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Tox (Skype Alternative)

funyuns_are_awesomefunyuns_are_awesome Member
edited May 2015 in General

Hi,

I am not sure if this has been mentioned here before, but I wanted to make people aware of this program I've been using lately: Tox.

It has most of the same features as Skype (Chat, Webcam, Voice etc.), but focuses on privacy and security.

Before Tox I used Pidgin + OTR Encryption (both great software), but I've noticed that when something is not easy to configure and install, most people/friends don't want to use it.

That's where Tox makes a difference... It's extremely easy to install and chat.

https://tox.im

Messages

At your fingertips. You're always in the loop with instant encrypted messaging.

Calls

Stay in touch. Make free and secure Tox to Tox calls.

Video

Seeing is believing. Catch up face to face with a secure video call.

Security

Tox takes your privacy seriously.
With leading-class encryption, you can rest assured knowing that the only people reading your messages are the ones you send them to.

Ease of Use

Unlike other secure messaging solutions, Tox does not require you to be a computer programmer to use it. Tox comes out-of-the-box with an easy-to-use interface that allows you to focus on your conversations.

Freedom

Tox is both free for you to use, and free for you to change. You are completely free to both use and modify Tox. Furthermore, Tox will never harass you with ads, or require you to pay for features.

Thanked by 4rm_ ehab korobkov SnowStylez

Comments

  • 4n0nx4n0nx Member

    I think it uses hard coded relay servers. -> would rather use Jabber/Jitsi

    Tox is still pretty great.

    Thanked by 1funyuns_are_awesome
  • MikePTMikePT Moderator, Patron Provider, Veteran

    While accessing the website: An error occured with the application

    Pff.

  • funyuns_are_awesomefunyuns_are_awesome Member

    @MrGeneral said:
    While accessing the website: An error occured with the application

    Pff.

    Works fine here..

  • MikePTMikePT Moderator, Patron Provider, Veteran

    @funyuns_are_awesome said:

    Can't access from Portugal, damnit. :P

  • rds100rds100 Member

    Poor choice of name. Sounds like toxic.

    Thanked by 3Mark_R yoursunny jsg
  • PremiumNPremiumN Member

    Looks neat, but no thanks. I'd rather trust skype than this.

  • deadbeefdeadbeef Member

    @PremiumN said:
    I'd rather trust skype than this.

    :o

    Thanked by 3funyuns_are_awesome doughmanes GM2015
  • funyuns_are_awesomefunyuns_are_awesome Member
    edited May 2015

    @PremiumN said:
    Looks neat, but no thanks. I'd rather trust skype than this.

    http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/12/newly-published-nsa-documents-show-agency-could-grab-all-skype-traffic/

    Newly published NSA documents show agency could grab all Skype traffic

    A National Security Agency document published this week by the German news magazine Der Spiegel from the trove provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden shows that the agency had full access to voice, video, text messaging, and file sharing from targeted individuals over Microsoft’s Skype service. The access, mandated by a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court warrant, was part of the NSA’s PRISM program and allowed “sustained Skype collection” in real time from specific users identified by their Skype user names.

    The nature of the Skype data collection was spelled out in an NSA document dated August 2012 entitled “User’s Guide for PRISM Skype Collection.” The document details how to “task” the capture of voice communications from Skype by NSA’s NUCLEON system, which allows for text searches against captured voice communications. It also discusses how to find text chat and other data sent between clients in NSA’s PINWALE “digital network intelligence” database.

    The full capture of voice traffic began in February of 2011 for “Skype in” and “Skype out” calls—calls between a Skype user and a land line or cellphone through a gateway to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), captured through warranted taps into Microsoft’s gateways. But in July of 2011, the NSA added the capability of capturing peer-to-peer Skype communications—meaning that the NSA gained the ability to capture peer-to-peer traffic and decrypt it using keys provided by Microsoft through the PRISM warrant request.

    The NSA was then able to “task” any Skype traffic that passed over networks it monitored or by exploitation of a targeted user’s system. “NSA receives Skype collection via prism when one of the peers is a (FISA Amendments Act Section 702) tasked target,” the Skype collection guide stated. Because Skype has no central servers, the guide explained, for multiparty calls, “Skype creates a mesh-network, where users are connected together through multiple peer-to-peer links. Instant Messages sent to this group of meshed participants can be routed through any participant.” If any participant in a chat was monitored, the NSA could capture all of the IM traffic in the shared chat.

