source: skype/README @ ffd078a

Last change on this file since ffd078a was bfdcbfb, checked in by Miklos Vajna <vmiklos@…>, at 2009-08-03T11:13:59Z

add reference to experimental, as requested on IRC

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1= Skype plugin for BitlBee
2Miklos Vajna <vmiklos-at-vmiklos-dot-hu>
3
4== Status
5
6[quote, 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
15One day I browsed the BitlBee bugtracker and found
16http://bugs.bitlbee.org/bitlbee/ticket/82[this] ticket. Then after a while I
17returned and saw that it was still open. So I wrote it.
18
19It's pretty stable (one day I wanted to restart it because of an upgrade
20and just noticed it was running for 2+ months without crashing), I use
21it for my daily work. Being a plug-in, no patching is required, you can
22just install it after installing BitlBee itself.
23
24NOTE: You will see that this implementation of the Skype plug-in still requires
25a Skype instance to be running. This is because I'm not motivated to reverse
26engineer Skype's
27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_Protocol#Obfuscation_Layer[obfuscation
28layer]. (Not mentioning that you should ask your lawyer about if it is legal or
29not..)
30
31== Requirements
32
33* Skype >= 1.4.0.99. The latest version I've tested is 2.0.0.72.
34* BitlBee >= @BITLBEE_VERSION@. Use old versions (0.5.1 or earlier) if
35  you have older BitlBee installed.
36* Skype4Py >= 0.9.28.7. Previous versions won't work due to API changes.
37  The latest version I've tested is 1.0.31.0.
38
39* Python >= 2.5. Skype4Py does not work with 2.4.
40* PyGObject >= 2.8.0. Older versions are part of PyGTK. (And you don't want to
41  install GTK for nothing, right?)
42* pyopenssl or python-gnutls.
43
44`bitlbee-skype` has been tested under Linux and Mac OS X. Skype and Skype4py is
45available under Windows, too, so it probably works, but this has not been tested.
46
47== How to set it up
48
49Before you start. The setup is the following: BitlBee can't connect directly to
50Skype servers (the company's ones). It needs a running Skype client to do so.
51In fact BitlBee will connect to `skyped` (a tcp server, provided in this
52package) and `skyped` will connect to to your Skype client.
53
54The benefit of this architecture is that you can run Skype and `skyped`
55on a machine different to the one where you run BitlBee (it can be even
56a public server) and/or your IRC client.
57
58NOTE: The order is important. First `skyped` starts Skype. Then `skyped`
59connects to Skype, finally BitlBee can connect to `skyped`.
60
61=== Installing under Frugalware or Debian
62
63- Install the necessary packages:
64
65----
66# pacman-g2 -S bitlbee-skype
67----
68
69or
70
71----
72# apt-get install skyped bitlbee-plugin-skype
73----
74
75(the later from the experimental repo)
76
77and you don't have to compile anything manually.
78
79=== Installing under OS X
80
81- Install the necessary packages from ports:
82
83NOTE: You have to edit the Portfile manually to include the install-dev target,
84just append install-dev after install-etc.
85
86----
87# port -v install bitlbee
88# port -v install py25-gobject
89----
90
91and you have to install `bitlbee-skype`, `skype4py` and `python-gnutls` from
92source.
93
94=== Installing from source
95
96NOTE: bitlbee-skype by default builds and installs skyped and the
97plugin. In case you just want to install the plugin for a public server
98or you want to use skyped with a public server (like
99`bitlbee1.asnetinc.net`), you don't need both.
100
101- You need the latest stable BitlBee release (unless you want to use a
102  public server):
103
104----
105$ wget http://get.bitlbee.org/src/bitlbee-@BITLBEE_VERSION@.tar.gz
106$ tar xf bitlbee-@BITLBEE_VERSION@.tar.gz
107$ cd bitlbee-@BITLBEE_VERSION@
108----
109
110- Now compile and install it:
111
112----
113$ ./configure
114$ make
115# make install install-dev
116----
117
118- To install http://skype4py.sourceforge.net/[Skype4Py] from source
119  (unless you want to install the plugin for a public server):
120
121----
122$ tar -zxvf Skype4Py-x.x.x.x.tar.gz
123$ cd Skype4Py-x.x.x.x
124# python setup.py install
125----
126
127- To install http://pypi.python.org/pypi/python-gnutls[python-gnutls] from source
128  (unless you want to install the plugin for a public server):
129
130----
131$ tar -zxvf python-gnutls-x.x.x.tar.gz
132$ cd python-gnutls-x.x.x
133# python setup.py install
134----
135
136NOTE: On OS X you will need the following hacks first:
137
138----
139$ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/local/lib
140$ export CFLAGS="-I/opt/local/include"
141$ export LDFLAGS="-L/opt/local/lib"
142----
143
144- Get the plugin code (in an empty dir, or whereever you want, it does
145  not matter):
146
147----
148$ wget http://vmiklos.hu/project/bitlbee-skype/bitlbee-skype-@VERSION@.tar.gz
149$ tar xf bitlbee-skype-@VERSION@.tar.gz
150$ cd bitlbee-skype-@VERSION@
151----
152
153- Compile and install it:
154
155----
156$ ./configure
157$ make
158# make install
159----
160
161This will install the plugin to where BitlBee expects them, which is
162`/usr/local/lib/bitlbee` if you installed BitlBee from source.
