Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Will add support for space in the next release.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

I have a feeling that Vicar has a memory leak. I was curious why my N900 does so much swapping yesterday, I fired up htop and seen that vicar-telepathy process takes approx. 4% od memory which is quite a lot as for a process that pretty much does nothing (I haven't used Vicar for calling for couple of weeks). I'm now in the process of gathering nightly endurance snapshots so I should have more clues within next few days. I'll let you know my findings.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

So far it is taking 1.1% memory for me. This has been consistent for a while. Do let me know your findings.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Hi scifi.guy

I'm trying to create a google voice connection manager. My goal is to provide a button to "Call with Google Voice".
To this end, I have taken your vicar-telepathy source and made a 4 line modification in connection.cpp that should dial out using Google Voice.
I have confirmed that those 4 lines do work - in a standalone test app.

The problem is testing this CM. I modified vicar.profile and vicar.manager and put them into /usr/share/osso-rtcom and /usr/share/telepathy/managers respectively, but that doesn't seem to be enough for the button to appear on the contacts list.

My sources are here, can you please have a look and help me understand what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@uvatbc - You need to create a telepathy account before you can use your custom CM. You can do this manually for testing. Edit /home/user/.rtcom-accounts/accounts.cfg and add a section for your telepathy account similar to vicar. Reboot your device and if everything else is configured properly the button should come up in contacts.

You can automate installing/verifying/removing telepathy account by adding steps in postinst/postrm scripts. If you need the source code look in vicar-utils.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

So everything was working fine with me till I picked up the latest update. Since then ViCar is not working for me and it ended up costing me big time.
Not blaming you, its my fault, but with vicar installed I got into the habit of calling international numbers directly and since it was not working, it dialed directly through ATT, now I dont know how much they will charge me for this 40 mins call.
Anyways, so I go now and try to enable vicar routing, and it gives me an error message "Unable to enable call routing". I have tried rebooting, same thing.
Anyone else seeing something similar?

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@activemind - I am really sorry to hear this. The culprit must be the "Call Directly on Default" setting in Vicar. If a matching profile is not found and this setting is enabled, the calls will be routed via your operator. When you updated Vicar, did you loose all the profiles?

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Looking some more into it, I went back and verified that vicar is "routing enabled" and "call directly on default" is disabled. Went back and it did a call, and sure enough, vicar did not pick it up.
Earlier, it would disconnect the call and start a new one to my calling card, now nothing. Its like vicar does not find a matching rule or something, I will try mucking around with the profile and see if I need something else, but its the same profile that worked before the update.
So is NO one else seeing this problem? I rebooted twice and still the same behavior, vicar does not intercept the call and pick it up!

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@activemind - Can you run this command, reproduce the error and send me the log file?

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Has anyone managed to get Vicar to route Skype calls through 3 access number? I am on 3 UK but from what vivmak wrote it seems like it works the same in both countries. Thanks!

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

When I first wrote mycontacts I used Vicar to place skype out calls and it worked without problems - it was just a matter of getting the righ configuration. I haven't tested on newer versions because now mycontacts has rudimentary support for placing skypeout calls directly.

One think to be aware is that when calling a number for a second time skype will add an extra prompt.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Thanks a lot! Do you by any chance remember 'the right configuration'?
Cheers.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

What MyContacts dials and works for me is:

2p phone_number_without_plus #p2

so a call to +1 212 333 1234
would actually be:
2p12123331234#p2

The last "p2" is to skip the "you have called this number before..." prompt.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Great. Thanks! I'll give it a go.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

:( Doesn't seem to be working for me.

I set up Vicar as you suggested but after placing a call I get a standard "We couldn't connect your call, hang up and try again later" Skype message.

The weird thing I noticed is that even though I put 2p in the 'Prefix before DTMF' field Vicar automatically adds an extra p when actually dialling the number so it looks like:
p2p333333333#p2 rather than:
2p333333333#p2

Is there anything I am doing wrong here?
Also, I think this is irrelevant as others reported this issue before and still got the Vicar working but I get the message 'This contact application doesn't support calls' even though it actually connects a call.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

The "pause" before the number the option to place a call may be a problem. You can turn the speaker on and monitor the "voice prompts".

