Skype for Linux 1.4 Beta: The Great Cucumber
The releases continue to roll out nicely, and another few weeks after the last Alpha update, here we are with our Beta, the Great Cucumber!
This release is also a milestone for us, as it is the natural successor to Linux 1.3 and is the first time we’ve created packages for 1.4. You can also find it via the public download site, so everybody is invited to enjoy the goodness of 1.4.
The big news of this release is the support of glibc 2.3 systems. What this means is that Skype 1.4 will now run on some older systems without upgrading the base system. This includes a fair few distributions out there, based on the feedback we received from 1.4 Alpha.
More good news – emoticons are back! Yup! Animated and static emoticons are back in Skype for Linux. By default, animated emoticons are currently disabled due to some CPU usage concerns, however you can re-enable them in the Options dialog.
Also, we have a new feature for the Linux platform. Call Forwarding! If you have SkypeOut credit, you can now setup a phone number to have calls forwarded to when you are not at your PC. The cost of the call being forwarded to you is charged at Skype standard rates. Skype does not need to be running for call forwarding to take place, making it ideal whilst travelling.
We’ve also finally cleaned up all the serious issues affecting Qt 4.3.0 adoption, and now that Qt 4.3.0 is stable, Skype 1.4 is also ready for it.
We’re still committed to regular updates, and you should see an updated beta within the next month with even more bugfixes, so keep those bug reports coming in and discuss if you’re having any issues on our forums. After the next release, our direction will become extremely focussed on a much requested feature, video! Stay tuned!
]]>By the way, if you’re reading on, you’re probably curious about the name, The Great Cucumber. This was a name that we, the developers, came up with to represent the feelings of the Skype for Linux community.
Everybody is expecting a great child out of the Linux project, and this child is coming. In ancient Roman times, the pregnant women and midwives would wear cucumbers around their waist to signify the upcoming birth, which would be discarded once the baby was born. In Skype for Linux’s case, everybody is waiting either for 1.4 Gold or a video release, and in the meantime, we offer you this Great Cucumber to hold on to until the child is born.
Dynamic file is bad compressed. But thanks for this realease.
Hi,
how can I change the Qt style used by Skype? I tried setting it in qtconfig but Skype doesn’t seem to notice that. I hate Clearlooks because it looks too much like Gtk and I would like to change it to Plastique…
What happened to the Fedora yum repository ?
Apparently the Mandriva package asks for qt4-x11, which doesn’t exist. No complaints with Feisty, though. Thanks!
Thanks for this beta version : works like a charm under Fedora 7, sound quality is better than ever!
Just to elabourate on what jesusvpct said above
> Dynamic file is bad compressed. But thanks for this realease.
The dynamic version of the skype binary (http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-dynamic) is packaged wrong. Insted of being a .tar.bz2, its a .bz2 and so doesn’t decompress without a little tinkering.
Indeed, this has been sighted. We should fix it up tomorrow.
Sorry about that.
oh, I was looking forward a new linux version These are good news!!
Thats great! I finally see that skype on the O.S. i use on my everyday is quite usable. I still miss the contact groups and a different interface, but the sound quality is great and it’s very very stable and usable.
Thanks skype team!!
Thanks!
Waiting for
1) Groups
2) Video
…
mmmh, I have Opensuse 10.2. Since the rpm did not install because of lack of dependencies, I downloaded the static version…but no sound…only clicks and clicks and clicks. I have a sony vaio PCG FR215H.
What can I do?
thanks,
Mauro
assendum: each time I try to call a contact cpu is 100% busy!
well, it was “addendum” of course…
Thanks for the update!
I installed it on my Debian system.
There are two points, which disappoint me:
- Font is to small and can’t be changed in the options
- When I click on a contact, the information field expands, but in the background, you still can see the other contacts
I concur with caco3_ on this one: the buddy icons and fonts are too small.
Since we’re on the issue of the Debian package, it really needs a proper Debian menu entry; merely including the generic Free Desktop file used by GNOME and KDE is not enough to cover the plethora of desktop environments available via Debian.
What about video calling and SMS sending?
yeah one would think that sms is not that difficult to implement platform independantly, i miss it dearly. which means less money i give to skype.
OpenSuse 10.2
Audiocalls work perfectly … but surprisingly there is no ringing tone. Is the “ringing tone” sent to a different audio device ?
I am using OpenSuse 10.2 too and the dependencies are not in famous repositories. so it would be nice to include them in package. also as out other friend said the ringing sound is not working, apart from that the software is very usable. I really dont want to say this like others but well Video and SMS is the two biggest thing that are missing. PLEASE PLEASE do something about them. Thanks.
I’d like to see the x86_64 version… The x86 version works almost fine, but I have some problems with it (for example I can’t use scim with it, etc) – will you release a 64bit version?
Can anyone tell me how/if I can change the Qt style to anything else than Cleanlooks?
