Skype for Linux 2.1 Beta out now
I’m excited to announce that after almost two years of silence Skype for Linux team is proud to present a first beta of the new, shiny Skype for Linux desktop 2.1.
What’s new in this release:
- Skype’s SILK codec for outstanding quality with negligible bandwidth usage,
- HQ video support,
- PulseAudio support,
- SMS send support (*Sending SMS requires available Skype Credit),
- Contact groups,
- Contact labels, or tags, for easier contact organization,
- Chat window improvements (typing notification, message editing, s/geeky text/replacement/, new emoticons),
- Nicer contact list with mood messages and video capability icons,
- Nicer tray icon.
More details can be seen on the release notes page. (PLEASE READ ABOUT THE KNOWN ISSUES THERE - will save you some time)
Coupled with this release is an updated action_handler script by our long-time betatester Philipp Kolmann. You can see the details on how to configure your favourite browser here.
Give the version 2.1.0.47 a go and send your feedback to our JIRA, comments to this post and to our forums.
As this is a public beta we are eagerly awaiting your constructive feedback. Enjoy!
- The Linux Team.
Hi,
I have a Dell XPS m1330 with Ubuntu 9.04, 32bit. When I was using Skype 2.0.0.72 all was working fine, but I had to set sound in/out and the ringer to be on HDA Intel.
With this new version, I can hear fine, the webcam works and I can send SMS. However, I am not allowed to change the sound options (I only see PulseAudio around). I can hear others speaking, but they cannot hear me (they can only hear a hellish noise). Luckily, I kept the previous version of Skype too and am now gone back to that.
Is there anything I can do to tweak it to let me switch to HDA Intel again or should I just wait for the next beta (warning: I am a Linux newbie).
Thanks for all your work
Uhm,
I just checked the release notes posted by berkus in his post. It seems I am experiencing the PulseAudio bug. I have to find out how to deactivate it.
@andypoo:
I’m having the same problem with HQ Video that dadypt mentioned. I’ve tried all manner of hacks and I still only transmit 320×240 at 15 FPS, as shown by the technical call info. I’m using a Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF (USB ID 046d:0994) on Ubuntu 9.04 with the UVC driver on a quad-core system. When I last tried it on Windows, HQ Video worked.
And FWIW, standard video seems to work fine…
Outside of this problem Skype 2.1 is great so far.
@berkus
It was great news to see the 2.1 beta. I have it installed on a 1GHz machine with 1GB RAM running Ubuntu 9.04 and pulseaudio 0.9.14. The audio quality is really mediocre so I guess this pretty much makes upgrade to 0.9.15 mandatory. I am also using a Logitech headset so I was wondering if there are instructions to direct ringing to an alternate sound device. I noticed other users are having the same problem and it is serious because we cannot hear incoming calls (which pretty much makes it unusable) Thanks again for the release and keep up the good work.
btw Is this the proper forum for this discussion?
The 64-bit package listed on the downloads page is not 64-bit.
$ file /usr/bin/skype
/usr/bin/skype: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.8, stripped
Fedora 9 is no longer supported. Why is a package posted? Fedora 11 is the current release.
Please post a Fedora 11 x86_64 package and other real 64-bit packages instead of doing half the job. Thanks!
@mooninite2:
It was clear all the time that there won’t be a native 64-bit version of Skype in near future, berkus has stated that several times. The packages for amd64 which contain the 32-bit version are provided since they depend on necessary 32->64-bit libraries and install them during package installation if necessary. Furthermore you cannot simply install an i386-package on amd64, it’s just provided for convinience.
The reason why there won’t be a native amd64-version is certainly analogous to Sun’s Java Plugin and Adobe’s Flash. Both use some highly optimized assembler code which you can’t just port from i386 to amd64, you’ll have to rewrite it. Skype uses alot of Assembler for performance reasons and for protecting the binaries against disassembling and debugging. They use alot of tricks which can be put into practice with Assembler only.
So, you can only wait until the amd64-version is ready. But I guess the Linux version for amd64 will be first like it was the case for Flash and Java, there are still no native 64-bit plugins for Java and Flash on Windows or Mac.
Adrian
> It doesn’t work on debian unstable amd64:
> $ skype
>Inconsistency detected by ld.so: dl-open.c: 623: _dl_open: Assertion `_dl_debug_initialize (0, args.nsid)->r_state == RT_CONSISTENT’ failed!
> Any idea?
> Where can I find the old Skype version 2.0.0.72 for Linux?
I fixed this issue on my computer:
- deinstall pulseaudio
- open mc as root and go to /usr/lib32 and remove libpulse* (or move it to the other location)
- execute ldconfig
Now should skype work
@czarnyckm:
Thanks alot, will give it a try ! So, the 32-bit compatibility versions of pulseaudio seem to be the culprit.
Adrian
Ok, where the MANDRIVA version is????
Put it back, now!
Hello Skype devs,
Thanks for the new version! Unfortunately no native x64 version, but at last skype is doing its job again, very cool!!
Currently it is not possible to send the ringing and calling sound (‘Speakers’ and ‘Ringing’ devices in sound options) to different devices because they appear in pulse as the same application. I don’t know pulse that well, but is it possible to change it so that they appear as different entries is pavucontrol?
Regards,
Jens
@czarnyckm
That did it for me, it now works with amd64 sqeeze
Thank you very much for this update. I had no opportunity to test the high quality video (to see )? but I know, that I was seen in high quality. The sound was perfect.
The only problem is that I cannot use my usb-cam microphone, there’s no such option, just pulseaudio. I had to use another mic. My OS is Ubuntu 9.04.
I have Karmic Koala 64bit Alpha 4 on my system. I had to install skype-static-oss on my system to get audio and vidoe to work for 2.0.72. But when I installed the beta of 2.1 my audio and video stopped working. Just an observation. I will keep my eyes open for any solutions to this issue.
If it’s QT4 why doesn’t take my QT4 style? Scrollbar and others are not the same as KDE.
If it’s QT4 why doesn’t take my QT4 style? Scrollbar and others are not the same as KDE or QT apps.
@ramon.parada
Run skype with
./skype –disable-cleanlooks
This way skype looks like other kde4 applications
nice job! I am using 64-bit ubuntu 9.04. But, 64-bit ubuntu 8.10 works fine.
Good work but..
ONE PROBLEM:
In Audio Devices Options I cant choose the microphone I want, it’s set on pulse and there are no other options. (I have both integrated and external usb mic and I’d like to choose)
ANOTHER:
Cant see the buddy icon of mine as well as the ones of my contacts!
One comment, and one tip that it took me a bit of Googling to find.
Comment: As others have noted, it would be nice to have the option of selecting PulseAudio or ALSA. I had pulseaudio installed but not working (as I’m awaiting an updated version to sort out some problems). I had to uninstall it to get the option to use ALSA. A ‘–no-pulseaudio’ command-line option would be lovely.
Tip: I couldn’t find a way to hide offline users. Maybe I missed the option in the GUI. Either way, I found that a keybinding from Skype1.4 still works: Ctrl+U will hide offline users. (It also took me a while to find out where to disable the extra default contact groups, but that at least is in the menus!)
All in all, now that I’ve got it working with ALSA, that contact groups are enabled, and that I can hide offline users I’m extremely happy!
(Sorry for my bad english)
Just one more idea
It would be nice to review how to select the groups to show. It would be preferable to see a window appear to choose groups. This window would have checkboxes to select all groups at once (and optionally, to choose the order in which the groups appear in the main window). Or do so that the current menu does not disappear each time a checkbox is selected.
As joss.wright said, it would be nice to have an option to hide offline users. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to have an “offline” group that could always show offline contacts (even when the option to hide offline users is activated). Thus the visualization of users would be facilitated, as happens with other programs (ex: sort contacts in hybrid mode option in Amsn). By default, this group would appear last in the list.
Great, just waiting for a x86_64 version to appear as well
The new skype beta works perfectly fine for me (including video) except one issue I discover so far.
If a call is dropped (not properly hang up), the microphone does not work anymore for all the new calls. The other side cannot hear anything from me. The only way to resolve the issue is to logout and login again.
I am running ubuntu 9.04 (x64).
Ok, after happy two days it stopped working. I have Ubuntu 9.04. Other side hears SHHHHHHH SHHHHHHHH instead my voice
Some people have mentioned problems with the microphone stopping working and having to log in and out.
