Sidux/Useable applications/VoIP telephony

VoIP telphony (Voice over Internet Protocol) lets making calls to landlines or mobiles with cheap prices.


Requirements

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If you want to make VoIP calls you have to do 3 things:
1. Create an account on any VoIP provider web side.
2. Pre-paid your account.
3. Install one of available VoIP application.


VoIP providers

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There are two providers I tried by myself, more you can find on a web side below.
1. Skype Out http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/features/allfeatures/call-phones-and-mobiles/
2. Freeconet http://www.freeconet.pl/en/
3. or check it here: http://www.voip-catalog.com/press_releases.html


Kphone

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Kphone is very small but fully working VoIP application.
1. Installation:
apt-get install kphone libqt3-mt
2. The installation script doesn't make Menu entry, so you can do it yourself:
sux
mousepad /usr/share/applications/kphone.desktop
copy and past text below in:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Kphone
Comment=VoIP telephony
Exec=kphone
Icon=/usr/share/icons/oxygen/64x64/apps/internet-telephony.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Network;
and save the file (the icon patch can be vary).
3. Run it from: Menu-> Network-> Kphone
4. As a first step configure your account:
a. In "User part of sip URL" type your user name or number you got from VoIP provider.
b. In "Host part of sip URL" type VoIP provider sip address such as: sip.address.com
c. In "Authentication Username (optional)" type your user name again.
 
d. As a next step type your password marking "Save password".
 
4. In: Preferences tab-> Phone Book you may add your contacts.
 

5. To make a phone call type a phone number in search fild and click on phone icon.

 


Kphone home page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/kphone
More about Kphone on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPhone


Others applications

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There are not too many configuration differents for all VoIp applications so I suggest to try:
  1. Linphone: http://www.linphone.org and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linphone
  2. Ekiga: http://ekiga.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekiga
  3. X-lite: http://www.counterpath.com/x-lite.html
  4. Zoiper: http://www.zoiper.com/
  5. Twinkle: http://www.twinklephone.com/


More about VoIP on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP