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skcmd [2014/03/23 22:06] Rob Whyte created |
skcmd [2019/02/08 23:31] |
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- | ===== skcmd ===== | ||
- | |||
- | This page tries to explain quicly how to install and use skcmd. skcmd enables | ||
- | you to control Skype, while it's running, through your commandline. It is perfect | ||
- | to work around the accessibility problems of the main interface of Skype, as well as the major bugs in the plugin pidgin-skype. | ||
- | |||
- | The following instructions were tested on Vinux 4.0, i.e. Ubuntu 12.04, as well as | ||
- | Debian Wheezy 7.0. | ||
- | |||
- | ===== What to Install ===== | ||
- | |||
- | First, install the package python-authkit. It installs a lot of important | ||
- | dependencies. Then, download the needed utilities, i.e. skcmd and skype4py. | ||
- | |||
- | <code> | ||
- | git clone http://github.com:/lsmithso/skcmd.git | ||
- | git clone https://github.com/awahlig/skype4py.git | ||
- | </code> | ||
- | |||
- | In any order, install both packages. For this, change to their respective directories | ||
- | and run, in each one: | ||
- | |||
- | <code> | ||
- | sudo python setup.py install | ||
- | </code> | ||
- | ===== Usage ===== | ||
- | |||
- | Now, to use skcmd, you need to run the daemon, as regular user: | ||
- | |||
- | <code> | ||
- | skcmd.py s | ||
- | </code> | ||
- | |||
- | Skype will ask you to accept that an outside program wants to use its API. Say | ||
- | yes. | ||
- | |||
- | On another tab on window, run the appropriate commands. | ||
- | |||
- | ===== Commands ===== | ||
- | |||
- | The complete list of client commands are: | ||
- | |||
- | authz handle 0|1 - Authorize the contact with handle. | ||
- | |||
- | contacts - Prints a list of all your contacts in the format handle/display name/full name/status. | ||
- | |||
- | auto_answer 0|1 - Turns off/on autoanswer. Default is off. | ||
- | |||
- | hangup - Finish the current call. | ||
- | |||
- | exit - Terminate the skcmd server. | ||
- | |||
- | answer - Answer the current inbound call. | ||
- | |||
- | call handle - Place an outbound call to the user with handle. Handle | ||
- | is the Skype id printed in the 1st column of the 'contacts' command. | ||
- | |||
- | tone tones - send DTMF tones, ie for POTS conferencing. | ||
- | |||
- | add_contact - Sends an authz requests to handle | ||
- | |||
- | search = Search for a Skype user | ||
- | |||
- | chat - chat to the user with handle. | ||
- | |||
- | status Set your status to DND, INVISIBLE etc | ||
- | |||
- | mood - set your mood message | ||
- | |||
- | vms - List all voicemails,. | ||
- | |||
- | vmplay idx - Play the voicemail with index number idx | ||
- | |||
- | vmstop - Stop the currently playing voicemail | ||
- | |||
- | vmdelete idx - Delete the voicemail with id idx | ||
- | |||
- | me - print your skype id/screen name and your current balance. | ||
- | |||
- | help - A breif help message. | ||
- | |||
- | |||
- | ===== Skype status changes ===== | ||
- | |||
- | The server logs some Skype status messages to stdout, and signals them on D-Bus. | ||
- | |||
- | Status logged includes inbound/outbound call progress (in particular | ||
- | |||
- | inbound call ringing), contact authorization requests, contact status | ||
- | changes (online, away etc) and chat messages. | ||
- | |||
- | These are plain text messages so a TTS should be able to announce them. | ||
- | |||
- | skcmd also signal D-Bus with these status messages. A simple skcmd.el is included that listens for this signal and announces it to emacspeak. | ||
- | |||
- | |||
- | ===== Disclaimer ===== | ||
- | |||
- | This software comes with absolutely no warranty whatsoever, and comes | ||
- | AS-IS. Do what you want with itt. I take no responsibility whatsoever | ||
- | for it. | ||
- | |||
- | ===== The Demise of the Skype Desktop API ===== | ||
- | |||
- | skcmd.py and all other Skype apps depend on the availability of the | ||
- | Skype Desktop API. This is a rich programming interface that makes | ||
- | just about all Skype desktop functionality available to apps. It | ||
- | allows inventive and powerful 3rd party telephony apps to be built | ||
- | around Skype for free. It is a mature and well documented part of the | ||
- | Skype ecosystem. | ||
- | |||
- | In July 2013 Microsoft announced that they were killing off this API | ||
- | in favour of a new SkypeURI interface. This interface has vastly | ||
- | reduced functionality, to the point where its almost useless. | ||
- | SkypeURI is unusable for skcmd, and I suspect for a lot of other apps | ||
- | |||
- | too. | ||
- | |||
- | The announcement says that the Desktop API will begin to stop working | ||
- | in September 2013, and that apps should start using SkypeURI right | ||
- | away. | ||
- | |||
- | SkypeURI is not currently available for Linux, so if the Desktop API | ||
- | does stop working, skcmd.py is sunk. Even when it does become | ||
- | available, it is of no use at all, so skcmd.py is still sunk. | ||
- | |||
- | As of September 3 2013, skcmd.py was still fully functioning, so enjoy | ||
- | it while you can! | ||
- | |||
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