WHAT NEED COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE FOR 64 BIT SKYPE? FOR ANY 64 BIT APP ACTUALLY, THERES NO SENSE, RUNS THE SAME AS 32 BIT, BUT MORE A HEADACHE TO CODE.
Kubuntu 7.04, Skype 1.04 work great. I do think that video would be nice, SMS is vital, and would provide income.
Btw, it would be nice if the ‘history’ reverted to showing time and duration, rather than just time as it does now.
What about the openSUSE rpm-package? Still no progress in finding
the suitable dependecies? Would be nice to see a rpm package for openSUSE REAL SOON (TM).
I get error when starting this Skype version:
ALSA lib control.c:910:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL hw:0
Aborted
I have Fedora 7 x86_64 upgraded from Fedora 6.
For all wanting to change the qt-style of their applications, skype including:
first, you really should consider reading in the kde-forums.
Don’t sue me for that answer, but it is really not a skype issue.
You’ve already asked here, so there’s the answer:
Skype is now using qt4, so you should install the “qt4-qtconfig” package from the universe repository of ubuntu or the proper package for your Linux distribution. One could also install the “kcontrol” package and its dependencies for a better control, but I’m fine with the first one.
Then run qtconfig-qt4 in the terminal.
Video! Video! We’re waiting Video!
SKYPE VIDEO is what I’m waiting for!!! Honestly, is it extremely difficult to use GStreamer for those things? Or at least have V4L and V4Lv2 support…. You should have planned for GStreamer support, because that gives you a wider range of devices to work with… Whatever modules GStreamer supported, skype would have too
Too late I guess… Oh well…
satkata, i have qtconfig-qt4 installed and qtcurve style for qt4 installed and selected on qtconfig-qt4. When i use a QT4 application, i have the qtcurve style, but skype don’t, if i open skype, it has “plastik” style instead of qtcurve…so, are you sure? All my others qt4 applications have qtcurve, why don’t skype?
I have to say that : the font and window’s size is too small!! I don’t know why you’ve changed it. In 1.3 it was OK, now it’s sometimes annoying… but the quality of calls is great!! and this is the most important. I think you should focus now on the functionality first, so video and sms, and then, maybe in next versions, the layout (QT4 styles or something like that).
Thanks for the new release, everything is fine with Ubuntu 7.04
SMS-sending would be great: I really don’t thing this is a hard thing to do…
The only thing that is keeping Windows XP on my hard drive is video skype.
Any official word on when this is going to be ready?
Great release, I’m waiting for: CONTACT GROUPS!
This rocks! I feel like I’m almost out of the stone age
the link to the Mandriva download is broken
I change the way to download, now at least I can get the static version downloaded from the link of Mandriva. I am going to test it later.
Hi,
it’s good to hear video is coming soon – it’s what I keep checking this site to keep track of. Could you clarify what you mean by “After the next release”?
Do you mean after the next beta, after the 1.4 release gold, or after the 1.5 release?
I don’t see the usual menu selections and can’t find the “answer automatically incoming calls.” Can anyone tell me where it is? Thanks.
Do píči kdy už bude to zasraný VIDEO?! na ten zvuk se už vyserte, ten bude stejně pořád na hovno jak ve widlích! Dejte rači k dispozici kód, ať to jde narvat do kopete!
O – P – E – N – - – S – O – U – R – C – E – - ! ! !
It would be nice to see Skype for x86_64 linux systems.
Nice release. What I am realy waiting for is the video feature.
What do you mean by “After the next release”?
I WONT:
- VIDEO
- SMS
- 64 BIT SUPPORT
How much wait for the VIDEO feature !?!? …Why Linux are more INCOMPLETE then other OS ? WHY !!! …It’s really so difficult to develop with the Linux library !?!?
I hope the troubles are solved soon !!!
This is excellent.
I’m a bit unsure about how similar the interface is to the Mac client (the lack of a menu bar took quite a bit of getting used to), but overall it’s great work.
Thanks!
Well upgrade.
I miss a button to leave/exit the conversation when I’m in a chat.
Ceterum censeo carthaginem esse delendam… Why don’t you guys shut it and stop trolling about 64-bit version? In case you haven’t noticed, there is none for Windows either. If it were just a matter of simple recompilation I guess it would be released right away.
As for video – it was said multiple times it is coming once the beta stabilises – personally I’d much rather see e.g. DTMF bug fix than a bloody video (which I am not going to use anyway).
Just to add my €0.02 and some fuel to the flame.
I would love to see support for Public Chats and hiding offline contacts. 1.4 is an excellent release! Thanks!
64-bit and video, 64bit because i have 64-hardware, 64-os and why i must hacking to install the newest skype on ubuntu64?! I want it simple no hacking with 32bit emulation. Video, yea linux users are small group it means small money but we are potential clients and that are our needs i think.
1.4 is nice release, but smaller steps more frequently would be better. Show us progress, almost one year between releases is a lot of time!
When will be the mic-capture-missing-activation bug be cleared?
THX