Finally, MagicJack on Linux...sort of...

[billmnfl]

Well, I have been looking for a long time how to run my magicjack on Linux and not have to have another machine running windoze.
Finally, I have it running from my Linux box.
I was reading an article on ZDnet last night and it was titled
"What-Sucks-worse-than-oracles-virtualbox"

Here's the link:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/virtualizatio ... albox/3405

Well, after reading this article, I thought I would give it a try.
Installed it and the the extension pack which gives it USB support,

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

and then installed my Windows XP Pro, installed all the updates and then plugged in the magicjack and nothing happened. DARN IT! Then I looked at the actual VB window surrounding the Windows Virtual window and up in the left corner is the menu. I clicked on DEVICES, then USB, and sure enough, there was the the Tigerjet USB Internet Phone in the listing of devices. When I clicked on it, it immediately began installing in the virtual WinXP and works like a charm. I called a friend and we talked for 10 minutes without incident. So even though it is not actually truely running in Linux, I don't need to keep the Windows machine running all the time and can devote it to something else worthwhile.
Just wanted to let you all know that this solution works until MJ gets some initiative to get it ported to Linux.

By the way, VirtualBox is extremely easy to install. I Like It.
Bill

[Barada Nels]

Well, I have been looking for a long time how to run my magicjack on Linux and not have to have another machine running windoze.
Finally, I have it running from my Linux box.
I was reading an article on ZDnet last night and it was titled
"What-Sucks-worse-than-oracles-virtualbox"

Here's the link:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/virtualizatio ... albox/3405

Well, after reading this article, I thought I would give it a try.
Installed it and the the extension pack which gives it USB support,

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

and then installed my Windows XP Pro, installed all the updates and then plugged in the magicjack and nothing happened. DARN IT! Then I looked at the actual VB window surrounding the Windows Virtual window and up in the left corner is the menu. I clicked on DEVICES, then USB, and sure enough, there was the the Tigerjet USB Internet Phone in the listing of devices. When I clicked on it, it immediately began installing in the virtual WinXP and works like a charm. I called a friend and we talked for 10 minutes without incident. So even though it is not actually truely running in Linux, I don't need to keep the Windows machine running all the time and can devote it to something else worthwhile.
Just wanted to let you all know that this solution works until MJ gets some initiative to get it ported to Linux.

By the way, VirtualBox is extremely easy to install. I Like It.
Bill

Greetings,

I have used MagicJack on Ubuntu 10.04LTS and 10.10 via Virtualbox running Windows XP Home and Pro on both. I cannot get past the poor audio quality. If you have only used it for 10 minutes . . . give it time. The quality is not worth running a Virtualbox. A dedicated MagicJack server via an old Windows PC or Thinclient is a more viable option IMHO.

Now . . . if you did some sort of trick to assist with the audio quality that you did not mention in your last post . . . I am all ears.

Sincerely,

Barada Nels

[billmnfl]

Hey Barada Nels,
Thank you for that information.
Yes, I haven't used it very much yet, just a couple of test calls but the sound quality was fine. I will be monitoring the situation. I was just so happy not to have to reboot into windows to make a phone call, that I may be a bit pre-mature in my posting.

[billmnfl]

Just a follow up after 8 days.
I have only had to reboot Windows XP SP3 once since I installed it in VirtualBox. That was following a windows update which was a Tigerjet USB Phone update.
Otherwise, MagicJack has been up and running since last Monday, July 4th.
The sound quality is terrific. I have heard the occasional click or pop when talking, but
other than that, it is working great. I have it installed in Workspace 4 under Ubuntu 10.10.
Glad not to have to interrupt my phone to use Linux anymore.

[bobc4012]

I have an old Toshiba with Ubuntu 10.04 installed (native). I have tried to use virtual box and it is such a dog on that H/W, it is not worth the effort. I have a 512MB RAM and 1 GHz CPU (Intel). The USB ports are still 1.1 or 1.2 = not 2.0 anyway. I also have an Acer with a 1.5GHz Intel and 512MB RAM. I have XP Pro installed (and a WUBI install of Ubuntu). The MagicJack performance is so-so under XP on this machine. I usually don't have trouble hearing the other party on a long distance call, but they tell me my voice keeps breaking up and they keep hearing beeps every minute. I did have a desktop (Kaput now) that had 1GB RAM and a 2GHz AMD CPU and experienced the same problems - choppy voice to whom ever I called and the constant beeps. I would love to try under Ubuntu, but using WINE, I get through a lot of the install process and then it hangs at the end (I think it is looking for some file that WINE did not port - but not certain). BTW, I am in area code 919.

[windeguy]

I did the same thing using VMware Player. It was also a relatively easy install to host the WinXP OS and then MagicJack on an ACER9410Z laptop running Ubuntu Studio. It works very well.

I just bought an old WYSE XPe thin client that runs MJ. I would like to have it run another program, but that program requires .NET framework and there is no room left in the Flash for that.

I am trying to find simple way to clone the OS to either a larger IDE Flash device or to a USB Flash Drive (DiskonKey aka DOK). I have no idea as yet what that takes or if it is possible.