Topic: Skype

[FrancisT]

Is it possible to run Skype on sme 7.  My server runs 24/7 and it would be excellent to have Skype available all the time without having another computer running.  The server is playing mp3s, output to an FM radio transmitter, but has plenty of spare capacity.

[bpivk]

Try it and let us know. http://www.skype.com/download/skype/linux/
Download the fc4 RPM (i think that this is the correct rpm).

[sitsstra]

Do you mind me asking what you are using to play the MP3s

Sean

[Ryan483]

Yes the mp3 to fm sounds neat  

[FrancisT]

Do you mind me asking what you are using to play the MP3s

Sean

mpg123.

I'll try to get back in a day or two with the details of how it works.

Francis

[beakersloco]

Do you mind me asking what you are using to play the MP3s

Sean

mpg123.

I'll try to get back in a day or two with the details of how it works.

Francis

Bump so I can find this and as a reminder for FrancisT to provide details !!!

[Bud]

Hi Guys

Does this work on SME 7.3 ?

If not please help informing me in what contrib I can use for my users to chat online via SME 7.3

I have about 30 users in a Business that need to Chat and send Files to each other. 

Thanks 

[Trashman]

Bud, this is extremelly offtopic but you can use jabber:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Ejabberd
And for the others: chek jabber also as it have apparently a skype transport too...

[Stefano]

HI

AFAIK skype is a client application that needs a desktop environment to run

Ciao
Stefano

[arne]

Yes, Skype is a desktop application no doupt about that. I guess the question is if there is som smart way to come around this.

I would guess that there actually is. (But I have not testet it yet.)

If you install Vmware server under SME server and then install Windows 2000 or XP as an virtual desktop, and then Skype on that, shouldnn't that work ? I would guess it should. (??!!)

If it works, then your server also will be be your telephone. This will mean that your microphone and your headphone will have to be connected to your server. Can this be a practical solution ? (First you make a remote logon from a Windows machine via the virtual manager, then you deal the number from this PC, and run over to the server to pick up the mike and headphone ..)

Anyhow it sounds like an interesting idea to run Skype on the server, so I wonder if I should give it a try .. One option could be to configure the Skype client to answer automatic, so that you can call home to sheck that everything is OK. (But web cam and a virtual Windows workstation will be a problem. I have tested that option before.)

There might be some good options for receiving some communication via the "skype enabled server" when you are not there ..

****

I made a test installation just now. The installation looked OK, and it looked like everything was ok. I can call myself via Skype, to "the virtual Skype client on server" but there is some configuration issue, because I don't hear a thing. Dont know if sound/picture can work this way (???!!)

[arne]

Well, it works for some webcams.

I tried to set it up with a cheap old web cam I just had here, Philips SPC 200NC. I am using a Virtual Windows 2000 Pro, installation and I even did not even need a driver, on the virtual Windows client except for ar automatically downloaded from Microsoft.

I now god automatic web cam monitoring of my apartment via the "Virtual Skype". I just have two Skype accounts and call my self, and when the "Skype at the server" makes an automatic answer, I got up a remote video picture.

I don't know why I does not also get the sound, I guess there is some configuration issue somwhere.

But for me, the remote web cam via the server was something I wanted for a long time. I have tried diverce other solutions exept for Skype, that did not work. But with "virtual Skype", it does work 

This mean from now on, I can just take a "relatime look" from anywhere at internet to check that everyting is OK via the "virtual Skype installation" on the server.

[Stefano]

Hi

IMHO install vmware + Windows only for skype is ...... (fill the blanks as you prefer)

Stefano

[arne]

Exelent. Price for software: 0 Price for aditional hardware: 0 Slow down of server: 0

Actuelly the main reason that I use Vmware anyhow is because I use a virtual Smoothwall gateway. The virtual Windows 2000 Pro is there anyhow because of remote management and some other tasks. The "virtual Skype" is there for safety monitoring.

The installation with vmware does not show any visible increase of processor load, and all software is free. Stability have been 100 %, zero error during 8 months.