You can also try mycontacts to make sure that this combination of "tones" work.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Thanks a lot fcrochik.

After giving it a second thought I am fairly certain it's not gonna work with Skype on 3 that easily or even at all. For some reason I didn't think about this before but if I just call 3 Skype access number there is no way Skype will recognize me on their network as there are no user details sent.

I am not sure how a native 3 Skype application (available for other platforms like Symbian for example) passes user details onto Skype network as the only piece of the puzzle I have is the number it calls.

Bugger. Looks like I have to keep swapping my SIM card and still use an old Skype phone to make Skype calls.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Skype uses the caller id to identify you. Did I miss something?

EDIT: We are still talking about how to place a skypeout call to a phone number, right? I saw that on your first post you quoted another one talking about not being charged while calling a skype user BUT all that we have discussed since then does not have anything to do with this. You can only call "phone numbers" (not skype users on their computers) with skypeout and you will be charged by your carrier for a local call (assuming your skypeout number is local) and skype also will charge you for the call.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

I guess there is a bit of confusion here :)

1. Yes I want to place a skype out call - by skype out I mean a phone call that is terminated outside skype network, which means:
2. Yes, I try to call phone numbers, not skype users.
3. Yes, I am aware that skype will charge for connecting me to a skype-out number so it's not what I (or an OP) meant by free skype calls. Let me explain:

My mobile provider doesn't charge me for skype calls if I use their software (unfortunately there isn't one available for N900). What that means is that if I place a skype call (no matter if to a skype user or a phone number) while on my network I won't be charged for data usage. The way it works is that when I make a skype call it's being connected through some special number. I used to run this kind of software on my E71 and that's how I know the number that is being dialled when placing skype calls on my network. What I was trying to do was to call the same number which I assume is some kind of skype gateway on my network. In the meantime I realised that there is no way Skype can identify me as a user most likely because the number my network uses is configured to work with their software and my skype account is in no way connected to my mobile number. Hope that makes sense.

I guess that the number you've mentioned is some kind of dedicated 'skypeout' gateway that you can call from any phone and it works exactly the same way as some other calling cards and the only difference is that it's using skype network.

So... The conclusion is that If all of we've said so far has nothing to do with my initial post then we can forget about this. But thanks for your input anyway ;) After reading your initial answer I just hoped you made it work on 3.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

czajunia:
Are you sure that on your old phone it actually dials out a "access phone number" instead of using VOIP (starting on your phone)?
That would make more sense.... Especially if you could also call "skype" accounts

Also, I assume that if this was a "cell operator" feature and you are actually dialing a phone number to access skype that they would rely on your caller id to identify your phone.

Do they charge you for data?

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@czajunia - Is this the app you were alluding to?

http://xseries.three.com/features_skype_demo.shtml

It looks like Skype To Go (or Skype Lite).

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Yep. That's the one. Not sure what it's called but as far as I remember the software on my first Skype phone from ages ago was something called iSkoot. But it's probably not the software as such but the way it is set up by the network operator.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

I am not sure how exactly it works but the phone dials something that looks like a mobile phone number. It shows up on a screen for a few moments only when I make a skype call and after that it just starts connecting to Skype as if I made a normal VoIP Skype call.

Again not sure how it identifies a user name on skype network but it maybe somehow related to the software that runs on your mobile which is what scifi.guy suggested.

Yes, I have an unlimited data plan that is apparently limited to 1GB or 500MB :) Skype phone calls if made using my operator software are outside this allowance and they are unlimited (well, there is probably some kind of a limit as well but that's not something you'd use up).

