Yahoo! We need your attention!

[Ashok Gelal]

One of my friends saw me playing with Compiz-Fusion effects in Ubuntu on Saturday and was pretty much impressed with Ubuntu when I detailed him some more advantages of using Linux OS. He came yesterday with his laptop to get Ubuntu installed. He was more than satisfied with all the things. He was very proud not to be called 'Pirate' any more. His friend had told him that he need to spend a lot of time tweaking Linux OS to work for him; installing library files, install each and every codecs manually to make a media player work etc etc. But I showed him the easiest way to do those things through Automatix2 and other update manager.

He called me yesterday night asking if there is any messenger available so that he can chat with his 'Yahoo!' girlfriend. I suggested him to use Pidgin (previously Gaim), a multi-protocol chat client.

He came today again with not so happy mood. He was asking me if there was anyway he can do the voice chat. I have never used any messenger for voice chat. Thinking that it should be available easily for Linux platform, I Googled for about two hours only to answer him "Sorry! It seems that there is no any such client available as of now." He replied, "Then as of now I will be using Windows".

I don't know if there is any chat-client available which supports voice and webcam. VOIP is easily supported by Linux platform. Skype is also available for download for Linux platforms. There are some applications like Linphone which can be used for other VOIP clients such as voipbuster, voipcheap etc which use standard sip protocol (Skype doesn't use sip protocol). I am so surprised and shocked that Yahoo! who have been in this internet field for a decade has not got a fully supported messenger for Linux. It is a real shame for them. It is understandable that MSN messenger is not available for Linux (bcoz it is Micro$oft) but Yahoo! and Google (GTalk too is not available for Linux) should really take Linux OS seriously. We really want their attention badly.

[Ryan]

Ah, I assumed that it was as simple as connecting to a server. I am sure IF it was that simple, people would have already done so and we wouldn't be having this conversation. While I happily give up Yahoo messenger, I am sure many people are stuck in their ways (and thus with Windows).

Since there are chat options in Skype to (I love skype so...yea...) I can't image why people wouldn't let not having Yahoo! or MSN stop them. There are easy ways around it. I feel so much better with everything I am running in Ubuntu, no pirated software, no wondering.

[Ashok Gelal]

I've read somewhere that is not that easy as Yahoo messenger codes are written badly without proper documentation. Moreover, the third parties need enough time and money for doing anything.

[Ryan]

I would be happy if they at least allowed these third party messengers to be able to access their webcam and voice chat resources.

[Ashok Gelal]

I wonder if you sent the email with your new mac-look screenshot attached? Just kidding.
I too use skype but too sad most of my friends, whom I like to talk to, don't use skype or kapote because they still are in stone age and think that Windows is *still* a great tool to cut the meat.

[Roger Goerrich]

They also say Kapote can support webcam and voice chat too....

[Roger Goerrich]

I emailed yahoo customer support on this and they told me that Yahoo Web Messenger should support voice and webcam chat, I tried it out and found that it actually does not work. dissapointing I tell ya.... I use skype for voice and web chat.

[Trent Cutler]

Skype webcam is available. I know this because it is one of the selling points of the eeepc. Also Ubuntu comes with Ekiga Softphone preinstalled, which you can link to a grandcentral.com account as well.

http://ekiga.org/
http://www.gizmoproject.com/
http://grandcentral.com

also you may want to look at this:
http://www.phrozensmoke.com/projects/pyvoicechat/