Echolink on Linux - Ubuntu 10.10 notes

These are just a few notes I have on installing and using Qtel on Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit Linux.

I came across the following blog post a while back, and for the most part, this is what I did to get Qtel to work on 10.10, there are a few things that are different.

http://charlessocci.com/2010/07/06/echolink-qtel-client-ubuntu-10-04-64-bit/

I found the 2nd download link to have better information about the order to install each file.
These have already been made into a Debian package, however if you want to install from the source (beyond, the scope of this blog) the source can be found here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cqinet/files/
The link to the Debian package is here:
http://lz5pn.homeip.net/lz5pn/echolinux/qtel-debian.tar.gz This tarball also has the getlibs package in it.

Install in this order:

1 getlibs-all.deb
2 echolib_0.13.0-2_i386.deb
3 libasync_0.16.0-2_i386.deb
4 libsigc++1.2-5_1.2.7-2_i386.deb
5 qtel_0.11.0-2_i386.deb

After this run this command as root:

getlibs /usr/bin/qtel

if you are using a 64-bit OS you'll probably need to go ahead and force them to install

sudo dpkg -i --force-all ......

The website that I found that link on said all you need is the qtel_0.11.0-2_i386.deb file to install, this isn't true, I found that all of the lib files also needed to be installed. So follow the order in the tarball.

Next thing, it says to change the directory server option in Qtel (both say this) I found that I didn't need to change the server, so I'm not sure why they say to do this.

It is at this point thou, that you will probably want to run the application.
and where I found the biggest problem. Simple but "weird" fix to it.
The default location for the install in the menu is under Applications->Internet->Qtel

The program will start, run and connect, but has no audio (either input or output).
The simple fix to this for Ubuntu 10.10 is running the application with the following command:

padsp -M /usr/bin/qtel

(I went ahead and modified using the menu editor the Qtel entry, on my system)

Here is the "weird" part thou. This method only works, if I you also open up the "Sound Preferences" from the System -> Preferences -> Sound menu.
IF the Sound Preferences is not open, you'll still not get any audio. But with it open you get audio on both the input & output.

I'm not sure why this is, my only guess would be a bug in padsp. But I spent a couple of hours trying to get the application to work, and finally found a similar problem someone else was having, and that was the key. So hopefully you have come across this blog before spending hours trying to figure it out.

And if you know of a fix for the "weird" fix, let me know, I'd rather not have to open up sound preferences if I don't have too.