Skype 2.2 Beta for Linux
Skype 2.2 Beta for Linux, codenamed ‘Access Granted’, is here and brings Skype Access to our Linux users. Skype Access lets you connect to over 500,000 WiFi hotspots worldwide using your Skype Credit.
We’ve improved audio and video quality and reliability, and have addressed the ‘multiple calls’ scenario: you can now receive a second call while a call is ongoing; you can hold and answer it or join the two calls into a conference call.
Finally we fixed a number of problems identified by our internal and external users:
- Ubuntu users experienced PulseAudio issues with the latest versions
- KDE users experienced graphic issues using the default Oxygen style
- and many more – check our release notes
Don’t forget to read the known issues list and to use the forum for the most critical issues you may encounter trying this new release.
Enjoy!
Marco and the Skype for Linux team
We have been using Skype for several years. We have a subscription and use it both on Windows and Linux (I personally use it on Linux exclusively). Although there are some differences, I just want to express appreciation that there *is* a Linux version and it works, which is more than can be said for most other commercial software. I’m sure the development resources are commensurate with the size of the community and again, really appreciate that I can run this on my laptop with Linux. Thanks Marco, Raul, Berkus, and everyone else that works on this version.
Out of the sudden since a few days my Skype stops working under the hood. I only recognize this when I send messages and I see the yellow warning sign a few seconds in front of my messages. Though it is still responding quitting doesn’t work and I need to kill it. Since it hasn’t been updated for ages, was there a change on the servers?
HP, using Ubuntu 11.04 and 11.10 32Bit
How do I synchronize my Facebook contacts with skype? I dont even have the “contacts” option.
Please advice
Skype for Linux 2.2 does not have support for Facebook connection.
What a careless attitude towards a large number of users. You have effectively created a forum so that Linux users could talk to walls. It’s really a shame.
Marco
>Please try disabling audio notification for:
>1. online contact
disabled fully
>2. offline contact
disabled fully
>3. message sent
audio notification disabled
Still had a hang. Any other way I could help narrowing down the cause ?
Microsoft owns Skype now, so who knows whether the Linux version will be supported any longer…
Microsoft owns Novell (suse linux) and Skype now, so wouldn’t it be reasonable that the Linux version of Skype get even more support, particularly by Novell?
Please also provide previous buildings of Skype in the download page.
New versions break video support.
Anyone got older versions? I remember my webcam was working with Skype 2.0 than with all next releases didn’t. Please help.
Hello Skype team,
Can you just let us know what are the plans for the future of Skype under Linux ?
Is the development still going on?
Yes a road map would be nice. Skype for linux has been in beta for ages and is still lacking a humongous amount of features available on other platforms. It is ancient
Also better integration into Gnome-shell would be nice. Currently I am using skype over empathy with a plugin, which is an ugly workaround but it works so far.
Really, how long has “Beta” 2.2 been out? How long has Windows had version 5? Get real, are you in Linux for the long haul or just going leave this 2.2 here to say hey, look, we support Linux. Haven’t even seen any updates to the 2.2 Beta.
Please take Linux seriously.
Windows users get small updates every 2-3 months. Linux users get small updates every 15 months. That by itself is bad, but would be more or less acceptable if at least the bugs were fixed! But the amount of things not working or not working properly is going up! Skype doesn’t work with webcam out of the box on Ubuntu 10.04, let alone on 11.10.
Come on, I know Microsoft doesn’t like Linux, but surely there are enough paying Linux customers to justify developing it a little bit faster. Even if we had only two releases a year which primarily solved the bugs and occasionally introduced a new feature I think most Linux users would be very happy.
And to make my post not entirely negative, the Linux version has some good points. It’s simple, easy to use, has no advertisements (for subscriptions and things like that), can show ALL chat history and has no juvenile things like the massive first use screen and the ‘Your Video Is Working’ box. To me, it feels efficient and grown-up.
So, in short, please fix the bugs and fix them faster.
I’ve made a x86_64 (64Bit) RPM of Skype 2.2 BETA for Fedora Users, it might also work on Mandriva, OpenSUSE and other RPM distros, but I’ve just tested it on Fedora 16 by now, more info here:
http://community.skype.com/t5/Linux/Package-Skype-x86-64-RPM-for-Fedora/td-p/427679
Have a Nice Day
Hello Skype.
I think skype need to improve the conection between the skype app and the webcams in Linux
I have allways had problem to make webcam work in skype for Linux. But webcam does work well in other videoprograms like cheese. I have googled this issue and have seen that there are lot of people having similar problem. There are all kind of ways how people have fixed that. I have tried lot of thouse fixes but not worked for me except one, when I was useing Zorin Os 5. Unfortunately for me I changed to Lubuntu because my computer is getting old :/ and the fix I used in ZorinOs does not work there. So now I’m on starting point again, finding a way to fix this.
I too would like to know the status as to the future of Skype for Linux. Please Microsoft, do the right thing and continue developing Skype for Linux. Please publicly acknowledge this as well, if this is or will be the case (or not).
I quote paysdumontblanc and ask you the same thing:
“Hello Skype team,
Can you just let us know what are the plans for the future of Skype under Linux ?
Is the development still going on?”
Thank you for what you have done till now, but is there a future for Linux Skype??
Taking my word back, using this:
>Marco Cimmino commented Monday, Oct 31
>Please try disabling audio notification for:
>1. online contact
>2. offline contact
>3. message sent
helped me to never experience hanging Skype again.
Thanks
mi scusi quando arriva un aggiornamento?
@ Marco Cimmino
Skype seems to freeze and sending it SIGTERM does not close the application either. A stronger SIGKILL needs to be used followed by the re-opening of the program which is quite annoying. I am using Debain 7 (Wheezy) which has been stable otherwise.
@ab1197590
See above answer I gave to a similar case.
Lovely. Nearly 1 year since last post and probably as long since the last update. That’s the way the Skype promises about Linux support turn out in reality. And I guess as now Micro$oft bought it we will wait forever, until the obsolete Linux version will become completely incompatible with newer versions on other platforms, especially the only right one. Time to look for some SIP app instead.
@jmlevick
I tried your new Ferora 64 package on Fedora 15. I was a bit disappointed to see that is actually with 32-bit binary, and with 32-bit dependencies.
I was extremely disappointed to notice that the behaviour described by ab1197590, which was present in the 32-bit rpm of 2.2 beta, persists in the new package.
When I started skype, it nearly froze all my desktop, chased out everything in the swap, crashed a couple of Firefox addons, and I had to struggle to get access to a console to kill it, which I had to do with KILL instead of TERM.
I am really starting to seek alternatives of Skype, although Skype was working quite well before 2.1.
Could you please update the UI for Skype (Linux). The Mac and Windows version both look really beautiful and the linux version is kind of left behind in that respect. It would be really amazing of you guys. Thanks
Please update skype for linux
It already Feb 2012, are you going to let us work with a normal skype client ? Skype always stuck after a while (know idea why) – using Ubuntu last version.
At least update us that you’re not going to update at all if so…
Thanks
Is there going to be an update, or are you dropping support for linux? It would be nice if you updated us about things, this is ridiculous.
Any news on a new release for linux dist ?
Really? Last version is from April 6th 2011 ? I find it almost offensive for the linux community.
Hire a Linux developing team, for god sake!
skype 2.2.0.35 on ubuntu 11.10 on a acer one mini laptop works great. Audio and video bot skype should improve the look.
Creative Live Cam Vista IM not working with Skype from Canonical partner archive installed from Software Center in Xubuntu 11.10. Compiling ov51x-jpeg driver failed, but shouldn’t be needed at all since camera works out-of-the-box in the system (including Google-Talk)…
People of linux:uninstalled skype…is USELESS Microsoft is not interested us linux users … skype will be integrated into all Microsoft products and optimized for these products…or the alternative is we will organize and denounce to antitrust this situation
I have looked on here fairly regularly and not once has there even been a hint of a new version of Skype coming out. There is a very good reason for that, Microsoft have killed all new development, they should never have been allowed to buy it in the first place. If you don’t believe me just ask Marco a direct question about it and wait for a non answer.
http://digitizor.com/2011/05/10/microsoft-linux-skype/
No (valuable) information about the future of Skype for Linux, no updates, no nothing.
