FAQ
From Ekiga
About Ekiga
What is Ekiga?
Ekiga is a SIP and H.323 compatible VoIP, IP Telephony, and Video Conferencing application that allows you to make audio and video calls to remote users with SIP or H.323 hardware and software. It supports all modern VoIP features for both SIP and H.323. Ekiga is the first Open Source application to support both H.323 and SIP, as well as audio and video. Ekiga was formerly known as GnomeMeeting.
Is it Free Software?
Yes, it is free as in free speech and in free beer. It is licensed under the GNU/GPL.
What is the License?
Ekiga is licensed under the GPL license and as a special exception, you have permission to link or otherwise combine this program with the programs OPAL, OpenH323 and PWLIB, and distribute the combination, without applying the requirements of the GNU GPL to the OPAL, OpenH323 and PTLIB programs, as long as you do follow the requirements of the GNU GPL for all the rest of the software thus combined.
What is it compatible with?
Ekiga is compatible with any software, device or router supporting SIP or H.323. It includes SwissVoice, CISCO, SNOM, ... IP Phones, but also software like Windows Messenger, Netmeeting, SJPhone, Eyebeam, X-Lite, ... or also the Asterisk popular IPBX, as well as any other commercial or Open Source IPBX. Ekiga is not compatible with Skype and will never be as long as their protocol will stay proprietary. We do not think using closed protocols for communications is a good thing. More information about software compatibility: Which programs work with Ekiga ?
What are the minimum requirements?
You need :
- A correctly configured firewall and NAT router/gateway (see this Ekiga behind a NAT router and this Internet ports used by Ekiga for more information).
- You don't need a webcam. Ekiga is primarily VoIP software.
- Having a headset is recommended if you want to prevent echo. However, a webcam with an internal microphone or a separate microphone will also work.
People
Who created Ekiga?
The creator of the project, Damien Sandras <dsandras_at_seconix.com>, initiated the project on December 25, 2000, as a master thesis at the "Université Catholique de Louvain" in Belgium (http://www.ucl.ac.be).
Who drew the the logo and made the graphic art?
Andreas Kwiatkowski. You can visit his website at: http://www.kwiat.org
Who drew the the mascot?
Carlos Pardo. The mascot is named Lumi. You can visit Carlos' website at: http://www.m4de.com
Who designed the website?
The code of the new website was written by Fabian Deutsch. The design of the website was created by Fabian Deutsch. The graphic art was done by Andreas Kwiatkowski. The old websites until now were done by Cédric Valcke.
Who designed the icon and the logo for Ekiga?
The graphic art has been done by Andreas Kwiatkowski.
General FAQ
Is there a manual?
Yes, that FAQ is about the problems and their solutions. If you want to know how to use the software, please read the manual. The manual is accessible through the F1 key when running Ekiga, or through the help menu.
Does it work under KDE?
Yes, Ekiga has been designed for the GNOME desktop but it works very well with the KDE desktop too. Ekiga provides for example an animated icon automatically added in the KDE system tray.
You are talking about SIP and H.323. I do not know what it is, which one should I choose?
If you want to call Windows Messenger users, use SIP. If you want to call Netmeeting users, use H.323. If you do not know what protocol to use, use SIP. The URL prefix determines what protocol will be used, e.g. sip: or h323: (or callto:).
Is it possible to do PC-To-Phone calls using Ekiga?
Yes, you can do PC-to-Phone calls with Ekiga. You simply have to register an account to the Ekiga provider from the PC-To-Phone configuration window accessible from the Tools menu. You do not need any specific hardware to be able to do PC-To-Phone calls, a simple soundcard is enough. Using a headset to avoid echo problems is however highly recommended. Please see the appropriate section of this FAQ to know how to get an account.
Does it support Text Chat?
Yes, it supports text chat, you can thus do some cut and paste while continuing to talk. Ekiga text chat is compatible with Linphone (Linux) and Windows Messenger (Windows). However, you can send text messages to any SIP address, even if you are not in a call with that specific person, just like with any instant messenger. H.323 text chat only works from Ekiga to Ekiga and during calls.
What is a SIP address and how can I get one?
A SIP address is a way to be reachable and to reach people. You can compare it to an e-mail address. You can signup for a free account on Ekiga.net. It will give you a unique SIP address that you can give to your friends so that they can contact you. An example of SIP address is sip:dsandras@ekiga.net.
How can I test if it is working?
Simply get a free account at Ekiga.net and call the echo text at sip:500@ekiga.net. If you can hear and see yourself back, then your setup is working.
Does it support NAT?
Yes, please see the dedicated section of this FAQ for more information about NAT support.
What is ENUM support?
ENUM support will allow you to associate your real phone number to a SIP or H.323 address and to be callable by other users using that phone number. Please see the manual for more information about ENUM support.
What is Rendez-Vous support?
Rendez-Vous support will allow you to publish your presence on the LAN on which Ekiga is running. You will then be able to search the LAN for other Ekiga users using the address book and directly call them.
Can I use an USB handset with Ekiga?
see here
Can I connect an ATA to Ekiga.net?
see here
Where can I get help?
Subscribe to the mailing list, and let us know your problem. Before you start, make sure you have read this wiki before and have not found any solution to your problem.
- Users Mailing List:
- Subscribe: http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/ekiga-list.
- Archives: http://mail.gnome.org/archives/ekiga-list/.
- Developers Mailing List:
How can I contribute translations?
Ekiga is using the GNOME Translation Project (or GTP for short) for translations. The GTP web page is at http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gtp/.
The GTP is a large team of volunteering translators (probably a lot like you) that translate the GNOME applications that they like into their native language. The GTP is divided into many language teams, all with their own team coordinator, and some with their own mailing list and website. To help us with Ekiga translations, we'd really like you to join the GTP and join your respective language team. Joining is easy, what it takes is more or less just subscribing to some mailing lists. More on that below.
There are a lot of reasons why we want you to do this.
- You will not be required to translate anything - it's all up to you, even if you join the GTP.
- It would be a waste of time if someone had done duplicate work - there might already be someone working on a Ekiga translation for your language, but there's no way to know until you have contacted your language team and asked if someone is already working on a translation.
- Your translation team has people who probably have translated a lot of applications into your language before, and they can usually help you with any translation question (technical or linguistic) that you might have.
- Every translation team usually has at least one person with access to the GNOME SVN repository (where Ekiga development takes place), and he/she can commit your finished translation directly into this SVN repository.
Instructions on how to join the GTP are on the GTP web site, mentioned above.