163
164=== Configuring
165
166- Set up `~/.skyped/skyped.conf`: Create the `~/.skyped` directory, copy
167  `skyped.conf` and `skyped.cnf` from
168  `/usr/local/etc/skyped/skyped.conf` to `~/.skyped`, adjust `username`
169  and `password`. The `username` should be your Skype login and the
170  `password` can be whatever you want, but you will have to specify that
171  one when adding the Skype account to BitlBee (see later).
172
173NOTE: Here, and later - `/usr/local/etc` can be different on your installation
174if you used the `--sysconfdir` switch when running bitlbee-skype's `configure`.
175
176- Generate the SSL pem files:
177
178----
179# cd ~/.skyped
180# openssl req -new -x509 -days 365 -nodes -config skyped.cnf -out skyped.cert.pem \
181        -keyout skyped.key.pem
182----
183
184NOTE: Maybe you want to adjust the permissions in the `~/.skyped`
185dir. For example make it readable by just your user.
186
187- If both pyopenssl and python-gnutls are available, then python-gnutls
188  will be used. This behaviour can be overwritten by:
189
190----
191$ export SKYPED_NO_GNUTLS=1
192----
193
194- Start `skyped` (the tcp server):
195
196----
197$ skyped
198----
199
200- Start your `IRC` client, connect to BitlBee and add your account:
201
202----
203account add skype <user> <pass>
204account set skype/server localhost
205----
206
207<user> should be your Skype account name, <pass> should be the one you declared
208in `skyped.conf`. If you want to run skyped on a remote machine, replace
209`localhost` with the name of the machine.
210
211If you are running skyped on a custom port:
212
213----
214account set skype/port <port>
215----
216
217If you want to set your full name (optional):
218
219----
220account set skype/display_name "John Smith"
221----
222
223If you want to see your skypeout contacts online as well (they are
224offline by default):
225
226----
227account set skype/skypeout_offline false
228----
229
230== Setting up Skype in a VNC server (optional)
231
232Optionally, if you want to run Skype on a server, you might want to setup up
233a `VNC` server as well. I used `tightvnc` but probably other `VNC` servers will
234work, too.
235
236First run
237
238----
239$ vncpasswd ~/.vnc/passwd
240----
241
242and create a password. You will need it at least once.
243
244Now create `~/.vnc/xstartup` with the following contents:
245
246----
247#!/bin/sh
248
249blackbox
250----
251
252Adjust the permissions:
253
254----
255$ chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
256----
257
258Then start the server:
259
260----
261$ vncserver
262----
263
264Then connect to it, start an `xterm`, set up Skype (username, password,
265enable X11 API and allow the `Skype4Py` client), quit from Skype, and
266start `skyped`. If you want to watch its traffic, enable debug messages
267and foreground mode:
268
269----
270$ skyped -n -d
271----
272
273== Features
274
275- Download nicks and away statuses from Skype
276
277- Noticing joins / parts while we're connected
278
279- Sending messages
280
281- Receiving messages
282
283- Receiving away status changes
284
285- `skyped` (the tcp daemon that is a gateway between Skype and tcp)
286
287- Error handling when `skyped` is not running and when it exits
288
289- Marking received messages as seen so that Skype won't say there are unread messages
290
291- Adding / removing contacts
292
293- Set away state when you do a `/away`.
294
295- When you `account off`, Skype will set status to `Offline`
296
297- When you `account on`, Skype will set status to `Online`
298
299- Detect when somebody wants to add you and ask for confirmation
300
301- Detect when somebody wants to transfer a file
302
303- Group chat support:
304
305  * Detect if we're invited
306
307  * Send / receive group chat messages
308
309  * Invite others (using `/invite <nick>`)
310
311  * Part from group chats
312
313  * Starting a group chat (using `/j #nick`)
314
315- Topic changes in group chats:
316
317  * Show the current topic (if any) on join
318
319  * Notice when someone changes the topic
320
321  * Support changing the topic using `/topic`
322
323- Viewing the profile using the `info` command.
