source: skype/README @ 123e45a

Last change on this file since 123e45a was 123e45a, checked in by Miklos Vajna <vmiklos@…>, at 2008-02-28T23:54:28Z

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[0c60f96]1= Skype plugin for BitlBee
[668a122]2Miklos Vajna <vmiklos@vmiklos.hu>
[afe221f]3
[56e4ac4]4== Status
5
[4eaadf6]6[Wilmer van der Gaast (author of BitlBee)]
7____
8Okay, this exists now, with lots of thanks to vmiklos for his *excellent*
9work!!
10
11It's not in the main BitlBee and it'll never be for various reasons, but
12because it's a plugin that shouldn't be a problem.
13____
14
[56e4ac4]15One day I browsed the BitlBee bugtracker and found
16http://bugs.bitlbee.org/bitlbee/ticket/82[this] ticket. Then after a while I
[1138b25]17returned and saw that it was still open. So I wrote it.
[56e4ac4]18
[2042b56]19It's pretty stable, I use it for my daily work. Being a plug-in, no patching
[20994cb]20is required, you can just install it after installing BitlBee itself.
[75742cc]21
[4c3a4c8]22NOTE: You will see that this implementation of the Skype plug-in still requires
[54c269d]23a Skype instance to be running. This is because I'm not motivated to reverse
24engineer Skype's
25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_Protocol#Obfuscation_Layer[obfuscation
26layer]. (Not mentioning that you should ask your lawyer about if it is legal or
27not..)
28
[22d97b4]29== Requirements
30
[4bf5dfe]31* Skype >= 1.4.0.99. The latest version I've tested is 2.0.0.43.
[e49da25]32* BitlBee >= 1.1.1dev. This is the latest version I've tested, probably
33  newer versions will work, too.
[eb39102]34* Skype4Py >= 0.9.28.7. Previous versions won't work due to API changes.
[c60b864]35* Python >= 2.5. Skype4Py does not work with 2.4.
[e49da25]36* PyGObject >= 2.8.0. Older versions are part of PyGTK. (And you don't want to
37  install GTK for nothing, right?)
[22d97b4]38
[e49da25]39`bitlbee-skype` has been tested under Linux and Windows. Skype and Skype4py is
40available under OSX, too, so it probably works, but this has not been tested.
[760ed1f]41
[9e03e55]42== How to set it up
[afe221f]43
[751b149]44Before you start. The setup is the following: BitlBee can't connect directly to
45Skype servers (the company's ones). It needs a running Skype client to do so.
46In fact BitlBee will connect to `skyped` (a tcp server, provided in this
[4c3a4c8]47package) and `skyped` will connect to to your Skype client.
[751b149]48
[833eaee]49NOTE: The order is important. First `skyped` starts Skype. Then `skyped` can
50connect to Skype, finally BitlBee can connect to `skyped`.
[7e4f0ca1]51
[11eed8f]52- If you happen to be a happy Frugalware user, you can install the `bitlbee`
53  and `bitlbee-skype` packages from
54  http://ftp.frugalware.org/pub/other/people/vmiklos/bmf/[my repo].
55
[d044a5a]56- You need the BitlBee testing/development version:
[afe221f]57
[0c60f96]58----
[ccb50f5]59$ wget http://get.bitlbee.org/src/bitlbee-1.1.1dev.tar.gz
60$ tar xf bitlbee-1.1.1dev.tar.gz
61$ cd bitlbee-1.1.1dev
[0c60f96]62----
[afe221f]63
[d044a5a]64NOTE: You no longer need additional patches, as of version 1.1.1dev.
[b8b0bfd]65
[afe221f]66- Now compile and install it:
67
[0c60f96]68----
[ccb50f5]69$ ./configure
70$ make
71# make install install-dev
[0c60f96]72----
[afe221f]73
74- Get the plugin code:
75
[0c60f96]76----
[3b495c0]77$ wget http://vmiklos.hu/project/bitlbee-skype/bitlbee-skype-@VERSION@.tar.gz
78$ tar xf bitlbee-skype-@VERSION@.tar.gz
79$ cd bitlbee-skype-@VERSION@
[0c60f96]80----
[afe221f]81
[3b495c0]82It doesn't matter where do you get it, it'll install the plugin to `/usr/local`
83by default (that's the location where BitlBee searches for plugins by default).