When I had the box checked for skype to automatically adjust my mixer levels I found that often skype would turn the level to zero so that the person on the other end couldn’t hear anything. Unchecking that box solved it for me and microphone always works. hope this helps others.
Using Ubuntu Jaunty 64bit.
Hi and thanks a lot for this new release. Soon gonna try and tell how it worked here on Mandriva 2009.1.
However I see that Mandriva has been removed from the officially provided packages, and I will have to blindly install something else (like Fedora or Suse or the generic version) and cross fingers.
I’m sure you know that Mandriva, be it less on the fashion side than Ubuntu or Fedora, is still one of the most used distributions (for example on distrowatch.com it is the 5th in the list on the right).
I’d really like official Skype packages for my favourite distro… This would help more newbies to install them and use Skype. Do you plan to provide them later?
regards
Finally used Skype with video on my Ubuntu 9.04 laptop, rather than having to use a Windows machine. Fantastic! Audio and video worked great for a 30 min conversation. Better late than never! Thanks so much, guys.
@jc-cardot: I don’t think the packages really for the several distros differ from each other or to say it differently: I guess they don’t compile several versions for several distros but only a static and dynamic version. I think so because I could always run the Ubuntu versions on Debian and vice versa and also the dynamic/static version on any other Linux. Back in the days I build Debian packages of Skype myself, just from the static version provided.
I have discovered another issue with the new version, btw. When I chat to another person (who uses Skype 4.1 for Windows) I experienced the following: I see the person come online, double-click his/her name to chat and type something. However, when the person answers, the answer will not appear in the chat window I opened but Skype has a “new message”-notification and would open a new window once I click the notification.
@berkus:
Couldn’t you open a thread/website for collecting all the issues discussed here?
Adrian
Feature request: Call users and phone numbers from command line.
Applications like KAddressBook allow you to configure a command to make calls directly from your address book, with a single click. Very interesting for SkypeOut users and for having more SkypeOut users!! Also being able to send messages/SMS would be great.
Solution1: There are some scripts suposed to do this using Python and DBUS but didn’t got any of them to work. Fixing/creating one to be included in the official release.
Solution2: Including that option in the binary command line.
Feature request: Import contacts
One the things I never understood was why Skype doesn’t allow you to import contacts from email services like Gmail (remember about Google Domain Tools users), Windows Live, etc like many social services do. Such a feature that made the success of many social websites, also improving user adquisition.
Most of the times you don’t add a person directly to your Skype. You start chatting using IM services, more focused in acquisition, and when you canna make a conference you ask “Got Skype?” for it’s video and sound quality.
PS: I think Windows Version allow to import contacts from some services and CSV address list but not Gmail.
Feature request: Call alternative number when offline
I may want to call a user while offline. Users can specify home, office and mobile phone numbers at their profiles. But it is not easy to call, you got to rightclick contact, click “View Profile”, copy the number, click “Call Phones or Send SMS” and paste the number. So for many users I got mutiple contacts (an Skype user and 1-2 SkypeOut contacts). That could be easier.
PS: Also I may have multiple numbers for contacts who haven’t specified any at their profile.
Feature request: Call users and phone numbers from command line (2)
I just checked action_handler script and works!!!
1. Save script to /usr/local/bin/action_handler_1.0.py
2. Open KaddressBook
3. Goto “Settings” menu
4. Select “Configure KAddressBook…” option
5. Introduce “/usr/local/bin/action_handler_1.0.py skype:%N?call” in the “Phone” field
So the idea would be that legal issues where solved to make this script in the package and maybe KDE could introduce that line as default for that line, instead o a blank line.
Problem with dependences with amd64 (64bit version!?!)
Rozpakowanie skype (z …/skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_amd64.deb) …
dpkg: problemy z zależnościami uniemożliwiają skonfigurowanie skype:
skype zależy od lib32stdc++6 (>= 4.1.1-21); jednakże:
Pakiet lib32stdc++6 nie jest zainstalowany.
skype zależy od lib32asound2 (>> 1.0.14); jednakże:
Pakiet lib32asound2 nie jest zainstalowany.
skype zależy od ia32-libs (>= 1.6); jednakże:
Pakiet ia32-libs nie jest zainstalowany.
skype zależy od libc6-i386 (>= 2.7-1); jednakże:
Pakiet libc6-i386 nie jest zainstalowany.
skype zależy od lib32gcc1 (>= 1:4.1.1-21+ia32.libs.1.19); jednakże:
Pakiet lib32gcc1 nie jest zainstalowany.
dpkg: błąd przetwarzania skype (–install):
problemy z zależnościami – pozostawiony nieskonfigurowany
Przetwarzanie wyzwalaczy dla desktop-file-utils…
Wystąpiły błędy podczas przetwarzania:
skype
So its a 32bit version packed as amd64 !?!? Thats a obvious lie!!