324
325- Handling skype actions (when the `CHATMESSAGE` has `EMOTED` type)
326
327- Setting your display name using the `nick` command.
328
329- Running Skype on a machine different to BitlBee is possible, the
330  communication is encrypted.
331
332- Managing outgoing calls (with call duration at the end, including
333  SkypeOut calls if you use a phone number instead of a nick):
334
335  * `account set skype/call nick`
336  * `account set -del skype/call`
337
338- Managing incoming calls via questions, just like when you add / remove
339  contacts.
340
341- Querying the current SkypeOut balance:
342
343  * `account set skype/balance query`
344
345- For debug purposes, it's possible to send any command to `skyped`. To
346  achieve this, you need to:
347
348  * `account set skype/skypeconsole true`
349
350  * then writing `skypeconsole: <command>` will work in the control
351    channel.
352
353  * `account set skype/skypeconsole_receive true` will make the
354    `skypeconsole` account dump all the recieved raw traffic for you
355
356- If you want to automatically join bookmarked groupchats right after
357  you logged in, do:
358
359  * `account set skype/auto_join true`
360
361== What needs to be done (aka. TODO)
362
363- Notice if foo invites bar. Currently you can see only that bar joined.
364
365- Public chats. See
366  link:https://developer.skype.com/jira/browse/SCL-381[this feature
367  request], this is because it is still not possible (under Linux) to
368  `join_chat` to a public chat..
369
370- Add yasrd (Yet Another Skype-Related Daemon) to allow using a public
371  server for users who are behind NAT.
372
373== I would like to have support for ...
374
375If something does not work and it's not in the TODO section, then please
376contact me! Please also try the link:HACKING[git version] before reporting a bug, your
377problem may be already fixed there.
378
379In fact, of course, I wrote this documentation after figured out how to do this
380setup, so maybe I left out some steps. If you needed 'any' additional tricks,
381then it would be nice to include them here.
382
383== Known bugs
384
385- File transfers are view-only from BitlBee. Quoting the
386  https://developer.skype.com/Docs/ApiDoc/FILETRANSFER_object[relevant
387  documentation]: 'File transfers cannot be initiated nor accepted via
388  API commands.' So it's not something I can add support for, sadly.
389
390== Screenshots
391
392You can reach some screenshots link:shot[here].
393
394== Additional resources
395
396You can reach the Changelog link:Changelog[here], and a gitweb interface
397http://vmiklos.hu/gitweb/?p=bitlbee-skype.git[here].
398
399The Skype API documentation is
400https://developer.skype.com/Docs/ApiDoc[here] if you're interested.
401
402
403== Testimonials
404
405----
40600:56 < scathe> I like your skype plugin :)
407----
408
409----
410It's really working great so far.
411
412Good Job and thank you!
413Sebastian
414----
415
416----
417Big respect for your work, i really appreciate it.
418
419Martin
420----
421
422----
423Thanks for bitlbee-skype. As a blind Linux user, I cannot use the
424skype GUI client because qt apps ar not accessible yet with the
425available screen readers. bitlbee-skype allows me to make use of skype
426without having to interact much with the GUI client, which helps me a
427lot.
428
429Lukas
430----
431
432----
43302:12 < newton> i must say, i love this little bee ;)
43402:15 < newton> tried it out today with the skype plugin, good work!
435----
436
437----
43818:10 < miCSu> it works fine
439----
440
441----
44213:56 < seo> i just want to thank you :)
44313:56 < seo> for bitlbee-skype
44413:57 < seo> it's working very well, so, again, thank you for your work, and for sharing it
445----
446
447----
44822:16 < ecraven> vmiklos: thanks a lot for the skype plugin for bitlbee!
449----
450
451----
452I'm blind and so I have to use a screen reader, in my case Gnome-Orca.
453But since Skype is written in QT, while Orca uses gtk+, I have no direct
454access to the Skype interface. That's why I desided to use Skyped and
455Erc.
456The text console is fully accessible.
457Thank you very much.
458
459Hermann
460----
461
462----
463i love that bitlbeeplugin. big thx for that.
464
465michael
466----
467
468== Thanks
469
470to the following people:
471
472* Wilmer van der Gaast, for answering questions about the BitlBee plugin interface
473
474* Arkadiusz Wahlig, author of skype4py, for making suggestions to skyped
475
476* Gabor Adam Toth (tg), for noticing extra code is needed to handle multiline
477  messages
478
479* Cristobal Palmer (tarheelcoxn), for helping to testing the plugin in a
480  timezone different to mine
481
482* Risko Gergely, for his SkypeOut ideas
483
484* people on `#bitlbee` for feedback
485
486Back to my link:/projects[projects page].
487
488// vim: ft=asciidoc
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