So, if I use built in Skype client to make Skype calls rather than my network software it will be part of my data plan. The other problem is that when making VoIP calls the quality is usually much worse than when calling using their Skype client especially if the 3G coverage is patchy.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Czajunia:
I am not trying to convince you to use the VOIP. I use skype out (instead of "skype voip") to call phone numbers exactly because of the reasons you mentioned before.

I am just curious how this could work. Do you know if you could place a call without ALSO having a data connection?

I can only imagine two options for this to work:

1) the software on your phone would communicate (send data) with some server "saying" that I call was about to be made to X from Y and then the phone would call a pre-defined number that would be waiting for your call and would recognize who you want to call (X) based on the caller id (Y). Google voice can work somewhat like this but it actually calls you back.

2) The application would call a pre-defined number that would recognize you based on your caller id and would get who you want to call using DTMF. That is how skype out works.

Option 1 would require also using the "data channel". On option2 I can imagine you could somehow use dtmf tones to tell the system about the "skype account" but, as far as I know, you can't call "skype" accounts (just phone numbers) using skype out.

The "missing link" is how you can call a skype account using just the "voice channel" (no data)

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@frochik - I haven't used the skype to go app myself so this is just a guess.

There must be a data channel because the skype app shows the contacts who are currently online. Then again this data channel could be inside 3 network's walled garden so it could be free of charge. The proprietary skype code may assign unique DTMF codes to all skype contacts (PC or Mobile). Once a call is initiated to local three network voice number these codes are sent to route the call to the contact.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@fcrochik - I am fairly certain scifi.guy is right and there is some kind of data channel due to the reason he's mentioned. After initiating the process the actual call is routed through this special number so it matches your number 1 scenario.

It would be brilliant if it was possible to configure N900 built in skype client to route the calls the same way.

Thanks a lot for your input guys!

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

iskoot page has a detailed explanation of how the routing works.

It seems the skype access point (toll free) number changes based on the location of the contact you are calling. Unfortunately this can't be done in VICaR.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@scifi.guy - Cheers for that.

Are you sure that this number changes depending on the location of a contact? I was convinced that it was always calling the same number when using my E71 in the past. I've also read some information on the iSkoot web site but didn't get that impression.

But I understand that even if it was the same number indeed we still wouldn't be able to do it with Vicar due to data connection. Am I right?

Thanks!

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@czajunia - As frochik suggested, if you know the local skype gateway number and the pattern of DTMF tones to send to route the call, you can configure VICaR similar to skype-out for calling phone numbers. You can't reach PC skype users this way though.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Oh, no. I wouldn't know anything about that :) Thanks for your help guys.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

How do you make the Skype-out call??

With "calling Cards" and "Google Voice-out"; you call the access number or the user's GV-voicemail number, and then start sending DTMF tones to place the actual call.

Google'ing and reading through Skype docs; the closest thing I found for "Skype-out" was "Skype To Go". Which (apparently) requires logging into skype.com to create the access number for the actual destination number. (...then, of course, dialing that access number)

So, is this what VICaR does? Or is there a simpler method that I am missing??

thanks.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

@kbyork - I don't use skypeout myself. I hope active users of skype might have a response for you. I forwarded your question to frochik who was using VICaR for skypeout calls earlier.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

You don't need to login to skype (on the phone) and you don't need to register the phone numbers you want to call.

I don't know if Skype decided to change the name from "skype out" to "skype to go" or if we are using the wrong name since the beginning. They are the same thing.

To prepare your skype account you need go to the skype web site and login. Then you can go to the skype to go tab and enable it. After selecting your location you will be told which number to call (1) to start calls. You also need to register the phone numbers that you are going to be calling FROM (not to), set your pin and you are good to go.

You can then place calls using VICaR, Mycontacts and or manually by calling the phone number (have a go manually if you have any doubts about the process).

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Great App!

I have a couple of suggestions:

1. I'd like *all* my calls to be routed through vicar. I managed to hack this by manually editing the configuration database to make a record with an empty number pattern field. But it would be nice to be able to do this with the settings editor.

