this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2024
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Privacy

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Jitsi Meet and Matrix are missing system-wide/background push-to-talk (PTT) (to replace Discord).

  • Tell Jitsi -> github.com/jitsi/jitsi-meet-electron/issues/210

  • Tell Matrix -> github.com/element-hq/element-web/issues/15284

  • Tell Element Call -> call.element.io (Settings > Feedback)

  • Tell SimpleX -> github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/issues/2398

Alternatives (obviously must be cross-platform end-to-end encrypted libre software)?

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[–] kevincox@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Instead of system wide PTT per-app you may consider some software that mutes your mic for all apps as PTT, then just leave the mic "active" per-app.

I don't know if a tool that will do this but on my mouse I have configured a mic mute toggle. So I push to start and stop. However technically I don't think there is any restriction to setting up PTT via this mechanism.

[–] kevincox@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 months ago

I found https://github.com/cyrinux/push2talk implements this idea for proper PTT on all apps.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Many games ban always open mic, so this would create double push-to-talk, forcing me to hold two keys together to talk in-game.

If I do, how do others on Windows and macOS copy me? I want to spread my way and get them off Discord.

[–] kevincox@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, the nice thing about per-app is that you can configure it for each app separately. But I'll be honest that isn't something that I regularly do. If I am voice chatting with friends that will usually be a superset of what I want to send to a game's voice chat.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I may try this for now, thank you. I am still looking for more simple solutions, so others can copy me easily.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

so this would create double push-to-talk, forcing me to hold two keys together to talk in-game.

Why not use the same key for the game and the local mic control? I used to have a single key to mute myself in mumble and talk in Overwatch, and it worked well. Does your OS prevent it?

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Those in both the call and game at the same time will hear everything, either from the call or game, as the mic is never mute everywhere.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I think you've misunderstood again.

In my call, I left the mic open by default, and configured a key as push-to-mute.
In the game, I left the mic muted by default, and configured the same key as push-to-talk.

This way, I could speak on the call or in the game, but never both at once, and the my was not open by default in the game.

Edit: Oh, I think I figured out what your first sentence was supposed to mean. I think you want not only to choose between two voice chats (a game and a call) when talking, but also be muted in both by default so other sounds in the room won't be heard by anyone. Yes?

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes, with no key(s) held, the mic should be mute everywhere. Edited for clarity.

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 3 points 3 months ago

This is what I do, works wonderfully, and most DEs have a readily configurable mute mic keyboard shortcut you can just put on whatever convenient macro key you want. Plus it doesn't even show you as muted in Zoom since it's done externally and it just knows it's getting silence.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Since you're collecting feature requests in various projects, here's one for Mumble/Murmur:

https://github.com/mumble-voip/mumble/issues/1813

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Fixing the Mumble's onboarding and then this is far more work than adding push-to-talk to Jitsi, Matrix or SimpleX.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Updated post to add:

  • Tell Jitsi -> github.com/jitsi/jitsi-meet-electron/issues/210

  • Tell Matrix -> github.com/element-hq/element-web/issues/15284

  • Tell SimpleX -> github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/issues/2398

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can't have e2e encrypted anything without identifying information about unique users. Nothing reasonably secure anyway.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

SimpleX does it but is missing push-to-talk, no email, no phone number, no username or password, no sign up needed.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Email the devs, they're really responsive

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Great idea, actually found a similar issue on their GitHub.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

SimpleX still has devices as users, you just don't see it. If you're just talking about some random PTT voice chat or something, I haven't seen anything.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

you just don’t see it.

I want that with push-to-talk. Easier to get acquaintances and randoms to join, easy to spread.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can’t have e2e encrypted anything without identifying information about unique users.

SimpleX does it

No, it doesn't. It has IDs for unique users, but tries to mitigate the risks by keeping a separate set of IDs to use with each contact. (This is like having a separate Matrix/Jabber/Signal/whatever account for each contact.)

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

no email, no phone number, no username or password, no sign up needed.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Okay, that clarifies what you want, but SimpleX still doesn't do what @just_another_person said it can't do. You seem to have misunderstood them.

Also, what's with the downvotes? Do you expect people to spend their time trying to help you when you respond like that?

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

No offense, votes help sort comments and we're moving off topic but your other comment is more useful, thanks again!

[–] refalo@programming.dev 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I feel like this violates the Unix philosophy. I think a dedicated program that handles unmuting the mic would be a better solution that solves this issue more generally.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Jitsi, Matrix and SimpleX are cross-platform.

[–] poVoq 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You don't need e2ee when you run your own server. Mumble is super easy to set up.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

No one's going to setup a Mumble server of their own, even if they download Mumble just for me. After we're done talking they'll go straight back to Discord for everyone else.

[–] poVoq 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Mumble isn't call based. It works like Discord and has push to talk.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Reworded:

No one’s going to setup a Mumble server of their own, even if they download Mumble just for me. After we’re done talking they’ll go straight back to Discord for everyone else.

[–] poVoq 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can do it yourself and let them use it?

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

This won't get them deleting Discord. It won't spread. I should just fix push-to-talk for myself externally, in PipeWire/WirePlumber, and keep promoting Jitsi, Matrix or SimpleX. If there's a way to do that on Windows and macOS too, that would be a better workaround.

Also, they won't get end-to-end encryption on my Mumble server, so I could still read all their private messages.

[–] poVoq 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Better than Discord reading them all and feeding them and their voice comm. into Discord's AI.

But look, if it was easy, we wouldn't have this discussion. Somewhere we need to start and hosting your own Mumble server is such a small start.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Or use something better.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What does system-wide push-to-talk mean?

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

The web browser needs to be in focus for Jitsi keyboard shortcuts, push-to-talk. I want it in the background, with my computer game in focus, overriding the game's shortcuts. Push-to-talk opens the mic when a key is held: so they don't hear background shit when my mouth is shut.

[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ah, I see. I think I would describe that as background push-to-talk. "System-wide" implies something different to me.

I don't know of one off the top of my head, but I imagine desktop Matrix clients will start implementing this once native group voip (aka Element Call) is out of beta.

[–] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I would describe that as background push-to-talk

Post title updated. Found Element Call, thanks.

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