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• Launchpad Entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/kubuntu-voip-solution

• Created: Date(2006-10-17T22:45:26Z) by AnthonyMercatante

• Contributors: AnthonyMercatante

• Packages affected:

Summary

Kubuntu should integrate a VOIP solution out of the box, possibly providing video support, with interoperability with Windows/OSX.

Rationale

Several QT/KDE solution exist, but none of them is currently included in Kubuntu. Ubuntu as Ekiga and we need to ship the best equivalent. Softwares existing:

• Wengophone: SIP solution using a closed network, that should be opened soon.
• Jabbin: libjabbin based jabber client, supposed to support video with v3.
• Twinkle: SIP based solution, no video support is planed in the future.
• Kopete: Suposed to be libjabbin compatible, but doesn't work with latest libjabbin version.
• KCall: Telephony application of Kontact and based on Decibel framework. Once Decibel is functional, KCall will use the same.

• KPhone: SIP solution for Linux. (note - using it for UDS MTV at this time - no problems) -- nixternal DateTime(2006-11-05T19:45:06Z)

Use Case

1. Paul's ISP offers an SIP service, and he wants to use it with Kubuntu.
2. Kate has contacts using windows or OSX, and wants to audio/video chat with them.

Scope

Kubuntu should focus on using the best software, with the best kde integration, and interoperable features.

• Wengophone looks like the most complete software, but its network isn't currently opened to other SIP services.
• Jabbin doesn't support video at the moment.
• Twinkle is a superb SIP client, but is limited to audio.
• KCall: With Decibel it will be possible to use any telephony backend a plugin exists for. Kontact integration too.

There is no perfect solution at time.

The most complete solution was openwengo but the difficulties to work with upstream make it hardly choosable as the default provided solution. The future will probably be with kopete whom is targeted to act as a telepathy frontend.

Kcall is interesting and based on Decibel/Tapioca which is still a bit young to be implemented as the default VOIP solution (same issue than with telepathy). Kiax client is nice but using a completely different backend too (based on Asterisk) and creates the same issue than the previous described products.

We need to find a solution in the meantime waiting for telepathy to become a mature product (ubuntu targets this) and the best is probably to concentrate on a pure SIP client, which is a real standard widely used. We'll have to test all QT/Kde SIP clients (twinkle, kphone...) during the feisty dev cycle, and then choose the appropriate one, depending on the SIP implementation quality and good usability.

Implementation

BoF agenda and discussion

CategorySpec