[6e97a7a]84
[afe221f]85- Compile and install it:
86
[0c60f96]87----
[ccb50f5]88$ ./configure
89$ make
90# make install
[0c60f96]91----
[afe221f]92
[c15f71a]93- Install http://skype4py.sourceforge.net/[Skype4Py].
94
95(You may remember that previous versions of `skyped` did not require this
96package. This because it now uses the X11 interface of Skype (because the
[4c3a4c8]97previously used `DBus` interface had
[c15f71a]98http://forum.skype.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=94545&view=findpost&p=431710[known
99problems]), but I wanted to prevent a large code duplication from that project.
100In addition it then no longer requires the `dbus-python` package, just
101`pygobject`.)
102
[52d377d]103- Edit `/usr/local/etc/skyped/skyped.conf`: adjust `username` and `password`. The
[e65ceaa]104  `username` should be your Skype login and the `password` can be whatever you
105  want, but you will have to specify that one when adding the Skype account to
106  BitlBee (see later).
107
[52d377d]108NOTE: Here, and later - `/usr/local/etc` can be different on your installation
109if you used the `--sysconfdir` switch when running bitlbee-skype's `configure`.
110
111- Generate the SSL pem files:
112
113----
[ccb50f5]114# cd /usr/local/etc/skyped
115# openssl req -new -x509 -days 365 -nodes -config skyped.cnf -out skyped.cert.pem \
[52d377d]116        -keyout skyped.key.pem
117----
118
[ccb50f5]119NOTE: Maybe you want to adjust the permissions in the `/usr/local/etc/skyped`
120dir. For example make it readable by just your user.
121
[833eaee]122- Start `skyped` (the tcp server):
[afe221f]123
[0c60f96]124----
[ccb50f5]125$ skyped
[0c60f96]126----
[ba20c39]127
[4c3a4c8]128- Start your `IRC` client, connect to BitlBee and add your account:
[7338d59]129
130----
[789d055]131account add skype <user> <pass>
132account set skype/server localhost
[7338d59]133----
134
[e65ceaa]135<user> should be your Skype account name, <pass> should be the one you declared
[10a42d9]136in `skyped.conf`. If you want to run skyped on a remote machine, replace
137`localhost` with the name of the machine.
[7338d59]138
[23b84e1]139== Setting up Skype in a VNC server (optional)
140
141Optionally, if you want to run Skype on a server, you might want to setup up
[4c3a4c8]142a `VNC` server as well. I used `tightvnc` but probably other `VNC` servers will
[23b84e1]143work, too.
144
145First run
146
147----
[ccb50f5]148$ vncpasswd ~/.vnc/passwd
[23b84e1]149----
150
151and create a password. You will need it at least once.
152
153Now create `~/.vnc/xstartup` with the following contents:
154
155----
156#!/bin/sh
157
[19b805c]158sleep 1
159skyped
[23b84e1]160----
161
[57087df]162Adjust the permissions:
163
164----
[ccb50f5]165$ chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
[57087df]166----
167
[23b84e1]168Then start the server:
169
170----
[ccb50f5]171$ vncserver
[23b84e1]172----
173
[4c3a4c8]174Then connect to it, and set up Skype (username, password, enable auto-login, and
[23b84e1]175allow the `SkypeApiPythonShell` client when Skype asks about it).
176
[dffa24f]177Please be aware about that Skype has serious memory leak issues. After running
178with for a few weeks it may eat >300 MB of memory. Just don't forget to restart
179your VNC server regularly. (How ugly.)
180
[123e45a]181== Features
[b6d26ac]182
[adce2de]183- Download nicks and away statuses from Skype
[b6d26ac]184
[39a0d64]185- Noticing joins / parts while we're connected
186
[93ece66]187- Sending messages
188
[8dd21bb]189- Receiving messages
190
[72f697b]191- Receiving away status changes
192
[62bb4e4]193- `skyped` (the tcp daemon that is a gateway between Skype and tcp)
[ed2e37f]194
[62bb4e4]195- Error handling when `skyped` is not running and when it exits
[afe221f]196
[62bb4e4]197- Marking received messages as seen so that Skype won't say there are unread messages
[440665b]198
[6627d92]199- Adding / removing contacts
200
[23411c6]201- Set away state when you do a `/away`.
