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forcecore
August 5th, 2013, 06:49 PM
Soon we may be finally get rid of Skype thanks to www.tox.im
1: written in clean C(core and uTox) and C++(qTox), no other horrible "fat" languages that are slow and no dependency hell.
2: easy to use
3: uses dht similar to Skype network.
4: full encryption
5: read additional info from their website and Github.

Please spread word.

Development build available
http://wiki.tox.im/binaries

Relay system is working now(similar to Skype supernodes but works differently)

monkeybrain20122
August 5th, 2013, 08:23 PM
There is already jitsi, if you can get your contacts to switch or install it parallel to Skype.
https://jitsi.org/

Problem with replacing Skype is that only Skype can talk to Skype and you need to get your contacts to move as well., With webrtc maturing this will be easier in the future,

forcecore
August 5th, 2013, 08:52 PM
Jitsi is same as others that not easy to use, relies on central servers, written in java, cannot penetrate firewall easily... generally SIP is not robust.

There is not need Skype if Tox will be easy to use and lot of people will use then... We need lifeboat to save us from closed source "spyware" called Microsoft Skype.
And about language C and C++ can be future proof, fast, lightweight.

Paqman
August 6th, 2013, 08:11 AM
you need to get your contacts to move as well.

This is the main blocker IMO. It's not about which protocol is better (for technical or philosophical reasons), it's about who your get access to. If everyone you want to connect to uses Skype, then Skype's your only option.

lads
August 6th, 2013, 08:50 AM
Skype doesn't like my graphics card, so I have to use Jitsi. If Tox can improve on the interface it would be great.

Thee
August 18th, 2013, 11:41 PM
I really hope Tox will be different, I tried a lot of so called Skype alternatives, and out of the few that I managed to install/run, I didn't manage to make calls or even add contacts. In rare cases where I did manage, the sound/video was terrible.

mJayk
August 19th, 2013, 10:57 AM
Sadly the masses use skype so nothing else is close to useful :(

erasmusp
August 19th, 2013, 11:50 AM
As a matter of interest: how are the new smart phones affecting this situation with the masses using Skype? I am sure it is very easy (if not easier) to do a video call on these new phones? Also the recipient of the call is more likely to have his phone with him at any time instead of being seated in front of his PC or laptop?

John_McCourt
August 19th, 2013, 04:48 PM
All my colleagues have smartphones. We use skype when on computer and then normal calls using phones when we're not at a computer. We rolled out VSee for a while, but it had no benefits over skype so. Jitsi has a very poor quiality user interface on computers and the Android version is not ready. Skype is still the best.

Gnawnsense
August 19th, 2013, 07:48 PM
You know, I came across a few applications that were developed around Skype that served as payment processors for Skype shows. One of these applications is from the Portland, OR area and has received a lot of local flack lately.

I never really realized that there were so many people using Skype as their primary income generator. Granted, it's pretty much relegated to a certain line of work, but if there's money surrounding an application, and a lot of it, it's virtually impossible to move the masses away from it.

While I hope for a Skype replacement, and Tox looks great, I just seriously am doubting we see Skype taking a nosedive anytime soon.

monkeybrain20122
August 19th, 2013, 08:29 PM
.

.., but if there's money surrounding an application, and a lot of it, it's virtually impossible to move the masses away from it.

While I hope for a Skype replacement, and Tox looks great, I just seriously am doubting we see Skype taking a nosedive anytime soon.

We know this phenomenon only too well. What you say pretty much applies verbatim to Windows except the scale is much bigger (services, legit software developers, crapware developers, av industry and all those people who misrepresent themselves as "professors" and make a living teaching people how to use Office in community colleges etc)

DarkAmbient
August 19th, 2013, 10:57 PM
Why not Google+ hangouts? I use that for both video and/or audio-streaming.

monkeybrain20122
August 20th, 2013, 01:42 AM
Why not Google+ hangouts? I use that for both video and/or audio-streaming.


I guess the same privacy concerns as Skype. I prefer Google+ actually.

