Skype + minbif on Debian.

I will explain to you my ugly method to use skype with minbif.

Indeed, skype is a proprietary protocol, and we can only use the API of the Qt client for that hack. We must use it with a virtual X server, Xvfb.

On the remote server:

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# aptitude install xvfb x11vnc
# dpkg -i skype-debian_2.1.0.81-1_i386.deb
# apt-get -f install
# aptitude install minbif
# usermod -s /bin/bash minbif
# sudo su minbif
$ export DISPLAY=:25
$ Xvfb :25 -screen 0 1024x768x16 &
$ skype &
$ x11vnc -bg

On your local computer:

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$ ssh server -L 5900:localhost:5900

Next on your local computer:

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$ xvncviewer localhost

You must accept the license and enter your login/password, then activate the autologin. You can now use your graphical skype client over VNC.

On the remote server:

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$ killall x11vnc
$ killall skype
$ killall Xvfb

You must edit the config.xml, after minbif can access to the skype API.

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$ vim /var/lib/minbif/.Skype/YOURACCOUNT/config.xml
  <UI>
    <API>
      <Authorizations>(null)</Authorizations>
      <BlockedPrograms></BlockedPrograms>
    </API>
  </UI>
</config>
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# usermod -s /bin/false minbif

Now you must install skype4pidgin with Xvfb.

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# aptitude install pidgin-dev

I use revision 579

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svn checkout -r 579 http://skype4pidgin.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ skype4pidgin
gcc -I/usr/include/libpurple `pkg-config --libs purple x11` -DPURPLE_PLUGINS -DENABLE_NLS -DUSE_XVFB_SERVER -Wall -pthread -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib/glib-2.0/include -I/usr/lib64/glib-2.0/include -I/usr/include -I. -g -pipe libskype.c -o libskype.so -shared -fPIC -DPIC
cp libskype.so /usr/lib/purple-2/
Log on minbif
If everything is ok, you can speak to “echo123″
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$ ps aux | grep minbif
minbif    6764  0.0  2.0  10248  5440 ?        S    14:15   0:01 Xvfb :25 -ac -terminate -tst -xinerama -render -shmem -screen 0 320x240x16
minbif    6766  0.4 13.8  80096 36328 ?        Sl   14:15   1:00 skype --pipelogin -display :25
minbif   10342  0.3  0.6  12368  1580 ?        Ss   15:38   0:29 /usr/bin/minbif --pidfile /var/run/minbif/minbif.pid /etc/minbif/minbif.conf
minbif   14203  9.5  4.8  86264 12616 ?        Sl   17:31   1:05 /usr/bin/minbif --pidfile /var/run/minbif/minbif.pid /etc/minbif/minbif.conf
minbif   14232  0.4  1.8  85680  4964 ?        S    17:31   0:03 /usr/bin/minbif --pidfile /var/run/minbif/minbif.pid /etc/minbif/minbif.conf

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