Ditch Skype for your audio, video and text chats

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Ricochet

The chat app Ricochet [8] is limited to text-based conversations (Figure 3). Audio and video chats are current topics of discussion, but concrete plans have not yet been made [9]. The version 1.1.2, which I tested, dates from February 2016. The commit graph on the project Github page shows that the developers have been working on the code regularly since 2014 [10]. You will find packages for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows on the project homepage. Distributions like Debian and Ubuntu can find a package for the program in APT.

Figure 3: Ricochet only offers text chats. In exchange for this limited functionality, the chats are completely anonymous and encrypted.

Ricochet makes up for its lack of functionality by offering its users anonymity and security. As a decentralized network, it does not need a server, therefore there is no need for authentification. In addition, it generates a connection for chat partners via the Onion Router Tor, thus making it impossible to determine the participants' IP addresses. Finally, Ricochet saves the contact list locally and does not write the chat history to the hard drive. As soon as the dialog closes, it cannot be reopened.

In spite of attempts by Ricochet to develop an anonymous messenger, the project still has a way to go. Stronger encryption has not been put in place. A February 2016 security assessment [11] resulted in the recommendation that users should store encrypted data on a data storage medium since the data appeared in plain text on the hard drive. All in all, Ricochet serves users who are primarily interested in maintaining their privacy and who can do without additional functionality. The developer community behind the program wants to port the application to mobile systems and expand the capabilities.

Ring

Ring [12] originated with the SIP software SFLphone, which has since been discontinued. SFLphone was developed by Savoir-faire Linux [13], a French Canadian consulting firm. The Ring developers are positioning the software as a free and secure competitor to Skype. Ring handles conventional chats, audio and video conversations, and video conferences. All data transfers are encrypted. The data is sent via a distributed network that has been organized similar to BitTorrent, which itself works with a distributed hash table called OpenDHT [14]. Ring does not need a central server, and as a result, it does not create any profiles.

Ring is constructed to harness the power of a local server that runs in the background and a client. This means you usually need to install two packages under Linux. Ring also offers package sources for Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu. In addition, there are detailed instructions for installation [15] on the homepage. You will find commands to integrate Ubuntu 16.04 repositories in Listing 2 . Alternatively, Ring supports Mac OS X and Windows. In addition, there is an official client for Android smartphones that you can get from Googles Play [16]. You can also get the Android client from the open source F-Droid market [17].

Listing 2

Installing Ring

$ sudo sh -c "echo ,deb https://dl.ring.cx/ring-nightly/ubuntu_16.04/ ring main' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ring-nightly-man.list"
$ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys A295D773307D25A33AE72F2F64CD5FA175348F84
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install ring-gnome

After installing Ring, you should start it up and immediately set up an account. An account is made up of a 40-character cryptographic key, similar to the public keys you use in PGP-encrypted communication. The classic account on a central server is not how Ring works. You should give your account key to your acquaintances, or alternatively you can call up a QR code from the application that your friend can then scan with their smartphone (Figure 4). You can also export your key as a RING file, which contains the password. This makes it possible to use the account simultaneously on multiple devices.

Figure 4: Ring supports audio and video chats, and it does not need a central server.

On paper, this looks like a complete product. In practice, however, it becomes apparent that Ring is still somewhat immature. Both the desktop and the Android clients crashed frequently during testing. One client I built from the Git and ran under Arch Linux was particularly unstable. By way of contrast, a version running under Ubuntu and installed from the package sources was practical to use. Audio and video chats functioned reliably even over connections that didn't have much bandwidth.

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