Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Gmail voice and video v1.0.10

Today, we released the 1.0.10 update for the Gmail voice and video chat software. All current installations will begin an automatic update within the next 24 hours. If you do not want to wait, you can visit http://mail.google.com/videochat and re-run the installer.

You can use your Gmail account to find out what version is currently installed. Simply go to the Gmail Settings page and look under the "Chat" tab. You will see the plugin version under the "Learn more" link, in small type.

Here's what's new in version 1.0.10:

General fixes:
  • When uploading a log file to Google, we now display an incident ID that you can use when reporting an issue.
  • Improved software auto-updates to now complete successfully even if Gmail is open, so upgrading to the latest version now happens more quickly. (We are still working on improving this on Windows Vista.)
  • Improved call setup time when behind firewalls that only allow outgoing HTTP/HTTPS.
  • Fixed issue where a device access dialog box would sometimes appear when starting a call.
  • Fixed crash when using a software firewall that caused UDP socket creation to fail.
  • Fixed crash that could occur in rare cases when a timing function returned the same value twice in a row.
Windows-specific fixes:
  • Fixed an issue on Vista where software auto-updates could cause the browser to suddenly restart.
  • Fixed an issue where having the 'Sony BlueTooth Video' camera device would cause the browser to crash.
  • Fixed various issues with code signing.
Mac-specific fixes:
  • Fixed an issue on 10.5.7 where the microphone would only work for the first call.
  • Fixed several issues with the installer that could cause preflight_script errors or other problems.
  • Fixed an issue where the built-in iSight camera could fail to be detected.
  • Fixed an issue where audio and video would suddently freeze about 2 minutes into the call.
  • Fixed an issue where the plugin could get into a loop and consume 100% CPU.
If you're on 1.0.10 and still having a problem, please report it on the Gmail voice and video chat forums. As always, feel free to email me directly as well.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who has written in asking about support for Linux. We've had to rewrite a key piece of technology, so this has taken some time. However, the results will be worth the wait.

51 comments:

Igor said...

Great to hear about the Linux update! Looking forward!

Pierre said...

Hat tip to you as well :-)

Pierre said...

...and all the team behind it

Dread Knight said...

L I N U X!

Vadim Peretokin said...

Thanks, waiting on it.

alvaro said...

also looking forward to the linux version!

Kamal said...

Can't wait for the Linux version .. Release early release often :)

Ivan Garcia said...

This makes me really happy! I was loosing the feeling that Gmail didn't care about GNU users.

Thks

Zenwalker said...

Lucking forward for the Linux update soon..

Ajay said...

Good to know there will be a linux version soon! ya ya

Anonymous said...

Are you looking at switching to use ogg theora rather than h.264 given the ff3.5 native support?

Unknown said...

the linux version means i can finally make some use of the builtin webcam in my eeepc! yay!
thanks!

juberti said...

FF 3.5 only includes a Theora decoder, not an encoder (which is needed for video chat).

That said, we will support additional codecs as needed to achieve interoperability.

studentz said...

counting the seconds to use it in my Linux box

Anonymous said...

Which packetization standard are you using for h264/svc over rtp? Did you guys release any case studies or comparisons of svc vs. avc at high and/or low bandwidth situations?

sajith said...

Another linux user waiting for the release

Ruslan said...

Linux version is what we all need:)

Michael Doss said...

Yes also to the linux support! It's been a long time coming.

Anonymous said...

Plus one for the linux.

Happy to hear it.

Spurious said...

Can't wait for the Linux version. Thank you for getting it ready!

Anonymous said...

Great news. I was wondering how Google was going to handle this issue when they finally expect users to like Chrome OS when it does not have a voice and video chat client. My clock says that it is 2 years too late but just in time for Chrome OS.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the linux support in progress.Goodbye crappy skype.

LJR said...

Yes, lets wait for Linux version, hope you remenber to program it with pulseaudio

Rusl Bicycle said...

how soon for linux? even vague answers are better than no answer. weeks, months, years? I'd be counting the seconds too if I knew when to count from. Skype is not working for me and something that integrates with gmail would be a dream.

