skype on pandora

[PokeParadox]

I've raised this a few times, the last one was here : http://boards.openpa...he-angry-birds/


There *is* Skype on ARM - However, it's an Android package. So it might be portable, or you can wait until Android is ported to the Pandora

I've raised this a few times, the last one was here : http://boards.openpa...he-angry-birds/


There *is* Skype on ARM - However, it's an Android package. So it might be portable, or you can wait until Android is ported to the Pandora

I've also mentioned that someone with the correct know-how may be able to hack the Empathy plugin of Skype that the N900 has...

 

[Wootson]

Some people at Maemo.org are also working on a custom firmware for the N900. I reckon they might know a few tricks to get stuff running in a Linux environment.


I've seen Skype work perfectly on my aunts phone. Even video calling works. So that version has all the normal functionality and can run on ARM Cortex-A8.


Porting Maemo might also be a good option! :lol:

 

[Nardella]

Could one create a program for a Pandora and a PC that would let the Pandora access Skype on the PC much like a remote desktop program but specifically created for Skype

 

[Coldbird]

I wasted countless hours on this and decided to stop trying, however I got pretty close to success.


1. There is a binary compatible with Pandora. Yes, there is!


Its the Maemo 4 Version of Skype, it works on Pandora as long as you copy the right libraries from a Maemo OS dump.


The reason I failed was quite simple... i didnt have a Maemo phone to steal the right libraries from... and even if i did im pretty sure minimal library patching might be necessary.


However, this is our best chance to get Skype running on the Pandora OS.


Sent from my Optimus 2X using Tapatalk

 

[WizardStan]

Could one create a program for a Pandora and a PC that would let the Pandora access Skype on the PC much like a remote desktop program but specifically created for Skype

Yes that is possible. It would be terribly inefficient though and the results probably wouldn't be worth the work that goes into it.

 

[bismuthdrummer]

I wasted countless hours on this and decided to stop trying, however I got pretty close to success.


1. There is a binary compatible with Pandora. Yes, there is!


Its the Maemo 4 Version of Skype, it works on Pandora as long as you copy the right libraries from a Maemo OS dump.


The reason I failed was quite simple... i didnt have a Maemo phone to steal the right libraries from... and even if i did im pretty sure minimal library patching might be necessary.


However, this is our best chance to get Skype running on the Pandora OS.

Not to get too excited, but I'll pitch $50 USD for a fully functioning pnd of Skype on the Open Pandora. Performance should be reasonable, i.e. USB webcam + wifi dongle should provide reasonably smooth video and audio.


If someone else wins the bounty using Coldbird's method please consider splitting the contribution.

 

[lobski]

FYI there is an online client for skype https://imo.im/


It has chat and video functions all done through the browser. However, as you might have guessed, it's pretty damn slow on the Pandora.

 

[Tor]

There is a practical problem that shouldn't be underestimated.. if you already have a Nokia N900 phone then you'll realise that Skype is truly well-integrated in this device. Whenever you call someone you can simply choose to use Skype or SIP or GSM, it's all the same really: Normal phone usage.


It may be possible to extract the Empathy plugin, as suggested in another post.


The problem is:


1) If you don't have the N900 you don't have anything to work from.


2) If you _do_ have the N900 then there is no motivation to work on such a project, because you already have a fully functional Skype phone that does all you need, in a way the Pandora can never achieve (due to size, non-phone shape, etc.)


Catch-22.


The older Maemo-4 plugin for the N800 and N810 (which were not phones btw) are not integrated in the way of the N900 (as they're not phones anyway), Skype is a stand-alone application on the N8x0. And, as Coldbird suggested - it may be easy to get this to work. Maybe the motivation would be stronger here, as the Pandora and the N800 and N810 aren't too different and you may really want to replace one of those with the Pandora for carrying around. And at some point (actually it's happened already) you can't get new batteries for them, and they will die. Motivation will increase.


-Tor


Edit: Slightly reworded

 

[Coldbird]

As said by Tor, the N80X devices should be our main source for modules and information as its the only binary-compatible version of Skype for our needs.


However as I have no N80X device to work with... I eventually hit a dead end searching for the right libraries... as not all of them are available for download from the internet.


Which means, one way or another, we need a N80X donor to provide the missing modules to pack up into a PND.