2. Can the length of the DTMF tones be shortened, or made configurable? Would make for a much quicker connection.

3. Could default country and area codes be specified in the configuration and filled in by vicar where they are not included in the phone number? My provider insists on an area code, even though it is common to use phone numbers without area codes here in Australia.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

I agree. There is a long-pending enhancement to allow a default profile to be selected for any country. I had a hard time figuring how to implement that with a single SQL query. I will post it sometime. May be I can get some suggestions.

Unfortunately, no. This depends on maemo's Mission Control service. Until MC is updated to support latest telepathy specification, I can't do anything.

I didn't understand this one. Can you give an example?

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

I'm not sure I follow you entirely now. My suggestion was independent of the country. I simply want all my calls to be routed through a single number.

Strangely enough I could do this with a shell script:

but simply couldn't make the same thing work by modifying callrouter.cpp. :(

OK I live in Melbourne, so a full landline number here looks like +61.3.34567890 ('.' separates country/area code/number). It's very common to just think of this number as just 34567890. But if I don't include at least a '03' at the start then my calling service rejects the number as incomplete - though my GSM service would have no complaint. So what I'd suggest is that if a number doesn't start with '+' (full international code) or whatever the local area code introduction is ('0' in most of the world, '1' in North America, '9' in a few places) then a user-specified default country and area code be supplied. Actually some Australian numbers also start with '1' so to make it work you'd have to be able to specify a string of digits rather than a single digit.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

It will be possible once the default profile option is ready.

I was only looking at telepathy API. I was planning to move away from Nokia/N900-specific CSD Dbus calls to using more generic telepathy to send the DTMF tones. I thought this would make the app ready for say Meego phones :). That seems to be a long shot now, I might as well explore other options.

Did you notice any improvement with using StartDTMF/StopDTMF for each DTMF character? Because even SendDTMF(String) breaks the string into bytes and calls DTMFTone for each byte. You can capture this with dbusmonitor command on system bus. Anyway I'll run some tests this week using StartDTMF.

There will be some challenges to implement this. Similar to your example, what if the number is +61.3.61323456 and is stored as just 61323456. The number looks like it begins with the country code and area code but 613 is part of the local number not an area code. We can not verify using string length because length of phone numbers is not standard across regions.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

OK it's not a problem for me right now as hacking the configuration database did the job.

Yes it did send the DTMF tones faster. The script should probably have some pauses between the Start and Stop messages but I guess the shell interpreter is slow enough to do the job. Apparently 40ms per tone and 40ms between tones is sufficient.

That's what I did when I realised that I could type in the phone number on the keypad faster than VICaR was doing it.

But when I modified your code to do the Start/Stop thing no tones were produced. My hunch is the dbus parameters were getting garbled, since the Start method wants a byte argument and it is likely getting padded to 2 or 4 bytes. But I'm no expert on C++ and don't have the time to become one.

Great. I'll be keen to hear how you get on.

Do people really put the international code without the leading '+'? In that case I guess you are right that nothing can be done. For me, the solution would be simple enough - if the number begins with '+' then leave it alone; if it begins with '0' or '1' (configurable) then prepend '+61' (configurable); else prepend '+613' (configurable). But this really isn't a biggie.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

I ran my test on SendDTMF vs StartDTMF. I did not notice any significant difference in either options. The automated system for my CC is taking 17 sec on an avg in both cases. I'd love to cut it down but I don't see how.

I noticed from dbus monitor log that SendDTMF method does break down the string and sends each character individually with StartDTMF method. That's why there is not much difference.

Anyway, I have uploaded the code I used to test in garage downloads page. If possible run some tests from your side as well and let me know if you notice any improvement.

Re: [Announce] VICaR: Value International Call Router (Calling Card Helper)
 

Right, it did seem a tiny bit faster for me, but it's a bit hard to measure because of the initial pause.

As a suggestion, how about removing the pause - it can always be put into the prefix if it's really required. I'm pretty sure my provider will work without a pause as it's designed to be used by an automated system like this.

Thanks. I'll take a look at this when I get some time.