This seems like a good replacement for both G+ and Skype, which matches G+ feature by feature

https://meetings.io/

forcecore
August 20th, 2013, 11:20 AM
Tox has still lot of advantages and is written in future proof programming languages. For example Hangouts can be easily blocked in country where censoring is but with Tox there may be change to bypass bloking by manually adding new dht nodes OR it is even possible to use Tox in intranet/lan without internet access.

forcecore
September 13th, 2013, 09:49 PM
Bumping, Tox blog has new list of what has been developed already and progress looks quite good.

Paddy Landau
September 13th, 2013, 10:12 PM
Tox looks good.

I would be completely happy with Skype if it didn't have the US government listening to my private communications. Would Obama be happy for me to listen to his conversations with his wife? I don't think so!

But the problem with any potential replacement is the catch-22 network effect: people won't use it until it has a large following, and it won't have a large following until people use it.

ZoiaGuyver
September 13th, 2013, 10:52 PM
Well I guess for a lot skype may be an issue, personally I don't like how the Americans have done the spying and breached imo there own amendment, but at the same time skype is a tool used by many and promoted on a business level.

This sounds like a good little program, but I don't think trying to pass it off as a "skype alternative" when it doesn't have a package yet is not a good idea, To most it will be another IM client for linux, which already has many clients.

Once it has either a tar.gz, .deb, .rpm then it maybe seen as an alternative. For now though it seems to be just a new more secure client. Try to sell it on its advantages.

Secure, UDP, DHT like IM client with a lot of potential and Open Source to boot, definitely impresses me more than the "skype alternative/replacement" arguments of Ekiga and others like it. That's just my opinion though

Mephisto Pheles
September 14th, 2013, 12:48 AM
If nobody is on it what's the point? you can hate skype all you want, everybody I need to contact regularly is on it so I'll stick with it, for those few times I use it.
Your "future proof language" is a bit too much hyperbole to be frank.
Nothing in IT is future proof if you're over 40.

Sorry, I have to dismiss it as yet another "also ran."

ikt
September 15th, 2013, 02:40 AM
Any ideas on when this will be available?

codingman
September 15th, 2013, 07:26 PM
Wondering the same.

forcecore
September 16th, 2013, 05:01 PM
I think at least this year because they have done massive work thanks to contributions from other people, but this is only my guess.

Here is newest QT GUI mockup from developers page:
Mockup1 (https://f.cloud.github.com/assets/1855294/1144536/4c4db530-1da6-11e3-9f5d-09ca3ef43873.jpg)
ProjectTox-Qt-GUI (https://github.com/nurupo/ProjectTox-Qt-GUI)

forcecore
November 14th, 2013, 01:26 AM
I bump topic, their FB page says that there may be possible christmas release, i repeat maybe. Development progress is good and almost every dat there is code changes.

Tox one day may even be included in Ubuntu(QT GUI version) out of box if stable and working.

mikewhatever
November 16th, 2013, 05:53 PM
Why not just let people know when it's ready? As is, you do a dis-service to the project.

Skype - no more (alternative arrives). ...that was back in August, and nothing has arrived yet.

forcecore
February 27th, 2014, 04:11 PM
Bumping for updates.

Paddy Landau
February 27th, 2014, 08:09 PM
Bumping for updates.
I think that the likes of Android will ring the death knell for Skype. Applications such as Viber, WhatsApp, Google+, Hangouts, and so forth are all strong contenders. The fact that they support cross-platform desktops (except for WhatsApp, which supports only Windows and Mac) is a bonus.

What we particularly need is not a replacement for Skype, but rather an open standard so that anyone can create an application that will be compatible with all the others. Three or four will rise to the top, and the continued competition will keep them on their toes. Skype has fallen behind precisely because it lacked strong competition; renewed competition might even raise Skype back up again!

Tar_Ni
February 27th, 2014, 09:06 PM
I totally agree with Paddy Landau.

The Skype software is useless to me. Web-based alternatives are as good and effective and so no problem on Linux.

I use Google Hangout directly in Gmail or Google+ and only need to install a plug-in.

