make a phone call from desktop

[bungee1980]

I do not have a phone, landline or cell. But I find myself in need of placing a call. There are lots of VOIP options out there and a lot of info on SIP, but it is a bit confusing to me. Can anyone point me to software for Linux Mint that will allow me to download and sign-up for a phone number and place a call? Without having an existing number?
Back when I was working I had ringCentral but I think they required a phone number and honestly it is overkill for what I want to do.
(Luckily I found the old USB plug-in phone so I should have that part covered)
Thank you

 

[ML_113]

Did you try Google Meet Extension in Chrome Browser? Just a suggestion.

 

[KGIII]

While not what you want (and I don't have an answer for that, though someone else might) I think you can use things like TextNow right there in the browser. You'll need a mic and adequate bandwidth, of course.

If nobody comes up with a direct answer, you might look into that.

 

[atanere]

Google Voice may work. They will provide you with a phone number, and their setup works from a web browser if you choose not to use a phone app. Or so it seems. You can even look for a vanity-type phone number from their list of available numbers.

It's free for US/Canada calling, but will cost for international calls.

Nope, sorry. Google Voice will require you to have another number.

 

[blunix]

I do not have a phone, landline or cell.

Big thumbs up. Unencrypted, or badly encrypted communication should be replaced by end to end encrypted voice calls. Sadly not many businesses / government institutions understood this.

But I find myself in need of placing a call. There are lots of VOIP options out there and a lot of info on SIP, but it is a bit confusing to me. Can anyone point me to software for Linux Mint that will allow me to download and sign-up for a phone number and place a call?

I highly doubt you will find anything reliable - a phone number has been tied pretty hard to your identity in the last 10 years. That is very sad.

Personally I use sipgate.de and I'm reasonably happy with it. They used to have a non-monthly subscription, but now they do not anymore.

Without having an existing number?

This is something I can give you a good answer to though. Most services by now require you to receive a SMS message, which is extremely annoying. I am on the same path as you and hence use this service: smsactive.org (full disclosure - its a russian company). It allows you to book a mobile phone number for very cheap in order to use it one time to create throwaway accounts. Works for google and alike. If google asks for this phone number again though, you can not get the number back (unless you permanently buy it, which is rather expensive there).

Using this trick you might be able to create a google account and signup for SIP providers using said google account, place your call, and then throw it all away again. Some SIP providers have a testing period. I hope you can find one that works for you.

 

[GatorsFan]

You can try Twinkle - it is available through the Synaptic Package Manager
Twinkle is a soft-phone for making telephone calls over an IP network using the SIP protocol. You can use it for direct IP phone to IP phone communication or in a network using a SIP proxy to route your calls. Notable features include multiple active identities, call transfer, call rejection, 2 simultaneous calls and 3-way conference calls.

 

[MikeWalsh]

Google Voice may work. They will provide you with a phone number, and their setup works from a web browser if you choose not to use a phone app. Or so it seems. You can even look for a vanity-type phone number from their list of available numbers.

It's free for US/Canada calling, but will cost for international calls.

Nope, sorry. Google Voice will require you to have another number.

....and if you're anywhere else in the world, you can forget Google Voice. It's exclusively for the continental USA only.

Non-US citizens need not apply.


Mike.

 

[bungee1980]

Thank you blunix and GatorsFan (and everyone else) for the tips. I am going to try and figure this out for the long term and learn more about SIP and throw away numbers that blinux suggested. I guess I could get a cellular 'land-line'. They do make such things, but it would irritate me that I'd be paying every month for something I probably wouldn't use much. And it wouldn't solve the problem of verification codes.

In the mean time my solution was to ask a friend to let me use their number to link to google voice. I had him email me the confirmation code at an agreed time. This worked and I used it for my purpose. But it has some downsides:

First, I had to use an ancient gmail account that I haven't looked at in years. I was hoping I'd never see it again -- you can imagine the junk mail in there.
Second, Google Voice is browser specific and won't work in Brave, so I had to install Firefox.
Third is I had to allow google use of my microphone.
Fourth is I'm still using a cell phone. Just not mine...

I dislike Google's interface, their hatred of anonymity, their politics etc and so it was a bit slimy, but it did the job. It was so easy that you know it's bad for you.

This past week has been a hassle for something anyone else could have taken care of in one second, but if you add up all the days that I haven't been bothered by that cursed, vibrating, ringing tracking device it is well worth it and I recommend it as a goal to work towards for anyone else interested in that lifestyle. Just not needing to check it all the time probably saves a few days a year.

It sucks that a phone number is assumed but that is how things are. I'd like to see a desktop replacement for the phone. Not just an extension of an existing phone.

 

[vs2-free-users]

Hi,

i used gnome calls in past. Pretty basic pretty simple.

Calls auf Linux installieren | Flathub

Make phone and SIP calls

flathub.org

 

[Condobloke]

Gnome Calls ....is available in the software manager for Linux Mint,

Calls is a simple, elegant phone dialer and call handler for GNOME.

It can be used with a cellular modem for plain old telephone

calls as well as VoIP calls using the SIP protocol.

 

[Condobloke]

It was so easy that you know it's bad for you.

Agreed !