Writing a IM/Voip client in 20 lines of python

Raphal Slinckx

GNOME Communication stack

A good client only needs...

A good client only needs...

...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local

...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local

File Transfer
...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local
Video Calls

File Transfer
...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local
Video Calls
NAT Traversal
File Transfer
...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local
OSCAR/AIM
Video Calls
MSN
NAT Traversal
File Transfer
...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local
OSCAR/AIM
Presence Video Calls
MSN Contact List
Smileys
NAT Traversal
File Transfer
...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local
OSCAR/AIM
Presence Video Calls
MSN Contact List
Smileys
SIP
NAT Traversal
Jabber
Voice
Calls
Yahoo!
File Transfer
...a few simple things

A good client only needs...

Link Local
OSCAR/AIM
Presence Video Calls
MSN Contact List
Smileys
SIP
NAT Traversal
Jabber
Voice
Calls
Yahoo!
File Transfer

Nudges!!

...a few simple things

Each project
reinvents the wheel.

Each client
lives in its own tiny world.

Telepathy

WTF??

1. D-Bus API specification

2. An ecosystem

The big picture

Chat UI

Logger
VoIP UI

D-Bus

SIP
Backend

XMPP
Backend

The big picture

Chat UI

Logger
VoIP UI

Telepathy

SIP
Backend

XMPP
Backend

Advantages

Keep the butterfly trapped

Connections are shared

Abiword
Chat
Connection
user@gmail.com

DBus

Desktop

Logger

Do one thing and do it well

x
i
Un ved
o
r
p
p
A

Language independence
Keeps the programmers happy

Language independence
Keeps the programmers happy

License independence
Keeps the lawyers happy

Object-oriented specification

1. The spec

Object hierarchy
Connection
Managers

XMPP
CM

SIP
CM

Connections

user@
gmail.com

contact@
jabber.org

+3212345

Channels

Text
with foo@
gmail.com

Text
with bar@
gmail.com

StreamedMedia
with
sip:baz@sip.be

Connection Manager

Connection
user@gmail.com connected on Google Talk

Presence Interface
Get / Set own presence. Get contacts presence.

Capabilities Interface
Set own capabilities. Has video? Has voice?

Channels
user@gmail.com chatting with contact@gmail.com

Contact List Channel

Group Interface
Get / Add members. Members changed signal

Text Channel
Password Interface
Join password protected IRC chatrooms

StreamedMedia Channel
DTMF Interface
Emit key tones on a SIP conversation

2. The ecosystem

Connection Managers
Gabble

Salut

Jabber
XMPP

Link Local
XMPP
(bonjour)

SIP

Idle
IRC

Stream Engine
StreamedMedia Channel
Signalling
NAT Traversal
RTP Streaming
Audio sink

Video sink

Libraries
telepathy-python Implement CM and clients in python
libtelepathy Implement clients in C+glib
telepathy-glib Implement CM in C+glib
libempathy Higher level objects to build clients
libempathy-gtk GTK widgets to build graphical clients

Desktop integration

Desktop integration
Mission Control

Connection
Managers

XMPP
CM

SIP
CM

Connections

user@
gmail.com

contact@
jabber.org

+3212345

Channels

Text
with foo@
gmail.com

Text
with bar@
gmail.com

StreamedMedia
with
sip:baz@sip.be

Mission
Control
Connection
Managers

Mission
Control

XMPP
CM

SIP
CM

Connections

user@
gmail.com

contact@
jabber.org

+3212345

Channels

Text
with foo@
gmail.com

Text
with bar@
gmail.com

StreamedMedia
with
sip:baz@sip.be

Connection aggregation
Change my presence from offline to online

Account management
Store account credentials centrally.
Clients can connect without asking for config

Channel dispatch
Open a chat window talking to user@gmail.com

Desktop integration
Empathy

Gossip
Jabber-only
Monolithic

Gossip Telepathy
Any Telepathy protocol
Monolithic
+VoIP support

Empathy
Any Telepathy protocol
Small components

Same great UI.

A lot less hairy code.

Desktop integration
Summer of Code

Jokosher Integration
Contacts as instruments
Live radio interviews with VoIP
Michael Sheldon

VoIP/Video Widgets
Augment libempathy(-gtk) with
VoIP related widgets
Elliot Fairweather

File Transfer
Add link-local file transfer to empathy
Marco Barisione

Collaborative applications
Telepathy Tubes

If I can chat with a contact,

why cant applications?

