[orca-list] Skype/Pidgin with Orca: Quick Instructions



Hi all
I thought I'd give some quick instructions to get skype, pidgin, and Orca working together without needing sighted help. I'm not going to cover how to install the Pidgin plugin or Skype itself, just how to get them to work together and what you need to do. Note this is with the latest version of Skype and the most recent version of the Plugin. These instructions are for those who wish to use it, I am not trying to start nor am I interested in a debate over the ethical issues surrounding Skype.

1. After Skype is installed, log into your Skype account. The easiest way to do this, for an Orca user anyway, is to open a terminal and type the following:
echo username password | skype --pipelogin &
Obviously, replace "username" and "password" with the appropriate values. If this is your first time with the skype client, you will get the end user license agreement. To get around this, make sure you are in the window (alt-tab will speak Skype's window titles), press shift- tab twice, followed by the spacebar. After the license agreement, you will get the "update your profile" dialog. Simply wait a few seconds then press enter here to bypass it without changing anything. If all goes well, you'll here the Skype login sound and the window title, when alt-tabbing, will list your Skype username. The license and profile windows will not appear again.
2. Press ctrl-q to quit skype.
3. We need to edit Skype's configuration file to allow Pidgin to communicate with Skype's API. Typically this would be done through Skype itself but, as Skype will not read with Orca and what's more that particular window has no support for keyboard navigation, we work around it. Change to the folder:
$HOME/.Skype/username
$HOME is your home directory, username is your skype username. There will be a file in here called "config.xml". Open this with whichever editor you prefer. NOw, find the API tag, a quick search for "API" without the quotes should get you to it. The tag looks like:
<API>
On the next line you should see the following:
<Authorizations></Authorizations>
Change this to read:
<Authorizations>Pidgin</Authorizations>
Note the capital P in Pidgin, that's important. If you don't have the authorizations line don't worry, simply paste the above line underneath the line with the API tag, and above the line that reads:
<BlockedPrograms></BlockedPrograms>
Save the file and exit.
4. Start skype as in step one, it should log you in immediately and you'll here the login sound. 5. Now add a new account in Pidgin, choose "Skype" as the protocol, and enter your skype username. You need not enter your Skype password in Pidgin as you are already logged in, so don't be concerned about the absence of the password field. Finish adding the account, and you should be up and running. If all has gone well, a new Skype group will appear in your Pidgin contacts and the Skype window itself will disappear. From this point on, Pidgin takes over handling the essential functions of Skype (calls and messages). Your Skype contacts appear under the Skype group, and more Skype functions such as the ability to call a phone (if you have Skype credit or a subscription, of course) are under the Accounts/Skype menu in Pidgin.


I hope this was helpful. Let me know if I need to explain it better, I realize this looks a bit complicated although it looks much more complicated than it actually is.

Jake




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