    Initially, NSA analysts had to piece together voice communications between peers because they were carried over separate streams, but a service added by August of 2012 by the NSA’s Cryptanalysis and Exploitation Services (CES) automatically stitched both audio streams of a conversation together. As of 2012, however, analysts still had to search for associated video from a call session to match it up with audio in a tool called the Digital Network Intelligence Presenter (DNIP).

    Thanked by 1deadbeef
  • funyuns_are_awesomefunyuns_are_awesome Member
    edited May 2015

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data

    Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages

    • Secret files show scale of Silicon Valley co-operation on Prism

    • Outlook.com encryption unlocked even before official launch

    • Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls

    • Company says it is legally compelled to comply

    Thanked by 1deadbeef
  • UrDNUrDN Member

    Tox lacks peer reviewing but it has potential. I was quite surprised that such a software could come out of 4chan.org

    Thanked by 2funyuns_are_awesome deadbeef
  • linuxthefishlinuxthefish Member

    Tox is nice, the biggest issue I really see having used it for a while is the lack of some multi client setup, so I can use the same Tox ID on mobile and PC. It also kicks you out of group chats if you restart the client, and another member has to add you back.

    Also check the local logging option, it's on by default.

    Thanked by 2funyuns_are_awesome deadbeef
  • souensouen Member

    Not sure about relay servers, but you can change the bootstrap node in the config file if you want to set up your own. Last I looked into it 1-2 months ago, it has a lot of potential but as the download page mentions, still experimental.

    Official Linux client supports multiple profiles, but unfortunately has a major bug - freezing up on certain hardware when previewing video display in the settings window over a certain resolution - that makes it unusable for me. The alternative Qt client doesn't have multiple profiles (gTox can open qTox profiles but not vice versa), but seems to be lighter and more stable.

    I like the command line client, it has some useful irc-like commands. Also a bit buggy i.e. frequent cursor flickering, a known issue but devs apparently cannot reproduce.

    Android client is undergoing heavy development (groupchat was just released for testing then), but coming along well.

    For chats between a few friends it's already usable. Iin terms of features and stability it still has some ways to go.

  • sidewindersidewinder Member

    Retroshare is similar and I think the source is open. Been around longer too

  • joepie91joepie91 Member, Patron Provider

    UrDN said: Tox lacks peer reviewing but it has potential. I was quite surprised that such a software could come out of 4chan.org

    This. Absolutely this.

    @sidewinder said:
    Retroshare is similar and I think the source is open. Been around longer too

    Retroshare is much more complex, the UX and architecture have problems, and it tries to many more things, with different goals. Definitely not in the same ballpark as Tox.

  • LicensecartLicensecart Member

    @PremiumN said:
    Looks neat, but no thanks. I'd rather trust skype than this.

    Really lol if the above information didn't make you change your mind read the document here in black and white: https://edwardsnowden.com/2015/01/05/users-guide-for-prism-skype-collection/

    I love Toxim, Chris (mrgeekchris) told me about it and I've been using it since.

  • Cpt_BenCpt_Ben Member
    edited May 2015

    Is there any info when it's going to be online again?

    EDIT: nvm, I've just found the binaries.

  • SaluttSalutt Member

    There are so many messengers nowadays and new ones continue to appear. What I'm looking for in messengers is a security of communication. So that's why I'd recommend to choose something like Utopia p2p. There are more popular ones, but many of them faced security problems, but following some simple rules can make you really secured.

  • WebProjectWebProject Host Rep, Veteran
    edited December 2020

    I think I missing out something as OP mentioned website shows the following message:

    tox.im
    This domain is available for sale!
    Buy this domain now
    £2228.71GBP

  • SCAM_DONT_BUYSCAM_DONT_BUY Member

    @WebProject said: I think I missing out something as your website shows the following message:

    Yeah, the date. This is just a spam necro.

  • WebProjectWebProject Host Rep, Veteran

    @SCAM_DONT_BUY said:

    @WebProject said: I think I missing out something as your website shows the following message:

    Yeah, the date. This is just a spam necro.

    haha, sorry not looked at the OP post date, so project is deadpool.

  • saibalsaibal Member

    Project is not deadpooled yet. Tox.im is now Tox.chat.

    Still /thread please.

  • SynatiqSynatiq Member

    It’ll never escape the niche.

This discussion has been closed.