Now if Facebook can finally support video chat for Linux, it would be fantastic. Skype powered maybe, but without the software bundle that comes with it.

forcecore
February 28th, 2014, 12:22 AM
Use app what best for you, but there are people like me who wants Skype alternative that requires NO servers and is open source and easy to use. Server based apps can be controlled easily and taken out if needed. Tox will be very well written app and minimal dependencies required, no Facebook and other this kind of integration.

Paddy Landau
February 28th, 2014, 01:15 AM
… Skype alternative that requires NO servers…
In curious. How does this work without some kind of central server — how does each client know how to find anyone else?

Of course, any new app will succeed only if sufficient people sign up. It's known as the "network effect", and is why new entrants find it so hard against established competition.

If an app doesn't support Android, iOS, Windows and Mac at a minimum, it will struggle to make any headway against contenders such as Google+, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, and — yes — Skype.

forcecore
February 28th, 2014, 10:58 AM
http://wiki.tox.im/DHT

Paddy Landau
February 28th, 2014, 11:32 AM
http://wiki.tox.im/DHT
Thanks for the link. I see that it still requires a central server to initiate. I don't know that it's possible to avoid a central server, even in theory.

erasmusp
February 28th, 2014, 12:16 PM
"(except for WhatsApp, which supports only Windows and Mac)"
Actually WhatsApp works on Android as well (and RIM)

Paddy Landau
February 28th, 2014, 01:36 PM
"(except for WhatsApp, which supports only Windows and Mac)"
Actually WhatsApp works on Android as well (and RIM)
Yeah, you'll notice that I specifically referred to desktops. WhatsApp doesn't support desktop Linux.

phidia
March 6th, 2014, 02:12 AM
There is already jitsi, if you can get your contacts to switch or install it parallel to Skype.
https://jitsi.org/

Problem with replacing Skype is that only Skype can talk to Skype and you need to get your contacts to move as well., With webrtc maturing this will be easier in the future,

Thanks for the Jitsi info and link!

Linuxratty
March 6th, 2014, 02:49 AM
Why not Google+ hangouts? I use that for both video and/or audio-streaming.
Me and friends use this.When we are playing Minecraft,we turn off our cameras so we can still talk to each other.
It works great. Ubuntu even keeps the latest Google plug in's on hand as needed.


I guess the same privacy concerns as Skype. I prefer Google+ actually.

This seems like a good replacement for both G+ and Skype, which matches G+ feature by feature

https://meetings.io/

Interesting indeed. Passed it along...And this:

http://wiki.tox.im/DHT

forcecore
March 8th, 2014, 03:19 PM
If someone knows some QT devs then please tell that QT client would need little help to speed up development.
https://github.com/nurupo/ProjectTox-Qt-GUI

There may be chance in future that QT client might be included on Ubuntu too out of box, who knows.

Linuxratty
March 9th, 2014, 03:12 PM
Three of us Linux Internationals folks tried this one last night,
It would not work for any of us so we went back to the Google Hangout,which works really well.

https://meetings.io/

forcecore
March 9th, 2014, 05:11 PM
this meetings.io is server based and flip of switch can take it down or censoring country can block and NSA can log every word.

PartisanEntity
March 16th, 2014, 12:27 AM
This looks promising.

My friends and I switched from Whatsapp to Telegram.org, Telegram also has desktop and web clients which is a huge deal for me personally.

Paddy Landau
March 16th, 2014, 01:58 AM
Telegram looks excellent for privacy.

Although Telegram has many users, it's still (according to Google Play) roughly a tenth the popularity of WhatsApp and Viber.

