With this context in mind, let’s take a look at how to install and configure a popular VoIP application on Linux: Skype.

Audio is still not seamlessly plug-and-play on every distro, but users are not getting as many headaches as they did in the not-too-distant past. That, if anything, is the only thing that has held VoIP adoption back on Linux.īut, like most hurdles in Linux, these hardware issues are becoming less of an problem with each passing distribution release. But, also typical for Linux users is difficultly getting audio hardware to bend to our individual wills and work with such tools. And we’ve had good tools available for a while, too: Ekiga (formerly GnomeMeeting), KPhone, and Asterisk come to mind. Linux users, in general, are ahead of the curve on VoIP: early adoption is a noted characteristic of Tux fans. Most of us don’t notice the difference, unless we have an alarm system or some other service that needs constant communication with a central office–VoIP doesn’t always get along with such services. If a cable or other broadband provider is supplying phone service, it’s very likely the phone is already going over the Internet and not the traditional public switched telephone network (PTSN) system we grew up with. The truth is, many users, particularly in the US, are using VoIP already.

Common reasons for not trying it are confusion about features (no, the person on the other end doesn’t need to have a computer), pricing (it’s free, but only computer-to-computer, when phones are involved, tolls can apply), and hardware (I don’t have a microphone, so I can’t use it). Voice over IP (VoIP) is definitely not a new technology, but there seems to be some hesitation on informed adoption in the user community, regardless of platform.

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