computer science

Jitsi

Jitsi is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jitsi rather than just read about it. In short: Jitsi (from Bulgarian: жици, "wires") is a collection of free and open-source multiplatform voice (VoIP), video conferencing and instant messaging applications for the Web platform, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android. The Jitsi project began with the Jitsi Desktop (previously known as SIP Communicator).

Key takeaways

Jitsi belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Jitsi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Jitsi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Jitsi (from Bulgarian: жици, "wires") is a collection of free and open-source multiplatform voice (VoIP), video conferencing and instant messaging applications for the Web platform, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android. The Jitsi project began with the Jitsi Desktop (previously known as SIP Communicator). With the growth of WebRTC, the project team focus shifted to the Jitsi Videobridge for allowing web-based multi-party video calling. Later the team added Jitsi Meet, a full video conferencing application that includes web, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS clients. Jitsi also operates meet.jit.si, a version of Jitsi Meet hosted by Jitsi for free community use. Other projects include: Jigasi, lib-jitsi-meet, Jidesha, and Jitsi. Jitsi has received support from various institutions such as the NLnet Foundation, the University of Strasbourg and the Region of Alsace, Data Consultancy Services, the European Commission and it has also had multiple participations in the Google Summer of Code program.

History Work on Jitsi (then SIP Communicator) started in 2003 in the context of a student project by Emil Ivov at the University of Strasbourg. It was originally released as an example video phone in the JAIN-SIP stack and later spun off as a standalone project.

BlueJimp (2009–2015) In 2009, Emil Ivov founded the BlueJimp company, which has employed some of Jitsi's main contributors, in order to offer professional support and development services related to the project. In 2011, after successfully adding support for audio/video communication over XMPP's Jingle extensions, the project was renamed to Jitsi since it was no longer "a SIP only Communicator". This name originates from the Bulgarian "жици" (wires). Jitsi introduced the Videobridge in 2013 to support multiparty video calling with its Jitsi clients using a new Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) architecture. Later that year initial support was added to the Jitsi Videobridge allowing WebRTC calling from the browser. To demonstrate how Jitsi Videobridge could be used as a production service, BlueJimp offered a free use of its hosted system at meet.jit.si. On November 4, 2014, "Jitsi + Ostel" scored 6 out of 7 points on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard. They lost a point because there has not been a recent independent code audit. On February 1, 2015, Hristo Terezov, Ingo Bauersachs and the rest of the team released version 2.6 from their stand at the Free and Open Source Software Developers' European Meeting 2015 event in Brussels. This release includes security fixes, removes support of the deprecated MSN protocol, along with SSLv3 in XMPP. Among other notable improvements, the OS X version bundles a Java 8 runtime, enables echo cancelling by default, and uses the CoreAudio subsystem. The Linux build addresses font issues with the GTK+ native look and feel, and fixes some long-standing issues about microphone level on call setup when using the PulseAudio sound system. This release also adds the embedded Java database Hyper SQL Database to improve performance for users with huge configuration files, a feature which is disabled by default. A full list of changes is available on the project website.

Ownership by Atlassian (2015–2018) Atlassian acquired BlueJimp on April 5, 2015. After the acquisition, the new Jitsi team under Atlassian ceased meaningful new development work on the Jitsi Desktop project and expanded its efforts on projects related to the Jitsi Videobridge and Jitsi Meet. Regular contributions from the open source community have maintained the Jitsi Desktop project. In 2017, jitsi was added as a widget to Element instant messaging client.

Ownership by 8x8 (2018– ) In October 2018, American cloud provider 8x8 acquired Jitsi from Atlassian. 8X8 claimed to keep Jitsi open source.

Primary projects

The Jitsi open source repository on GitHub currently contains 132 repositories. The major projects include:

Jitsi Meet Video conferencing server designed for quick installation on Debian/Ubuntu servers Jitsi Videobridge WebRTC Selective Forwarding Unit engine for powering multiparty conferences Jigasi Server-side application that allows regular SIP clients to join Jitsi Meet conferences hosted by Jitsi Videobridge lib-jitsi-meet Low-level JavaScript API for providing a customized UI for Jitsi Meet Jidesha Chrome extension for Jitsi Meet Jitsi Known as Jitsi Desktop, an audio, video, and chat communicator application that supports protocols such as SIP, XMPP/Jabber, AIM/ICQ, and IRC.

Jitsi Meet Jitsi Meet is an open source JavaScript WebRTC application used primarily for video conferencing. In addition to audio and video, screen sharing is available, and new members can be invited via a generated link. The interface is accessible via web browser or with a mobile app. The Jitsi Meet server software can be downloaded and installed on Linux-based computers. Jitsi owner 8x8 maintains a free public-use server for up to 100 participants at meet.jit.si.

Key Features of Jitsi Meet Jitsi implemented end-to-end encryption (E2EE) with dynamic key management in 2021. The original static E2EE configurations that were initially required while the dynamic key management system was first implemented have since been deprecated and removed and additional support for mobile applications added. In addition, the Jitsi Videobridge (JVB) adds an additional layer of TLS encryption at the transport layer between the server and the desktop/mobile/API clients for enhanced security. Recording: Jitsi offers the ability to record meetings by streaming them to YouTube. Self-installed Jitsi Meet deployments need to install and set up Jibri to support this capability. The client also has the capability to save a local recording. Using only a standards-compliant web browser to run Jitsi Meet in a browser, no additional client software besides a browser is required to join a Jitsi meeting.

Jitsi Videobridge Jitsi Videobridge is a video conferencing solution supporting WebRTC that allows multiuser video communication. It is a Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) and only forwards the selected streams to other participating users in the video conference call, therefore, CPU horsepower is not that critical for performance.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jitsi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jitsi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jitsi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jitsi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jitsi

In research: Jitsi appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jitsi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jitsi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2003 software, AIM (software) clients, Cross-platform free software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jitsi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jitsi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jitsi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Jitsi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jitsi in simple terms?

Why does Jitsi matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jitsi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jitsi.