Binoy said...

please push out that linux version. ugh when wil this wait end..

stenliq said...

Great news! I hope Linux version will be released soon. I also hope it won't end like Linux for Skype - lot of false promises and nothing real.

Anonymous said...

Waiting for a Linux version too.

Anonymous said...

I noticed that the last paragraph doesn't really say that Google will be officially supporting a Linux version, simply that something had to be rewritten and that it will be "worth the wait".

Can you clarify what this really means? Frankly Google (generally) has shafted everyone in the Linux community significantly on all their non-web products. Should we bother trusting Google or not in the Linux community?

Too many promises have been broken already! So Google needs to come a long way to get Linux users back in the fold so that they do contribute back to Google in significant ways again. Ultimately a much higher percentage of Linux users contribute patches as compared to other OS user proportions. If you want us back, show us how much we mean to you.

Srdjan said...

Hardly wait support for Linux ....

Anonymous said...

I am really looking forward to the linux piece. If you find linux on this page it accounts for most comments posted here. Goes to say that linux users are eagerly waiting for a voice-video chat app that works properly on a linux distro. Currently skype exists but with its owns issues.

Trevice said...

oh yes, finally we'll have a linux version ^^

THANKS!!!!

Anonymous said...

i am still waiting for gtalk, and 3 yeasr after nothing, still waiting for chrome and nothing (BTW, google is working for chrome for linux, sure sure), but does anything make us think that it will be avaliable for linux distros thar will not be chrome os?
BECAUSE GOOGLE IS PLAYING SELFISH LATELY.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS "UNKNOWN MODIFICATION" FOR MORE THAN HALF A YEAR.
BTW, gtalks works great on my nokia using linus.

Unknown said...

Where is the Linux version of Gmail Voice and Video? How many more years to wait?

Unknown said...

Do you guys know when Gmail Video chat will be out for Linux?

JanS said...

L I N U X !!! :)
I have been waiting 1.5 years for it!

But sadly you guys at Google missed by a 1 or 2 months. Skype had released about month ago a new version of Skype for Linux with pulseaudio support. So I had installed it to all my family, and made them accounts and learned them how to use it. And now we are using Skype. If you had been 1-2 months faster, all of my family would end up using Google not Skype.

I would have to fly 10 000 miles now to switch them Google. Or I will try to show them thru Skype what to do :P

Robert Lockerbie said...

Hey guys, Any news on when the Linux version will be released???

Anonymous said...

Months have passed since this mysterious update that would make a Linux version possible. Yet no release or even news since then.

What happened. Do we have to wait till end 2010 for the Chrome OS before we see this version only for Chrome OS.

Eddie Webbinaro said...

December - June = 6 months

Still no Linux video chat? Is that really "soon"?

We have almost reached a new year and I have to swallow the fact that 2010 will not be a google video year.

Google consistently lets Linux releases lag months or years behind a win os release. For a company who is battling MS on nearly every front that seems idiotic.

Unknown said...

VIVE LINUX (UBUNTU) !! YOUPLA !!

WAIT FOR LINUX TOOOOOOOO! :D

Arun said...

Its almost 7 months and no Linux version yet! Please make it fast. Eagerly awaiting

Unknown said...

Still waiting for Linux version...

wildnux said...

Waiting 4 linux version!

BL said...

And the Linux version? :)

Anonymous said...

Just waiting to use it on Linux !!!

Mario Pérez Madueño said...

Please, release your linux bits today!

Anonymous said...

almost a year since this post and still waiting for linux support

moyyyy said...

It has been so long already. Please get it done for linux! Yesterday, i used voice chat on gmail for the first time on a mac and the quality was astounding! much better than anything i've ever used. Please.. if gmail voice chat is also possible on linux, i want it

Reza Azizi said...

So What about Linux version?

Anonymous said...

after 1 year, how about linux support?

Aldo "xoen" Giambelluca said...

I love youuuuuuuuuu.
Now GNU/Linux is a first-class citizen from this point of view ;)

moyyyy said...

Yes, this certainly feels pretty awesome xD