I've downloaded Telegram. The Android app and Firefox browser app are both easy. I have no friends with the app, so I haven't been able to test it yet :)

HermanAB
March 19th, 2014, 07:10 PM
On a smartphone, you can use Redphone to claw back some privacy and save money on international calls too:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.redphone

forcecore
May 22nd, 2014, 07:38 PM
I think it is right time to bump because major news about core, now you can use Tox behind firewalls/NAT-s
read more here:
https://blog.libtoxcore.so/266/tcp-branch-merged-with-master

Still i remind it is under development but Tox is now in Google Summer of Code 2014

mlnease
June 18th, 2014, 11:14 PM
Hello,

I've downloaded and installed Tox Venom (thanks!) but am having trouble getting it online. I've searched for tutorials, forums etc. but to no avail. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

Update: So far I've installed Ekiga (after registering an Ekiga SIP address), Jitsi, Toxcore (here (https://github.com/irungentoo/toxcore/blob/master/INSTALL.md)) and Tox Venom but have had no luck getting any of them to connect to the internet. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance again.

p.s. Has anyone here successfully installed and used Tox Venom?

forcecore
June 28th, 2014, 08:44 AM
There is uTox client that has fastest evlolution than others. Video and Audio is already somehow working.
https://jenkins.libtoxcore.so/ scroll down for uTox builds.

do not know why but currently there are no 32bit linux binary.

mlnease
June 28th, 2014, 06:31 PM
There is uTox client that has fastest evlolution than others. Video and Audio is already somehow working.
https://jenkins.libtoxcore.so/ scroll down for uTox builds.

do not know why but currently there are no 32bit linux binary.

Kinda ironic that I installed 32-bit Precise because I had trouble installing Skype in the 64-bit. Now that I'm done with Microsoft/Skype, I'll consider reinstalling 64 if I hear more good things about the above.

Thanks!

Paddy Landau
June 29th, 2014, 11:16 AM
Kinda ironic that I installed 32-bit Precise because I had trouble installing Skype in the 64-bit.
I ran 64-bit Precise for two years, and Skype worked fine. I have 64-bit 14.04 now, and again Skype (version 4.3.0 from the Skype website) works fine.

mlnease
June 29th, 2014, 05:10 PM
I ran 64-bit Precise for two years, and Skype worked fine. I have 64-bit 14.04 now, and again Skype (version 4.3.0 from the Skype website) works fine.
Yeah, I'm afraid you're considerably more advanced at (x)ubuntu than I am--just my incompetence no doubt.

I'll probably reinstall Precise 64-bit eventually but even then I'd still like to be rid of Skype. Did you ever get Venom up an running on Precise? I have it installed but can't seem to get it to connect to the internet.

DaniPhii
June 29th, 2014, 05:31 PM
I ran 64-bit Precise for two years, and Skype worked fine. I have 64-bit 14.04 now, and again Skype (version 4.3.0 from the Skype website) works fine.

I tried to install it in 32-bit 14.04 and I couldn't make it work. I had to uninstall it with Synaptic. :(

Paddy Landau
June 29th, 2014, 05:55 PM
Yeah, I'm afraid you're considerably more advanced at (x)ubuntu than I am--just my incompetence no doubt.
No. I just installed from the website and it worked. No fiddling required, but you must uninstall any previous version of Skype first.


I'll probably reinstall Precise 64-bit eventually but even then I'd still like to be rid of Skype. Did you ever get Venom up an running on Precise? I have it installed but can't seem to get it to connect to the internet.
No, I don't think I tried Venom. I have found that I hardly use Skype any more. Replacements such as WhatsApp, Hangouts and cheap SMS have made it pretty much obsolete.

mlnease
June 30th, 2014, 11:19 PM
No. I just installed from the website and it worked. No fiddling required, but you must uninstall any previous version of Skype first.


No, I don't think I tried Venom. I have found that I hardly use Skype any more. Replacements such as WhatsApp, Hangouts and cheap SMS have made it pretty much obsolete.
I guess 'obsolete' is the consensus, judging by the interest in this thread.

I don't use a smartphone (WhatsApp), prefer free chat (and VoIP) to cheap sms and would like to rid my machine of Google and Microsoft/Skype software altogether, if possible. So Skype's features were very attractive to me (despite their privacy policies even before MS). Since Skype's become completely untrustworthy (as I see it), I've had very high hopes for an open and honest replacement such as Venom. Guess I'll keep waiting. If anyone else is waiting, I'll post any progress here while the thread is open.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Linuxratty
July 1st, 2014, 02:01 PM
I also don't use a smart phone and all I have to monkey around with is Ubuntu on my machines. If something won't play nice with Ubuntu,than me and my friends will just stay with the Hangout @ Google. That being said, I will keep an eye on this thread and can only hope something interesting happens..What we want is for FF to get off it's fluffy duff and make a plug in free voip that will support more than two people at once.

(\(\
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o(_”)”)

mlnease
July 1st, 2014, 04:02 PM
I also don't use a smart phone and all I have to monkey around with is Ubuntu on my machines. If something won't play nice with Ubuntu,than me and my friends will just stay with the Hangout @ Google. That being said, I will keep an eye on this thread and can only hope something interesting happens..What we want is for FF to get off it's fluffy duff and make a plug in free voip that will support more than two people at once.

(\(\
(='.')
o(_”)”)

I'm with you, except that I don't like the idea of Google collecting and archiving every keystroke for its own purposes (call me paranoid but I've done some data mining meself). Linuxratty, is Venom limited to two at once? If so I wasn't aware of it as I've never managed to get it to connect to the network. Have you, may I ask? Even if it is (limited to two), I'd find it very useful--I don't do any gaming and seldom need VoIP for more than one other person at a time (though I'd certainly applaud your FF idea).

sandyd
July 1st, 2014, 09:26 PM
I also don't use a smart phone and all I have to monkey around with is Ubuntu on my machines. If something won't play nice with Ubuntu,than me and my friends will just stay with the Hangout @ Google. That being said, I will keep an eye on this thread and can only hope something interesting happens..What we want is for FF to get off it's fluffy duff and make a plug in free voip that will support more than two people at once.

(\(\
(='.')
o(_”)”)

This is where I feel that XMPP/OpenFire and FreePBX/Asterisk shine at. OpenFire is quite easy to install, and there are a lot of SIP providers that are cheap. As a plus, people on the same pbx can call each others extensions or start a conference call.

hexer2
July 10th, 2014, 11:48 AM
Cool will check this out thanks

forcecore
September 21st, 2014, 11:07 AM
I just bump so more can see Tox and can test it, there are 2 most developed clients that works quite fine uTox and qTox. Tox has become more stable than it was early summer.

mlnease
September 21st, 2014, 04:39 PM
I just bump so more can see Tox and can test it, there are 2 most developed clients that works quite fine uTox and qTox. Tox has become more stable than it was early summer.Thanks Forcecore--I've reinstalled Venom from here (https://blog.libtoxcore.so/320/apt-yum-repos-now-available-for-venom)--if I send you my ID offline, will you please Tox me to test my connection? Thanks in advance.

Many thanks to Forcecore--I now have ΅Tox and Tox Venom up and running nicely on Xubuntu Trusty.

Linuxratty
September 24th, 2014, 01:55 PM
This is where I feel that XMPP/OpenFire and FreePBX/Asterisk shine at. OpenFire is quite easy to install, and there are a lot of SIP providers that are cheap. As a plus, people on the same pbx can call each others extensions or start a conference call.


Me and friends at LI are trying to get away from Google's Hangout and Skype and looking for something we can use when we play poker etc. So we can see each other and chat.
I'll be passing this along.
(\(\
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o(_”)”)

jaribhai
September 27th, 2014, 04:39 PM
That's amazing,.,

belarrius
September 28th, 2014, 10:46 AM
I use Tox on my Ubuntu, and i use Antox on my Android phone :)

dannyboy79
October 4th, 2014, 12:04 AM
i installed venom within xubuntu 14.04 but sadly I have no idea what to do next. if i click the + symbol, it's asking for a tox id. i don't know what my own tox id is to give to my friends? we're trying to switch from using google hangouts for our podcast to something like tox for video conferencing. Can someone point me to instructions for actually using tox please? Also, i do have a server already running Teamspeak and Minecraft so if there's some central server type program to install i'll need to know how to do that also.

UPDATE: alright, i installed uTox and found my tox id. i think i can figure this out now.

forcecore
October 4th, 2014, 03:48 PM
Some day ago Tox developers started to rewrite group chatting. Text chat already works with new groupchats.
https://wiki.tox.im/Groupchat

markodd
October 6th, 2014, 08:54 PM
I wish the development of tox was much more active.. At this pace, they're gonna take way too long to get in beta..

forcecore
February 10th, 2015, 03:50 PM
Bumping: development is going quite well currently, clients has lot of improvements from my last post to this topic. Biggest clients are uTox and qTox, about other clients you can read from Tox wiki.

Dragonbite
February 10th, 2015, 06:23 PM
Soon we may be finally get rid of Skype thanks to www.tox.im
1: written in clean C and C++(QT GUI), no other horrible "fat" languages that are slow and no dependency hell.
2: easy to use
3: uses dht similar to Skype network.
4: full encryption
5: read additional info from their website and Github.

Please spread word.

Development build available
http://wiki.tox.im/binaries

Relay system is working now(similar to Skype supernodes but works differently)

Only problem is

Whomever you are going to talk to needs ot use this service as well which, unless they share the same passion/concern you do, isn't very likely.
Ekiga was out years ago trying the same thing and it hasn't gone all that far. It even integrated with Pidgin if I remember correctly.


Now, the one that looks more interesting is Firefox's built-in talk, because it is easier to get people to use Firefox than it is to get them to use some other chat/messaging/video system.

Barring that, Facebook now enables video chat without any plugins or the like. That taps into a fair amount of my contacts that I would want to talk with.

monkeybrain20122
February 11th, 2015, 04:00 AM
Barring that, Facebook now enables video chat without any plugins or the like. That taps into a fair amount of my contacts that I would want to talk with.

Does it work on Linux?

shantiq
February 11th, 2015, 07:58 AM
i have not tried it yet but here (http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2015/01/facebook-video-chat-work-in-ubuntu-no-plugin) it says it does

Dragonbite
February 11th, 2015, 03:52 PM
Does it work on Linux?

First I have to make sure my webcam works.

It doesn't play nice with the modern kernel, so I have to add a module file to set something to make it work.

Linuxratty
February 14th, 2015, 02:05 AM
. Linuxratty, is Venom limited to two at once? If so I wasn't aware of it as I've never managed to get it to connect to the network. Have you, may I ask? Even if it is (limited to two), I'd find it very useful--I don't do any gaming and seldom need VoIP for more than one other person at a time (though I'd certainly applaud your FF idea).

I don't like what Google does either..Even though I'm using Ad Block,I know they are still ding it.
I've never tried Venom,so i don't know.
Me and a friend tried Fire Fox Hello and it worked well,but I'm not sure it can do more than two,or do fancy stuff like screen share. We saw no screen share buttons.
\(\
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o(_”)”)

forcecore
May 8th, 2015, 08:00 PM
Bump so people who do not know Tox yet. There is quite great work done with clients and core: close to tray on Win and coming for Linux soon, file sending improvements, Themes on uTox too, stability fixes, network optimizations and so on. Check blog and github if you want more detailed info.

mlnease
May 8th, 2015, 08:09 PM
Thanks for the bump, I haven't been keeping up and Tox was working great last I checked. Links for 'Check blog and github'?

forcecore
May 8th, 2015, 09:13 PM
i collected these observations myself but there is long list in commits and something in blog post.

https://github.com/irungentoo/toxcore
https://github.com/notsecure/uTox
https://github.com/tux3/qTox
https://blog.tox.im/2015/04/27/new-api-gsoc-2015/

If you want more then you could go to freenode irc #tox channel

monkeybrain20122
May 8th, 2015, 10:44 PM
Does it (facebook chat) work on Linux?


Finally tested it out. Yes, it does, very nicely. :p

mlnease
May 9th, 2015, 12:43 AM
Excellent, thx--

forcecore
May 9th, 2015, 12:30 PM
Finally tested it out. Yes, it does, very nicely. :p

Tox has nothing to do with FB chat which is server based and different protocol, Tox wont support FB chat.