Re: [gentoo-user] Hardened & skype & gcc-4*

[Michal 'vorner' Vaner]

Hello

On Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 01:19:29PM -0800, Grant wrote:
> > I guess it makes no sense for skype to need the GCC, since you do not
> > (can not) compile skype, it is close-sourced. You could download skype
> > from the pages and just unpack it and hope it will work.
>
> I'm actually able to emerge it, but it won't start with:
>
> $ skype
> /usr/bin/skype: line 10: /opt/skype/skype: No such file or directory
> /usr/bin/skype: line 10: /opt/skype/skype: Success
>
> even though /usr/bin/skype and /opt/skype/skype clearly exist.  What
> you're saying makes sense about gcc-4* not being necessary, but then
> why the above-referenced bug?

Take the statically linked version? And, no, I do not know about that
bug, I'm lucky enough not to have Skype installed any more.

> > BTW: IMO skype should not be allowed near a computer that needs to be
> > "hardened" -- personally, I do not trust it a bit (and I know a little
> > about the quality how it is written, and it talks by network).
>
> What would you recommend as an alternative?  From what I understand, I
> could sign up with a voip service and install a client.  Would you
> recommend any in particular, both service and client?

If you need it user-friendly, then maybe wengo, or ekiga. AFAIK both
work over the SIP protocol, so you can replace the client with whatever
else comes to your path and speaks it.

And you may set up your own server too, if it comes to it. (Sorry, I
have not much experience with it, I just had something to do with skype
and was able to crash every version in multiple different ways, so I
just do not recommend it at all).

-- 
All flame and insults will go to /dev/null (if they fit)

Michal 'vorner' Vaner