected]).
Jabber Network Visualization
Jabber/XMPP, of course, supports many more services (eg, end-to-end message encryption, voice and video chat, group chat), which will be partly introduced later in the guide.
Two very large instant messaging providers run Jabber/XMPP on their servers in the background: Google Talk and facebook chat. Accounts on these systems can be used in the same way as regular Jabber accounts on Kopete. Details will be explained later or can be found on the websites of these providers.

Answer 4

how did you set up twinkle on sipnet? I have registered but does not call :(

Answer 5

Skype can be partially replaced by Gtalk, but under Linux it is only through the browser

Answer 6

It's strange that your ekiga didn't start, it's quite a normal client, I've never had any problems with it