Then after installing shit load of 32bit libraries on my system.
skype
Inconsistency detected by ld.so: dl-open.c: 623: _dl_open: Assertion `_dl_debug_initialize (0, args.nsid)->r_state == RT_CONSISTENT’ failed!
Hopefully there are now many alternatives like Google Voice/Video working with empathy and pidgin, psi-plus and sip clients like ekiga !!
Again epic fail of Skype!
Ah, I see. Skype starts PulseAudio if it finds it on the system. I’d prefer for Skype to only connect to PulseAudio if the latter is running, or even to have a “Try to start PulseAudio?” checkbox. Possible?
Very nice job with the apparently-device-numbering-proof (?) audio selection under ALSA. I withdraw my previous concern. Of course, now it won’t play to my MobilePre (“ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave”) (other apps work fine), but things are looking up.
Oh–latest Debian Unstable, 2.6.30, Skype static.
@ramon.parada
Regarding the feature request: Call alternative number when offline
You don’t need to do that.. Just rightclick the contact -> Start Call or Send Sms -> Choose the way you want to contact the user.
Nevertheless, it would be nice to “have multiple numbers for contacts who haven’t specified any at their profile”.
@genki-adrian
I have the same issue. The previous version of skype had the same problem.
Speaking for myself, here is what I can report.
1) On CURRENT, Ubuntu such as 9.04, both of my newer Logitech cams work great (including my STX). And for the guy with 9.10…that would be a driver issue, not a Skype issue.
2) If you don’t like Pulse, use mediabuntu repo and install skype-static-oss. From there, setup things however you wish for your audio needs.
3) While it took way too long, you appear to have done a FANTASTIC job for Ubuntu 9.04 32bit users who had no issues with Pulse except on Skype. CPU is no longer hitting 100% and my mic is no longer dropping out during a call.
GREAT JOB, keep up the good work.
@alessandro.ghersi :
Try the tip in this otherwise add-filled website for 9.10.
http://blog.dipinkrishna.info/2009/08/webcam-display-problem-in-skype-on.html
Thanks Skype team. I have been waiting for this update for quite a while. Now I can finally Skype from my Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit system. It is also a relief it now works with Pulse audio.
Great stuff, thanks again!
i agree. we need mandriva and mandriva 64 builds.
Waiting 64-bits packages, at least Static build to run on my Slackware 64.
Thanks for the new Skype 2.1 beta! Some feedback:
Positives:
1. Sound and video quality seems to have improved significantly
2. Like all the improvements to the app itself; maybe a few UI tweaks for the date shown in the message history (separator lines should be better spaced from the messages) and the mood message (option to show mood message as now and also under/on right perhaps?)
3. Liking the new bigger tray icons, although it would be nice to see the same icons in the contact list and “change status” menu.
4. Relieved that the app has NOT gone the same way as the windows Skype. I much prefer the “older fashioned” separate windows of Skype for Linux. It’s also much easier for newbies. Please don’t start redesigning the app to make it like the win version!
5. As reported by another poster, Skype 2.1 seems to play fine with ALSA and does not need PulseAudio. Are there any benefits to using PulseAudio for Skype?
Negatives:
1. Still having an issue with “show my video”; it shows an empty box to the bottom left of the other caller’s video. Also saw this issue in the old version. Turning off and back on ‘show my video’ will sometimes fix the problem, sometimes not.
2. CPU usage on a video call seems to be very high. On my Core Duo 2Ghz laptop, Skype is using 50% on a 2 way video call using normal quality video (ie. no HQ/HD). CPU use on audio-only is far lower (~9%). The skype guys posted up some time ago that this has to do with drawing video in X using v4l, but how come luvcview can refresh video at 640×480, 30fps using only 8% CPU on my laptop? It’s open source guys – why don’t you take a look-see at how they do it?
