Re: [GnomeMeeting-devel-list] Questions about GnomeMeeting and openH323 cooperation

[Damien Sandras <dsandras seconix com>]

Hello Miguel,

> I am going to give a talk about GM at my company and I would like to
> know how OpenH323 and GnomeMeeting are working together.
> 
> From the compilation point of view it is clear that PWlib and openh323
> give quite a lot of functionality to GM.
> 

Indeed.
Actually :
- PWLib is a cross-platform library that provides classes for
non-portable things like threads, sound management, video management,
and many more. That way, programs that use the PWLib API for those
usually non-portable things are compilable on all platforms.
- OpenH323 is using PWLib for portability

- GnomeMeeting is using GTK/GNOME for the GUI
- GnomeMeeting is using OpenH323 for the H.323 protocol part
- GnomeMeeting is using OpenLDAP for the LDAP protocol part
- GnomeMeeting is using PWLib for the non-portable things (threads,
mutexes, audio and video mainly).

> But I have also seen Damien Sandras appear in the changeLogs of PWlib
> (at least).
> 
> Can we have conclude that both projects feed one another?
> 

No, GnomeMeeting is using those libraries, but when can commit a fix or
a needed enhancement, we are doing it. But they have independant
developers. Recently Julien (from GnomeMeeting) coded plugins support
for pwlib audio and video devices. Craig (from PWLib) committed it and
enhanced it so that it stays portable. (very basically)

> From the other side two differences are clearly seen:
> 
> 1.	They have a different license (GPL and MPL).
> 2.	OpenH323 focuses on Windows as well while GM support for
> 	Windows seems to be of secondary importance.
> 

Right

> And in more technical terms:
> 
> *	Can GM interoperate with PSTNGw, openAM (answering machine) and
> 	openIVR?  By "interoperate" I mean at protocol level, GUI
> 	aspects being secondary.
> 

Yes it can. It can also interoperate with Asterisk (www.asterisk.org) to
deploy full VoIP infrastructures.

> *	How is an GM-ILS server implemented. Is that a normal LDAP
> 	server?.  Do we have to patch the LDAP server somehow?
> 	I haven't seen any ILS packet in Debian... and I confess not
> 	being familiarised with LDAP servers.
> 

ILS is Microsoftish-broken-LDAP. Do a search on google for "Netmeeting
Directory Kit". That's not what we are using but that explains the
problems with ILS and LDAP and that gives an example of ILS setup for
Linux.

> Thanks for any clarification.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 	Miguel Telleria
-- 
 _      Damien Sandras
(o-     
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