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Idea #11685: Add video support to Jabber MSN messenger and other Transports

Written by Auzy the 31 Jul 08 at 12:16. Category: Office. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
We should allow jabber clients to make video/audio calls to users on other protocols such as MSN messenger or Yahoo messenger. This is done by adding support for Jingle over Jabber transports. It is entirely possible that Jingle compatible clients need no new work to "just work", and that converters only need to be added on the server side now to support it.

The benefits?
- Any IM chat client which supports Jabber+jingle+jingle via transports(may not be needed), can support AV over ANY chat protocol without extra code (even new ones that don't exist at the time of programming).
- Much less code. Currently, we have to add code to EVERY client, for every different IM protocol included. With this idea, clients would only need to support the jingle JEP over Transports. This means they can spend more time working on adding features!
- Users logging into only one jabber account, will automatically be able to access all their other IM accounts on other networks.
- Obsoletes multi-IM protocol clients. Since Jabber clients could support AV over any protocol, we don't need to code for them specifically client side. Thats all handled server-side/transport server-side
- Jabber is a totally open protocol, which anyone can set up a server for. People automatically get an account with jabber, whilst maintaining support for other protocols.

CONS
- Greater CPU load on server. However, maybe not a problem, as in some cases, may simply cost a bit more to translate the AV stream, and that could be done by separate transport servers from the server. And we know CPU's with hundreds of cores will be here within 2 years anyway, so servers will be ready in time.

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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #11685
Written by Auzy the 31 Jul 08 at 12:16.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #11685 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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Comments
bgfeldm wrote on the 31 Jul 08 at 21:33
Idea #164: Webcam with Pidgin!
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/164/

Auzy wrote on the 31 Jul 08 at 22:49
If any admin DARES mark #164 as a dupe, I will not be happy.

Read the idea properly bgfeldm. This isn't about adding webcam support for all protocols.

The problem with pidgin, is that AV support needs adding for ALL protocols. By adding a new JEP to jabber, they could only support 1 protocol, which would add support for all.

And its program agnostic. Can apply to any jabber compatible client.

stoffel wrote on the 1 Aug 08 at 09:10
Examples of how it should work:

MSN contact initiates webcam session:
1. MSN contact initiates the webcam session
2. MSN transport sees the MSN contact wants to do webcamming
3. MSN transport gives the client of the MSN contact a fake IP for P2P (this is the IP of another server that handles video)
4. MSN transport notifies the video server
5. MSN transports converts the webcam initiation request to Jingle format and sends it to the XMPP contact. The IP is replaced by the IP of the video server.

XMPP user initiates webcam session with MSN contact:
1. XMPP contact uses Jingle to initiate the webcam session
2. MSN transport gives the XMPP user the IP of the video server to send the video
3. MSN transport sends webcam request to MSN contact and includes the IP of the video server

Image:

MSN ClientMSN TransportXMPP Client
\ | /
\---Video Server---/
| |
(proprietary protocol) (Jingle)

yzarc wrote on the 1 Aug 08 at 10:10
that's a reason for why I must boot in XP and also a reason for do not try to convince anyone using Linux.
skype stopped working since 8.04 due conflicts with pulse.

Eldmannen wrote on the 1 Aug 08 at 11:28
Make it possible to run the webcam video stream in fullscreen.
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/6958/

Auzy wrote on the 3 Aug 08 at 05:06
I've thought about it a bit more, and Jingle compatible jabber clients MIGHT NOT NEED EXTRA CODE!! So support may be a lot more effortless then believed.

The only extra code needed is probably just adding other im protocol AV (such as MSN)->jingle AV converters to the servers, for free support to every client.

I actually think someone should consider posting this to the official jabber/XMPP mailing lists, to see if it may be considered for the official server daemons.


Auzy wrote on the 10 Sep 08 at 12:18
This is incorrectly marked as DUPE!! Please fix this!

Auzy wrote on the 23 Sep 08 at 06:48
I dont particularly see what pulse or skype has to do with this idea yzarc.

But this idea would benefit windows and OSX too. Because its the first time that any client could implement 1 AV protocol and automatically receive support for any.

yzarc wrote on the 23 Sep 08 at 11:05
Auzy, skype it's my unique alternative to talk with video and audio on linux. And it just stopped working when the ubuntu adopted the pulse in 8.04. bynow it's already fixed but was very boring :(

Auzy wrote on the 13 Oct 08 at 09:37
The benefit of this idea though, is that any basic jabber client could get AV chat access to MSN messenger, skype, or ANYTHING. We'd have a generic way of dealing with any AV Chat protocol.


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