Whats a tube?
Arbitrary data exchange
TCP/UDP/D-Bus behavior
Perform NAT traversal

D-Bus Tubes
Virtual D-Bus

Abiword

GetText()

Internet

GetText()

Abiword

GetText()

Abiword

GetText()

Abiword

D-Bus Tubes
Virtual D-Bus

Abiword

P2P
D-Bus

CM

Protocol
Connections

CM

P2P
D-Bus

Abiword

CM

P2P
D-Bus

Abiword

CM

P2P
D-Bus

Abiword

Stream Tubes
Virtual TCP/UDP Connection
Socket

VNC
Server

Socket

Internet

Socket

Socket

VNC
Viewer
VNC
Viewer
VNC
Viewer

Stream Tubes
Virtual TCP/UDP Connection

VNC
Server

Socket

CM

Protocol
Connections

CM

Socket

CM

Socket

CM

Socket

VNC
Viewer
VNC
Viewer
VNC
Viewer

Where to use Tubes?

If an application can be used through a D-Bus API

Where to use Tubes?

If an application can be used through a D-Bus API
It can be shared by exposing the API on a D-Tube

Where to use Tubes?

If an application can be used through a D-Bus API
It can be shared by exposing the API on a D-Tube
Pick a contact, start collaborating!

Code Samples
libempathy
import gtk, empathy
def on_contact_notify(contact):
print "Alias:", contact.get_name()
print "Presence:", contact.get_status()
def on_contact_added(manager, contact):
contact.connect('notify', on_contact_notify)
manager = empathy.ContactManager()
manager.setup()
manager.connect("contact-added", on_contact_added)
contacts = manager.get_members()
for contact in contacts:
on_contact_added(manager, contact)
gtk.main()

Code Samples
libempathy-gtk
import gtk, empathy, gtkempathy
manager = empathy.ContactManager()
manager.setup()
store = gtkempathy.ContactListStore(manager)
view = gtkempathy.ContactListView(store)
view.show()
w = gtk.Window()
w.add(view)
w.show()
gtk.main()

Code Samples
libmission-control / Presence applet
import telepathy, dbus
bus = dbus.Bus()
mc = bus.get_object(
'org.freedesktop.Telepathy.MissionControl',
'/org/freedesktop/Telepathy/MissionControl')
mc_presence = dbus.Interface(mc,
'org.freedesktop.Telepathy.MissionControl')
def on_presence_changed(presence):
print "Presence changed to:", presence
mc_presence.connect_to_signal("PresenceStatusActual",presence_changed)
mc_presence.SetPresence(PRESENCE_AVAILABLE, "At GUADEC")

Code Samples
telepathy-python / VoIP and Video call
import telepathy, dbus
bus = dbus.Bus()
reg = telepathy.client.ManagerRegistry()
reg.LoadManagers()
mgr = reg.GetManager("gabble")
name, path = mgr[CONN_MGR_INTERFACE].RequestConnection(
"jabber", "user@gmail.com")
connection = telepathy.client.Connection(name, path)
connection[CONN_INTERFACE].Connect()
contact = connection[CONN_INTERFACE].RequestHandles(
CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_CONTACT, ["user@gmail.com"])[0]

telepathy-python / VoIP and Video call

path = connection[CONN_INTERFACE].RequestChannel(
CHANNEL_TYPE_STREAMED_MEDIA, CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_NONE, 0, True)
channel = Channel(conn.service_name, path)
se = bus.get_object(
'org.freedesktop.Telepathy.StreamEngine',
'/org/freedesktop/Telepathy/StreamEngine')
se_handler = dbus.Interface(se,
'org.freedesktop.Telepathy.ChannelHandler'
se_handler.HandleChannel(
connection.service_name, connection.object_path,
CHANNEL_TYPE_STREAMED_MEDIA, channel.object_path,
CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_NONE, 0)
channel[CHANNEL_INTERFACE_GROUP].AddMembers([contact], "")
channel[CHANNEL_TYPE_STREAMED_MEDIA].RequestStreams(
contact, [MEDIA_STREAM_TYPE_AUDIO, MEDIA_STREAM_TYPE_VIDEO])

telepathy-python / VoIP and Video call

# When connected
connection[CONN_INTERFACE_CAPABILITIES].AdvertiseCapabilities(
[(CHANNEL_TYPE_STREAMED_MEDIA, CREATE|INVITE)], [])
# On incoming channel of type StreamedMedia
pending = channel[CHANNEL_INTERFACE_GROUP].GetLocalPendingMembers()
channel[CHANNEL_INTERFACE_GROUP].AddMembers(pending, "")

Code Samples
telepathy-python / Tubes
room = conn.RequestHandles(
CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_ROOM,
["test@conference.olpc.collabora.co.uk"])[0]
tube = conn.request_channel(
CHANNEL_TYPE_TUBES, CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_ROOM,
room, True)
id = tube[CHANNEL_TYPE_TUBES].OfferTube(
TUBE_TYPE_DBUS, "org.freedesktop.Telepathy.Tube.Connect4", {})
addr = tube[CHANNEL_TYPE_TUBES].GetDBusServerAddress(id)
p2pbus = _dbus_bindings.Connection(addr)