Info
Jitsi is available at jitsi.org and version 2.2.4603.9615 was tested by Justin LaSelva on 2013-07-11.
It is a free, open-source SIP and messaging client.
Deployment & Installation
This soft client requires some initial configuration but does not require logging in after its initial setup.
- Download and mount the installer disk image.
- Drag the Jitsi application icon to the Applications folder.
- Eject the installer disk image.
- Launch the Jitsi application.
- Click the Sign In window, which pops up behind the main Jitsi window.
- In the SIP box, enter the following:
- Username: Your User ID@utexas.edu
- Password: Your Password
- Click Sign In.
You should now be connected. To change your display name:
- From the Jitsi menu, choose Preferences > Accounts.
- Select your SIP account and click Edit.
- In the Display Name field, enter Your Name.
- Click Next, then click Sign In.
Maintenance & Support
This soft client has a built-in update mechanism that allows the user to update the client when a new version is available. It uses the Sparkle mechanism, so updates are seamless.
There is no built-in documentation.
Integration Consideration (ex. Outlook)
Jitsi is able to pull directory information from LDAP sources, OS X's built-on Contacts application, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Google accounts.
To configure LDAP to query the UT Directory directly:
- From the Jitsi menu, choose Preferences > Advanced > Contact Sources.
- From the drop-down menu, choose LDAP Configuration.
- Click the + button and, in the General tab, enter the following:
- Server Name: UT Directory
- Hostname: directory.utexas.edu
- Search Base: dc=directory,dc=utexas,dc=edu
- Switch to the Fields tab and enter the following:
- Work Phone Field(s): telephoneNumber
- Home Phone Field(s): homePhone
- Click Save.
To allow the soft client to query OS X's built-in Contacts application:
- From the Jitsi menu, choose Preferences > Advanced > Contact Sources.
- From the drop-down menu, choose Address Book.
- Check the box to Enable Mac OS X Address Book search.
To allow the soft client to query Mozilla Thunderbird's contacts:
- From the Jitsi menu, choose Preferences > Advanced > Contact Sources.
- From the drop-down menu, choose Thunderbird.
- Enter the required information.
To allow the soft client to query a Google account's contacts:
- From the Jitsi menu, choose Preferences > Advanced > Contact Sources.
- From the drop-down menu, choose Google Contacts.
- Enter the required information.
A list of saved contacts may also be built manually within the program.
Issues & Resolutions
- While you can query the UT Directory via LDAP, the UT Directory lists all on-campus numbers with the prefix +1 512, so you can't automatically place an on-campus call from the results of your query, as the telephone system gets confused by the +1 and expects that a campus extension (ext. 1512X) is being dialed.
- Caller ID does not appear to acknowledge the user-configurable Display Name field found in Preferences > Accounts.
- Dialing #71 to reach voicemail does not work; the system refuses to connect the call: "We're sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed."