601. Linphone on windows XP with llinphone's sip server

This post is meant as a step by step guide that more computer savvy users on linux (who'd be interested in using linphone) can share with less computer savvy users on windows.

I'd like to be able to do a video chat with a specific person who told me about issues with installing skype on their laptop. Given that I'm having issues with skype on some of my computers as well, and the general nuisance of having to deal with i386 libs just for the sake of skype, and the fact that I'm using linphone for my iinet voip service as well as freecall, I'm keen on getting that person switched to linphone.

(I presume that easier solutions would involve e.g. google talk in a browser, but where's the fun in that?)
The following was done on a native installation of windows xp which I remotely connected to using remmina (via rdp).

1. Get Linphone.

Note that the current version, 3.7.0, which is available by clicking on the download button on the website does not work on windows XP (for me), as it gives the following:

Instead, go to http://download-mirror.savannah.gnu.org/releases/linphone/3.6.x/win32/ and download 3.6.1.

version 3.4 works too

2. Install Linphone
Nothing odd here:

2b. Register for a SIP service
For Linphone to work you need to register for a SIP service. Linphone offers a free one. NOTE that you can register for a SIP service during the installation of Linphone i.e. you don't need to follow this step. Might be useful if you've already got Linphone installed and want to manually register though.

3. Set up Linphone
If you're asked whether to unblock, click unblock.

The wizard:

If you didn't sing up separately for a SIP account you can choose to do so as part of the setup using the wizard. Otherwise you can manually set it up, and that's what I'll show here:

That's the end of the wizard.

You can add contacts just like you would in any other 'chat' program, although here you use SIP addresses.

582. Briefly: freecall.com using linphone

I've covered how to set up linphone in the past: http://verahill.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/linphone-with-iinet-iitalk-voip-service.html

This is thus going to be a very brief post with just the settings for freecall.com, which offers a SIP service.

The specific settings that you need to make are (this is from my ~/.linphonerc

[auth_info_0]
username=myUserId
userid=myUserId
passwd=PasswordInPlainText
realm="sip.freecall.com"

[proxy_0]
reg_proxy=sip:sip.freecall.com
reg_identity=sip:myUserID@sip.freecall.com
reg_expires=3600
reg_sendregister=1
publish=0
dial_escape_plus=0

Yes, that's it. So, there you go - you now have a reasonably priced alternative to Skype for international calling.

I've charged my account with 10 Euro, and I've made a few test phone calls. So far so good.

See http://verahill.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/581-obi200-and-debian-and-iinet.html for how to use the obihai 200 ATA with freecall.

17. Linphone with iinet iitalk voip service on Debian Testing 64 (Wheezy)

We've got the Naked DSL from iinet, and included with it is a 'free' voip service, iitalk. Since we haven't got either a modem supporting voip, or an ATA adapter + regular terrestrial phone, we're aiming for the next best - using a software voip solution on our desktop. Linphone is FOSS and available in the debian repos.

You will have received an email from iinet with the following details:
Your Netphone number:         0xxxxxxx
Your Netphone password:     yyyyyyy
Your Netphone PIN:                 zzzz
VoIP SIP domain:            iinetphone.iinet.net.au
VoIP SIP server:              sip.state.iinet.net.au

where state is act, nsw, vic, wa etc. giving something along the lines of sip.act.iinet.net.au


first
sudo apt-get install linphone

You'll find the GUI version on your gnome menu under 'internet'. Start it.
Go to Linphone/Settings
Click on the manage SIP accounts tab.
There are three main sections on this tab: default identity, Proxy accounts and Privacy
Don't bother with the Default identity or Privacy; instead click on Add under Proxy accounts


Your SIP identity: sip: 0xxxxxxx@sip.state.iinet.net.au
SIP proxy addres: sip: sip.state.iinet.net.au
Route (optional): sip:
Registration duration (sec): 3600
Register at startup: yes

You can also set up the account directly in your ~/.linphonerc :

[proxy_0]
reg_proxy=sip:sip.state.iinet.net.au
reg_route=sip:
reg_identity=sip:0xxxxxxx@sip.state.iinet.net.au
reg_expires=3600
reg_sendregister=1
publish=0
dial_escape_plus=0

[auth_info_0]
username=0xxxx
userid=0xxxxxx
passwd=yyyyyyyyyyy
realm="iinetphone.iinet.net.au"

The number after proxy_ and auth_info_ depends on whether you have other accounts defined as well. Note that the .linphonerc file will contain a fair number of other things. Here's my full .linphonerc (with some information replaced by x's)


[sound]
playback_dev_id=ALSA: default device
ringer_dev_id=ALSA: default device
capture_dev_id=ALSA: default device
remote_ring=/usr/share/sounds/linphone/ringback.wav

[video]
device=V4L2: /dev/video0
size=cif
enabled=0
display=0
capture=0
show_local=0
self_view=1

[GtkUi]
advanced_ui=1
uri0=0xxxxxxxx

[net]
download_bw=0
upload_bw=0
firewall_policy=0
mtu=0

[sip]
sip_port=5060
guess_hostname=1
contact=<sip:xxx@192.168.1.2>
inc_timeout=15
use_info=0
use_rfc2833=0
use_ipv6=0
register_only_when_network_is_up=1
default_proxy=0

[auth_info_0]
username=0xxxxxxx
userid=0xxxxxxxx
passwd=yyyyyyy
realm="iinetphone.iinet.net.au"

[rtp]
audio_rtp_port=7078
video_rtp_port=9078
audio_jitt_comp=60
video_jitt_comp=0
nortp_timeout=30

[audio_codec_0]
mime=speex
rate=32000
enabled=1

[audio_codec_1]
mime=speex
rate=16000
enabled=1

[audio_codec_2]
mime=speex
rate=8000
enabled=1

[audio_codec_3]
mime=GSM
rate=8000
enabled=1

[audio_codec_4]
mime=PCMU
rate=8000
enabled=1

[audio_codec_5]
mime=PCMA
rate=8000
enabled=1

[video_codec_0]
mime=MP4V-ES
rate=90000
enabled=1
recv_fmtp=profile-level-id=3

[video_codec_1]
mime=theora
rate=90000
enabled=1

[video_codec_2]
mime=H263-1998
rate=90000
enabled=1
recv_fmtp=CIF=1;QCIF=1

[video_codec_3]
mime=H263
rate=90000
enabled=1

[video_codec_4]
mime=x-snow
rate=90000
enabled=1

[proxy_0]
reg_proxy=sip:sip.state.iinet.net.au
reg_route=sip:
reg_identity=sip:0xxxxxxxxx@sip.state.iinet.net.au
reg_expires=3600
reg_sendregister=1
publish=0
dial_escape_plus=0