202
[d3cbd17]203- When you `account off`, Skype will set status to `Offline`
[348a3a2]204
[d3cbd17]205- When you `account on`, Skype will set status to `Online`
[348a3a2]206
[d3cbd17]207- Detect when somebody wants to add you and ask for confirmation
[8dd21bb]208
[df9255d]209- Detect when somebody wants to transfer a file
210
[d6a371e]211- Group chat support:
212
213  * Detect if we're invited
214
215  * Send / receive group chat messages
[93ece66]216
[ff58445]217  * Invite others (using `/invite <nick>`)
[c5dd164]218
[d6a371e]219  * Part from group chats
[c5dd164]220
[ff58445]221  * Starting a group chat (using `/j #nick`)
222
[e103e73]223- Topic changes in group chats:
224
225  * Show the current topic (if any) on join
226
227  * Notice when someone changes the topic
228
229  * Support changing the topic using `/topic`
230
[fb36492]231- Viewing the profile using the `info` command.
232
[a06a0a5]233- Handling skype actions (when the `CHATMESSAGE` has `EMOTED` type)
234
[6b266f6]235- Setting your display name using the `nick` command.
[a06a0a5]236
[ccb50f5]237- Running Skype on a machine different to BitlBee is possible, the
238  communication is encrypted.
239
[123e45a]240- Starting calls: `account set skype/call nick`
241
[d6a371e]242== What needs to be done (aka. TODO)
[c5dd164]243
[123e45a]244- Add support for accepting/rejecting calls via settings.
[846ceffb]245
[d6a371e]246- Notice if foo invites bar. Currently you can see only that bar joined.
247
[4285920]248- Public chats. See link:http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=98872[this
249  forum thread], it is still unclear how could it be done for you to be able to
250  `/join` to a public chat..
[d6a371e]251
[3511d80]252- Add `--disable-skyped` and `--disable-plugin` switches in case one wants to
253  build `bitlbee-skype` only for a public server or only for use with a public
254  server.
[fdde7d8]255
[0c60f96]256== I would like to have support for ...
257
[23b84e1]258If something does not work and it's not in the TODO section, then please
[e72d869]259contact me! Please also try the link:HACKING[git version] before reporting a bug, your
[80d9004]260problem may be already fixed there.
[23b84e1]261
262In fact, of course, I wrote this documentation after figured out how to do this
263setup, so maybe I left out some steps. If you needed 'any' additional tricks,
264then it would be nice to include them here.
[afe221f]265
[f78f949]266== Known bugs
267
[5652d43]268- None at this time.
[f78f949]269
[0c60f96]270== Screenshots
271
[668a122]272You can reach some screenshots link:shot[here].
[ddd3502]273
[25d87e4]274== Additional resources
[a60c3c2]275
[25d87e4]276You can reach the Changelog link:Changelog[here], and a gitweb interface
[6f01885]277http://vmiklos.hu/gitweb/?p=bitlbee-skype.git[here].
[a60c3c2]278
[c09f90f]279The Skype API documentation is
280https://developer.skype.com/Docs/ApiDoc[here] if you're interested.
281
[ceee9c7]282
283== Testimonials
284
285----
28600:56 < scathe> vmiklos: I like your skype plugin :)
287----
288
[6774d83]289----
290It's really working great so far.
291
292Good Job and thank you!
293Sebastian
294----
295
[65e4020]296== Thanks
297
298for the following people:
299
[e49da25]300* Wilmer van der Gaast, for answering questions about the BitlBee plugin interface
[65e4020]301
[56a3616]302* Arkadiusz Wahlig, author of skype4py, for making suggestions to skyped
[65e4020]303
[9834597]304* Gabor Adam Toth (tg), for noticing extra code is needed to handle multiline
305  messages
306
307* Cristobal Palmer (tarheelcoxn), for helping to testing the plugin in a
308  timezone different to mine
[65e4020]309
[437ddf5]310* people on `#bitlbee` for feedback
311
[eb9cbb8]312Back to my link:/projects[projects page].
313
[0c60f96]314// vim: ft=asciidoc
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