Ekiga facts for kids
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Ekiga on Ubuntu
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| Developer(s) | Damien Sandras |
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| Stable release |
3.0.2 / January 12, 2009
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| Platform | Linux, beta support for Windows |
| Type | VoIP Video conferencing |
| License | GNU General Public License |
Ekiga (which used to be called GnomeMeeting) is a free computer program. It lets you make voice and video calls over the internet. This is often called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or video conferencing. Ekiga works on computers that use GNOME (a type of desktop environment for Linux) and also on Windows computers.
Ekiga uses special rules called SIP and H.323 to connect calls. This means it can talk to many other programs that use the same rules, like Microsoft NetMeeting. It also supports many different ways to send high-quality sound and video.
A person named Damien Sandras first created Ekiga. He made it as a project for his university. Today, a team of people led by Damien still works on improving Ekiga. The Ekiga logo was designed by Andreas Kwiatkowski, who is a friend of Damien's and likes open source software.
What Ekiga Can Do
Ekiga has many features that make it easy to connect with others.
Easy to Use
- You can save your friends' contact information in an address book. This lets you quickly call them.
- It has a dialpad, just like a phone, to dial numbers.
- You can see a list of all your past calls.
- You can make video calls take up your whole computer screen.
- You can change settings while you are in a call.
- It has modes like "Auto Answer" (answers calls automatically) and "Do Not Disturb" (stops calls from ringing).
How It Connects
- Ekiga can connect to special online phone books like LDAP. This helps you find other people using similar services.
- It can work with other programs like Novell Evolution to share your contacts.
- It can automatically find your sound and video devices. This includes sound cards and webcams.
Behind the Scenes
- You can set up calls to go to another number if your line is busy or you don't answer. This is called Call forwarding.
- You can send a call to another person, which is called Call transfer.
- You can put a call on hold.
- It supports sending special tones (like when you press numbers on a phone).
- You can send simple instant messages or text chats during a call.
- You can register Ekiga with several different services at once. This gives you more ways to make and receive calls.
- It can tell you if you have new messages waiting.
- Ekiga can help you connect even if your computer is behind a special network setup (like a router at home).
Future Features
Developers are always working to add new things to Ekiga. Some planned features include:
- SRTP and ZRTP: These are ways to make your calls more secure and private.
- H263 and H264: These are newer ways to send video that can make it look even better.
See also
In Spanish: Ekiga para niños
