My mom wants to call overseas using a computer, much like my brother does with his XP / skype setup.

Is there a Linux based VOIP, much like Skype works for Windows?

I'm having trouble finding info. If you have suggestions for further research, then I would appreciate a link or two...or three. :-)

well, skype might be a good choice...

http://www.skype.com/download/skype/linux/choose/

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately, my distro is not listed.

Does anyone know of a Linux friendly VOIP that works with MEPIS? Perhaps I should throw this in the MEPIS forum. Of course, MEPIS is debian based. Would the debian skype work if my distro is a debian based OS?

Skype will run fine on MEPIS, it is even in the repositories:
http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php/Skype

You could also give Gizmo5 a try.

www.gizmo5.com

Besides the fact that it is in the MEPIS repo, I can use it here on Slackware by using the static tarball, it's available for download from the skype site, near the bottom of the download page I think. Just extract and run. But, since it's in the repo, why not try that.

I did not know it was in the repo. Thanks!

If your using Mepis 7 just go to the bottom panel, and click on "system". then choose: "Package Manager (Synaptic Package Manager)". In synaptic there is a search feature that will let you easily find any item you search for if it is in the repositories. Type in "skype" for instance (after clicking on "search" at the top of the page) and you will see it there. click on the box, and it will give you an oportunity to install it.

AS GUIs go (in my view) synaptic is one of the best.

There is a distro called Dynebolic which includes a Voice software called Ekiga, please try it and see whether it works on yours.

But unfortunately, AFAIK, there is no ekiga build for Window$.

If your friends and family are using Skype, then you should use Skype. You won't be able to talk to Skype with anything else...

Installation is really not as "distro specific" as it might seem.

Although, in the Linux world, a software developer (like Skype) cannot know with certainty exactly what other software might be in use, e.g. to manage sound, these days most distributions have converged on a well-behaved standard ... ALSA. So has Skype.

The odds are actually very good that if you "simply load Linux Skype and use it," it'll work fine. You might have to "figure a few things out," but actually that's not too likely.

In other words, go ahead and jump in. The worst that could happen is that you might stub your toe. Skype has millions of subscribers, and great programmers.

I have not paid for a long-distance phone call (or a domestic one) in a coon's age...

Of those reading this and using skype.....how safe / secure is it?

I'm researching how safe / secure it is....I recall some controversy over skype's safety many months ago...but I do not remember the exact issue.

While I am researching, is there anything I should look for?

Thanks!

Don't remember exactly but I think there was a controversy that some policemen coudln't intercept skype calls (because of encryption/proprietary protocol). So, skype can do that for sure, but besides that, I think you are safe .