Actually I does it with Centos 64 as host system and with virtual Smoothwall and virtual SME server and virtual Windows 2000 as guest systems. But to run Skype on a guest would be the same if the SME server vere the host in the bottom of it all. 

If you have a gateway server standing there anyhow, it's just to your own desition what fuctions you like give to give it. Skype is just another option.

[Stefano]

Exelent. Price for software: 0 Price for aditional hardware: 0 Slow down of server: 0

that's Not true... if you install windows you need a license.. no, oem one is not good.

if the OP has/wants only a pc running, the better is to use windows (and skype), install vmware and setup a virtual sme..

my 2c
Stefano

[Trashman]

Bud, this is extremelly offtopic but you can use jabber:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Ejabberd
And for the others: chek jabber also as it have apparently a skype transport too...

HI

AFAIK skype is a client application that needs a desktop environment to run

Ciao
Stefano

Yea well...thats why i write "transport", a transport on jabber is like having the outside server inside your jabber...so we are BOTH right in fact...Ejabberd support skype, but its not a client...

[arne]

that's Not true... if you install windows you need a license.. no, oem one is not good.

if the OP has/wants only a pc running, the better is to use windows (and skype), install vmware and setup a virtual sme..

my 2c
Stefano

Of course you will need a valid license. But most Windows 2000 licenses are not in use any more. It is actually possible to byu a second hand license for allmost nothing. I think I have something like 10 or more myself that normally would be used for nothing.

I actually tested for a while with Vmware on XP and Centos 64 for a while, running two PC's side by side.

What I ended up with as the best performing, and overall the best solution is without doubt Vmware on a minimum installation of Centos.

Taste might be different, and opinions might be different. After ten years with servers at internet, my opinion is that Centos 64 with Vmware and then some installations of Smoothwall, SME server, Asterisk, Windows 2000, and other Linux and Unix distros as required, this is the best server/gateway installation I have tried ever. Skype is just a OK addon on that.

The only real physical requirement is I belive 1 GIG of RAM. I'm using 4 Gig and thats leaves approx half of the RAM unused according to "top".  Average processor load is close to zero. (As the virtual Smoothwall firewall filters all network traffic and reduce it to/from only approved source ip's. This leaves the SME logs for zero registred hacker atempts and zero irregular traffic for the last eight months)

If you do not have to much ram you just have to reduce the number of virtual machines you run at one time.

Treads should not be off topic, but if the fact is that Skype can run and perform very well together with eveything else, via virtualization, it should not be off topic.

[arne]

I did some more testing. I were not able to get the onboard sound card to work so I installed a USB mini soundcard adapter.

I know got Skype up and running at the server gateway with streaming video pluss sound in both directions.

It can be confirmed that virtualization is a way of running Skype on the server/gateway that can work. (The way that the Windows 2000 sees the mini sound card is like a USB unit, so I think in this case it uses the Windows driver for that soundcard.)

The reason that I choosed Windows 2000 was that I had a windows 2000 client running on the gateway anyhow.

As I also have installed Centos, a Suse and a Ubuntu with X-Windows these could also have been used. As these will be normally closed down, to keep down the average load on the server, I choosed the running Windows 2000 Pro.

I don't know for sure, but I would guess virtualization is the only practical way of running Skype on a gateway server (???!!!)

The ability of running a application like Skype on the gateway is only one advantage of virtualization. There are some other, also as well.

 

[Bud]

Thanks for the Info Guys much appreciated.

Trashman - Thanks for Pointing me to Jabberd. That solved my Problem.

I am rolling out Miranda as the IM Client. I am however looking for both a voice and chat Client.

There was mentioned that Skype would Work, are there any others that you can mention for me to look at.

Thanks again 

Long Live SME

[arne]

If you want a true Skype installation to be running at the gateway with all functions working, this can be done via virtualization. The easiest way to get started with that is this: http://wiki.contribs.org/Vmware The virtual workstation with Skype can be Windows 2000 Pro or some other workstation. Gateway/server will need at least 1 Gig of RAM.

I will use this solution myself with an automated answer with video and sound from the gateway, to be able to check my home when I am on travel. There might be other uses as well.