3. Skype is not autodetecting the higher res of my webcam and defaulting to standard res (Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks, up to 2Mpix capable; works in luvcview)
4. Seeing a lot of error/warning messages in the konsole from where I launch skype:
E: socket-client.c: socket(): Address family not supported by protocol
ALSA lib conf.c:3952:(snd_config_expand) Unknown parameters CARD=Intel,DEV=0
ALSA lib pcm.c:2144:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM hdmi:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
ALSA lib conf.c:3952:(snd_config_expand) Unknown parameters CARD=Intel,DEV=0
ALSA lib pcm.c:2144:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM hdmi:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
ALSA lib pcm.c:2144:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM null
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:996:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
…repetitions removed for sanity
Could you post up which versions of QT you have successfully tested this version with? There were lots of bugs with the Video window (buttons disappearing etc) with Skype 2.0 and QT 4.4+, so I had to resort to the static version. Has Skype 2.1 fixed those issues ie. does it now play nice with QT 4.4 and 4.5?
Really great to see a new version. Big improvements where they’re needed. Keep up the good work!
hi,
its nive to see that the work around the linux client is still going on.
i dont know where to tell bugs so here two issues i`ve found:
1. i have to start skype as following to use successfully my webcam (like with the old version)
“LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype”
2. i couldnt choose my webcam-mic as microphone in the skype-options, there are only pulseaudio entries in the list
greets
phil
Hi everyone,
it seems some are happy with this new version and some not so. I am unfortunately in the latter clutch of miserable users. Why are there NO drop downs to select an audio device? Am I missing something here, as the pulse default is NOT working for me? My pro 9000 webcam is working for video, whilst the Echo Test service is a no go. Absolutely NO sound is evident. I have read some threads which suggest to remove pulse. Is this a viable option, as some users could not log in after this alteration? I am using Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit, which has worked with a previous version of Skype (unfortunately I can’t remember exactly which). The older versions seem to be unavailable now though, so I’m stuck with Windows for Skype until a genius out there can offer me some help. I’m sure it will be worth the wait.
Thanks for reading my moan,
Dave
I still can’t see pictures of contacts on ubuntu 9.04 x86_64 when using 64bit skype…
@berkus as others pointed out, the said 64bit package for ubuntu contains a 32bit binary. would you, anyway, please make available a (true) 64bit as a tar.bz2? (those files you provide as static/dynamic, since I don’t use any of the distros you provide packages for)
thanks in advance!
Awesome.
I am using ubuntu 9.04 and works like a charm. especially like the bigger icons.
one minor glitch though.
Video!
ID 046d:08da Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Messanger works very well with the older version of skype but i get green screens with the new beta
I’ve tried installing this version on an eee 1000 with opensuse 11.1, pulseaudio upgraded to 0.9.15 and libasound2 v 1.0.20 – it’s even worse than before.
It correctly shows the pulseaudio local server as the in/out devices, and makes startup sounds, but if I try to call the Skype test call, it half rings, then crashes PA.
With 0.9.10, it didn’t crash, but dropped half the sounds, so unusable.
I see Ubuntu users saying that this works nicely, so I’m hoping that this can be resolved. Thanks for working on this
Clint
@ genki-adrian “Couldn’t you open a thread/website for collecting all the issues discussed here?”
If you ever bothered to open skype forum you’d find 4 (FOUR) threads specifically dedicated to that.
@a.asatiani “Other side hears SHHHHHHH SHHHHHHHH instead my voice”
Awsom! It means you can finally open and read that shiny manual called KNOWN ISSUES.
webcam creative live! webcam vista im doesn’t work
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 041e:4052 Creative Technology, Ltd Live! Cam Vista I
$ lsmod |grep gspca
gspca_ov519 32900 0
gspca_main 31104 1 gspca_ov519
videodev 44192 1 gspca_main
It is recognized by Skype but show only green and black pixel. It work great with other software.
It works great for me in Ubuntu 9.04 (Pulseaudio 0.9.15). The only issue I’ve come across is that sometimes received voice and video pause for a few seconds, then the “missing seconds” are being played very fast, as if in fast-forward mode. But I suspect my wireless connection for that. Thanks!