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

[Jacob Schmude <j schmude gmail com>]

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