Skype for MIDs Beta
I’m happy to announce public beta release of Skype for MIDs. We introduced plans about developing Skype for the MIDs year ago at CES. You should start seeing Skype pre-installed on these ultra cool devices later this year, but in the meantime we have a Beta version available here for download.
MIDs, also known as Mobile Internet Devices, are small devices powered by the Intel Atom platform, running special flavours of Linux, which enable a rich computing experience on the go.
Remember that this version is an initial Beta release, so it might be a little bit rough around the edges. Also, installing it on MIDs can be a bit tricky, so please head over to our Developer Zone for instructions. You can also run the Beta on Linux desktop computers, and while this isn’t the intended use for Skype for MIDs, you might have fun trying it out 
We’re very keen to hear all of your feedback on the Beta. Feel free to discuss things in the Skype Community and please report all problems in our public issue tracker, Jira.
In this beta release, you can:
* Make voice and video calls to Skype users
* Make voice calls to landlines and mobiles
* Send and receive instant messages
* Participate in conference calls
* Participate in group instant message conversations
* Send SMSs
* Receive voicemails
* Set up call forwarding to mobiles and landlines
* Browse history
* Use kinetic scrolling
* Receive birthday reminders
* Receive contacts
* Create a new Skype name
We’ll keep you posted on future releases of Skype for MIDs, but for now, please download it, try it out and let us know what you think.
Wow! It’s the best news of the year! Really!
Thanks, guys, you brought a lot of happiness with 3 version for all OSes at once!
By the way, your link to Developer Zone is incorrect, you should use this: https://developer.skype.com/MidSkype
Also, it’s a pity you don’t have file transfer support, but multi-chats in one window and typing notifications can be good compensation.
In the previous post on Skype for Linux, you state that things have been quiet in the Linux builds, because the linux desktop team has been busy working on skype for MIDs, which you say is the “future of Linux”. Also, in this build, you say that “You can also run the Beta on Linux desktop computers, and while this isn’t the intended use for Skype for MIDs, you might have fun trying it out”.
So what is actually happened to the normal linux client? Has it completely stopped development? I’m waiting and waiting and waiting for a release with better video support, as the current one is constantly dropping calls while the windows client can do it just fine on the same internet connection.
Well, what about the audio device? Does it support only ALSA? Or it still support OSS?
metellius: The Linux desktop client is still in active development.
With regards the call dropping, there is no difference to the call system in the Windows and Linux clients, so the dropping shouldn’t be related to any specific bug in the Linux client (we don’t have reports of major call dropping with the Linux client).
It may be a good idea to head over to the forum or customer support, and get their help in setting up logging so we can provide some support to your specific issue.
rockw99: ALSA only for the MID client, as the devices are all ALSA-based.
When will we see pulse audio support? Since updating to the most recent verion of Ubuntu more than 3 months ago, I have been unable to use Skype to talk with my boss. Quite frustrating.
These MID devices are not running PulseAudio.
I’m aware of that, but Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 do run pulse audio, and have been available 8 months now.
Skype still hasn’t been updated to support it.
Chris: This thread is not related to ongoing Linux desktop development.
PulseAudio will be supported in a future release of Linux Skype for the Desktop.
no, this time for serious, skype guys:
what is the reason for not developing linux versions ?
what is the reason that the linux version are always sooooo much behind the windows versions ?
don’t you have money to do it ? or you don’t have enough people who do linux programming ?
or probably you don’t believe the linux version is worth developing at all ?
tell us !
@andypoo
There is definitely something different between the Linux and Windows call systems. When I call via Linux I get about about a 10 second delay when calling a landline (skype-to-skype works fine). Calling a landline from Windows works fine. I’ve emailed support and got a canned response telling me to look at the user guide. Too bad there’s isn’t one for Linux…
and what is going on with
http://skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/nokia/
it is also some linux port
deyandeyan: To answer all your questions in order.
We are developing the Linux version. The reason there are less releases is because there are indeed fewer developers on Linux than on Windows. Feature-wise, we don’t consider the Linux version to be “so” much behind. It was the case, but we’ve caught up on most features.
It’s not a question of money. Yes, we do need more people doing Linux programming – we have jobs on offer currently.
We absolutely believe the Linux version is worth developing, which is why we keep doing it.
Unfortunately it’s working really slow as far as i’m concerned.Could we expect better performance in the final release ?
ign0r3: What are you running it on?
Perhaps make a post on the MID forum about it. (Community link above). And we’ll look into it.
There is a problem when using a dark theme
using a dark theme means light text on a dark backkground
and when running skype mid the text is hardly readable. e.g in skype mid black text is on black loging box and white text on the white backgroun of the setting pages
Well, I’m frankly tired of not having support for pulse audio in Ubuntu. To the point that I’m searching for alternatives. 8 month or so is more than enough to wait. If your limited, for lack of Linux programers, you should concentrate on the audio part first. I read that you are caught-up as far as features on linux vs. Windows. But honestly, would you not say that sound is the most important feature on Skype? If Skype is not compatible with Pulse Audio it renders it useless regardless of how many features it may have included in newer versions.I say useless cause the part that you receive money from your customers is from the calls to land lines not chats. Otherwise Skype is just one more chat program. By the way, could you direct me more specifically ( like a link) where I can vent my frustrations on this Pulse Audio Issue? Thx!
Hey
I’m using this under Slackware 12.2 and I might say it works perfectly, although it’s just a Beta Version. I’ve made several skype calls and I don’t know about MIDs but under Linux it works. Keep up the good work. All the Best !
Kinda confused over the posts regarding the client not working due to Pulse Audio. I’ve got it running on two UNR9.04 netbooks and an UbuntuStudio9.04 desktop. Read the forums for your distro, tweak the settings and your done. Took me 2 minutes from having never-used-skype to getting it to work on all three machines. Mebbe you guys should stick to Windows?
It’s a very nice version and also with a good perspective imho. Thanks to development team! My camera (Genius Eye 110) didn’t work, while it did for Skype 2.0.0.72 (Linux) But only 2 things appeared to be critical for me:
1) chat history (I have pretty enough important things in my chats and I need to have an access to a text of a chat, not only to it’s heading)
2) file transfer
Also it would be great to have localised interface and possibility to change the picture in my profile. But the two before-mentioned things, if fixed, would be enough for me to migrate from 2.0.0.72 to Skype for MID.
Hi All,
I have one doubt MID support skype4py api or not ?
hi skype-guys,
first off all thanks for your awesome work for the linux community! skype works really well. but what’s going on with skype-mid??? are you still developing it? i think it’s easier to handle and i like it a lot. i ran it on ubuntu-mid jaunty and it worked fine but now with lucid netbook-remix it doesn’t work anymore. (microphone / pulseaudio) i run an acer aspire 1.
would be awesome if you keep it alive.
thanx ralf
I reverted to Skype for MIDs from Skype 2.1 for lInux because there were audio problems, echo, etc. Is there API capability for Skype for MIDs on Ubuntu.
I have a perl script called skype-action-handler that uses API to handle callto: HTML commands. Is there a way to have a callto link initiate a call in Skype for MIDs “Skype™ (Beta) Version 1.0.3.0.0.93″.
Any info/ideas would be helpful.
Matt.