Long story short. Skype on Pandora - yes possible using Maemo4-Version of Skype...


However without a N80X donor - Nope.


And even if we got one, there would be the question of legality with just stripping modules from a Maemo-Build.


FORGET WHAT I WROTE - GOT MY HANDS ON A LEGIT N810 MAC ADDRESS AND NOW HAVE NOKIA DEVELOPER ACCESS


Edit: I borrowed a MAC Address of a N810 unit and downloaded myself a copy of the Firmware, unpacking it right now...


Will give the Skype Bundling another try I suppose.


Progress:


*) Acquired Latest N810 Skype Revision from Nokia Repository


*) Acquired Latest N810 Operating System Flash Image from Nokia Developer Website


*) Unpacked OS Flash Image using jffs2 Linux Kernel Module


*) Skype and Skyhost "start"... BUT....... *read below*


Alright guys, got the library puzzling shit done...


Here's the deal though...


Skyhost starts (you can run it from the console), however it gives me a "bind: operation not permitted" error...


Skype-UI starts, brings up a heavily broken GTK screen, and eventually errors / times out, because of the Skyhost error above... in the commandline it also complains about a GTK version mismatch, throwing countless warnings...


Someone here that has an idea?


Edit: AHA! Skype for N810 has the icon and library paths hardcoded, it doesn't find it's stuff when running on the Pandora because they are located in a different location...


However it still doesn't explain the Skyhost problem...

 

[Coldbird]

BUMP FOR GREAT JUSTICE!


I got Skyhost running! No errors! You guys know what this means right? The Skype System runs on Pandora!


All we need now is, get the GUI started and hooked to Skyhost! Hell, we could even code our own Empathy plugin now or something and link it to the Skyhost process! (It runs on normal sockets.)

 

[Caine]

BUMP FOR GREAT JUSTICE!


I got Skyhost running! No errors! You guys know what this means right? The Skype System runs on Pandora!


All we need now is, get the GUI started and hooked to Skyhost! Hell, we could even code our own Empathy plugin now or something and link it to the Skyhost process! (It runs on normal sockets.)

Awesome. Nicely done Coldbird

 

[Coldbird]

Do we have any volunteers for the Empathy plugin thing?


Cause, one thing I know, it won't be me.


Trying to hexedit / asm-patch the N810 Skype GUI to properly initialize on Pandora, loading the appropriate Codec-Libraries on the other hand might get tricky, but we will see.

 

[bismuthdrummer]

There's no Catch22, plenty of developers such as myself enjoy cross-platform deployment and testing. Only catch for me there is I'm primarily a C# guy.


Awesome progress, Coldbird, I hope you can figure out the GUI transfer so I can hand out your reward.

 

[Coldbird]

Yeah with Skyhost we got 90% done already.


Its the process that does the whole connectivity.

 

[WizardStan]

Not to be a stick in the mud, but if it requires ripping libraries out of Maemo is it legal to distribute? Or will this go the way of the Discontent Fowl?

 

[Coldbird]

Well with the bits I know so far everyone can build their own shit...


In fact building a Skype PND can be automated with the knowledge I have...


People could just download the Maemo FW dump using their own Device MAC as Login and provide that to my script, which would in turn grab the missing Skype files and bundle things as a PND.


That way only people that have a valid Device MAC can build the PND.


Legal enough for you?

 

[Prometheus]

Works for me, so long as nothing untoward is getting distributed.

 

[WizardStan]

I like legal loopholes

 

[Coldbird]

I like legal loopholes

So do I.... so do I...


However quite a few libraries need patching... so far I already had to patch 5 libs...


A lot of sed-ing to do in the script to build this... and I mean a lot...


EDIT: On a sidenote... I was able to fix the GDK Problems now, the GTK / GDK plugins now load properly, another step closer to getting this to run...


Right now I'm fighting a fierce battle with the Maemo GStreamer Libraries.

 

[bismuthdrummer]

Well with the bits I know so far everyone can build their own shit...


In fact building a Skype PND can be automated with the knowledge I have...


People could just download the Maemo FW dump using their own Device MAC as Login and provide that to my script, which would in turn grab the missing Skype files and bundle things as a PND.


That way only people that have a valid Device MAC can build the PND.


Legal enough for you?

So I would need a Nokia N810 to be able to get the pnd legally?