Adding Google Hangouts to SteamOS?

[Flickstiq]

Alright, I have a quick question. I use Google Hangouts + Google Voice as one of my main phone lines for voice calls and SMS. I have it on my phone, and I have it on my windows desktop. I'd love to also have access to this functionality while I'm using SteamOS on my custom Steambox. Any ideas on how I could do this? Ideally I'd like to be able to get Google Hangouts notifications while I'm using SteamOS or in a game. On my Windows PC, I installed the Hangouts Chrome Plugin and added the transparent shortcut to my desktop that sits on top of any other window. I can interact with this to respond to any calls or texts while doing anything on my PC. Something like this would be great for SteamOS.

Anyway, I'm not sure how to implement this or if it can even be done. Any ideas?

[Shark]

I think Google Hangouts should be fully functional from the browser.

[ProfessorKaos64]

It can work from the browser. How well yet I don't know. I can sign in via gmail or a direct link. The desktop applet was tough to get on Arch Linux and the compositor on SteamOS is really meant to handle one "task" at a time. The easiest would be to click your controller home button and access the browser if it allows LeftButton click to get to the browser. Not home to check right now.

[Flickstiq]

The main value for me would be in getting notifications of calls or texts while I'm in Big Picture Mode of SteamOS. I'm not sure if this would work if I signed in through the Big Picture Browser, and then started doing something else on the system. I did try installing Chrome through desktop mode and installing the Hangouts Desktop App. Unfortunately it didn't carry over once I started Big Picture Mode like it would in Windows. I was hoping that it would stay open and run in the backround and still notify me like it would if I launched Big Picture from my desktop on Windows.

Anyway, let me know if anyone else has more ideas. Keep in mind that the notification part is the most important thing for me. It would be nice to be able to have my phone charging in my office and still get access to Calls and Texts while I'm gaming in the Living Room.

EDIT: Ok, so I might be making some progress. I was able to create a standalone shortcut for the Hangout App from SteamOS desktop mode. When I open the App Drawer, it shows it as it's own executable. However, when I go to Big Picture Mode and go to Settings > Add to Library, it's not seeing the Hangout App as something that I can add to my Library. However it does see the Chrome App Launcher. I added the Chrome App Launcher to my Library, but when I try to launch it from the Library, it just sits and tries to load without finishing. So I'm making progress, but not completely there yet. Feel free to throw out any other suggestions that you can think of.

EDIT 2: @ProfessorKaos64 I tried your suggestion. I signed into the Hangouts website through the Big Picture Browser. Calls and Texts do work there if I stay on the webpage. If I return to the Home Screen, I can still hear the sounds for Calls/Texts, but I don't get any sort of notification. So it's close, but not quite what I was hoping for. Ideally I'm looking for an overlay like what the Hangouts Chrome Extension offers. I'm not sure if an App overlay is possible when you're in Big Picture. But that would be ideal.

[uaedude]

i guess he means signing in hangouts through the friend list as an +add account , like in pidgin messenger for Linux , however through Steam Friends.

im not sure if adding protocol is a good idea for steam yet.

[Flickstiq]

I was initially hoping to simply open the Hangouts Desktop App and have it run on top of the SteamOS interface and notify me of calls/texts. But your idea of adding it through the OS with notification support would be better.