Re: [Gaim-devel] [Farsight-devel] MSN Web Cam plugin for gaim

[Mark D. <ma...@ki...>]

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:40:07 +0200, Andreas Klostermann wrote
> Hi!
> 
> I'd like to use gaim for msn video chatting. I am aware that 
> currently there is no such support in gaim, and I know that amsn 
> does it. At the moment I am evaluating whether or not it would be 
> possible for me to contribute msn webcam support to gaim, and if so 
> what would be the roadmap for this task.

Hi, my name is Mark Doliner.  I'm a developer on the Gaim project.  It is
possible for you to contribute msn webcam support to Gaim, but it is not an
easy task.  The code in the MSN protocol plugin must be abstracted from the
code in the UI.  The protocol plugin and the UI should talk to each other
through the Gaim core.  The voice video framework must be generic and usable
by other protocols.  I don't mean to discourage you, but please understand
that it is not a small undertaking.  Pekka Riikonen emailed a possible
voice/video framework to the gaim-devel mailing list on July 9th and 10th; you
may want to look at it to see if it's useful.

> So... I understand that there has been some work for msn protocol in 
> Farsight, and that the corresponding protocol does not compile 
> because of API updates. Will these API updates be made in the next 
> weeks or can I help out somehow? (even though I have not the 
> slightest idea where to start, yet...)
> 
> And then, finally, would it make sense to use Farsight in gaim? Is 
> the msn webcam support code functional, if the api update is done?

We (Gaim) definitely want to use GStreamer.  We hope to be able to use
FarSight.  I have not looked at the FarSight code to determine how
easy/feasible that is.

-Mark