I’m just disappointed and speechless…
Maybe I should apply for a job as Skype-for-Linux developer, as it seems like you get money for nothing.
@Marco: it’s nothing personal, but you have to admit that the whole situation is just ridiculous.
when it s possible in Linux (Ubuntu) to call 720p or 1080p resolution ?
@Marco Cimmino: We just want to ask you, do you think/or you know if Skype For Linux will be developed, or not ?
@zilvinas3277 I replied to this question at least two times. Check above.
hi all
found (mushroom) icon
So development is still alive…it’s nice to hear this
Marco excuse our impetuousness…ma vediamo che nuove versioni di skype vengono rilasciate per tutte le piattaforme…mentre da aprile nessuna da skype…detto questo…buon lavoro ^^
@Marco Cimmino: Yes I see, last your reply about that development hasn’t stopped was June of 2011. It was more than half a year ago. It takes no time for them to release new versions for Mac OS X, Windows Phone, Android, iPhone and etc, but it takes 1 year for one beta revision of Linux?
Hey Marco, I’m using skype 2.2 on Ubuntu Precise 64bit. The microphone is set to use pulse, but I get no sound. Other applications using pulseaudio work correctly. Any idea how can I solve this?
@p.nariyoshi
Please install pavucontrol and check Skype volume in the pulseaudio related stream.
Is this version ever going to come out of beta? I know you’re a subsidiary of Microsoft now, so I wont expect a new release anytime soon.
@Marco Cimmino, if I’m not in a call pavumeter works flawlessly, I can see the microphone bar moving up when I talk. Could it be because I’m using 64bit pulseaudio and 32bit skype?
When You will share a new version Skype for Linux?
I use often Skype for Linux. This Version have deficiencies: HD video.
Nice day!
To whom it may consern,
Skype 2.2 had been Beta for Linux since June 2nd of last year! That is a long time compared to the other Skype release which are receiving fixes and new features much more frequently. The Skype application still tends to work on most Linux systems today, but only after some modification and additional workaround as found on:
http://blogs.skype.com/garage/2011/04/skype_22_beta_for_linux_with_s.html?cm_mmc=PXBL|0700_B6-_-linux-20110406
Are there “any” plans to release a more stable/well maintained Linux version of Skype, the voice-over-Internet Protocol service and software application? I am interested in using Skype services if the software applications is well maintained in the most diverse way as possible (the more platforms the better). This trying to disable certain audio notification or other quirky workarounds as “fixes” to the problems in the existing Linux Beta client does not make me want to use Skype and its services.
Linux is a mainstream operating system, and judging from comments [1] many users are interested in seeing a newer Skype release for Linux. Marco Cimmino appears to be the Linux UI developer at Skype. Could you please provide an update or feedback commenting on your efforts for the public release of a new and better Skype client for Linux? It would be very much appreciated.
[1]- http://blogs.skype.com/linux/
Thanks, I hope this message finds you well.
kyle.fredrick.knutson: Marco Cimmino will answer yes, but it will not say as always how much years it will take for it to happen. No offense Marco, but you could be a bit more sincere with us.
May I suggest that you make Skype work on WIne in Linux, instead of having a non maintained Skype for Linux client? Same way that Google Earth and such work seemlessly on any platform.
myeah, i’m swithing to Google Talk… There are plenty of Linux clients for it.
It has higher video quality, and at least the software is still maintained…
My friends and family are on there as well, and me using Google Talk will only motivate others to do the same.
Microsoft abandons Linux, so Linux users abandon Skype.
Ciao Cimmo, great to see you here!
listen I m using Skype for Ubuntu 11.10. It works great but if I close the contact list
the only way to have it back is to kill Skype and start it again! unfortunately the skype icon up in the task bar does not have a “show contact list ” option and the the Unity icon does not help because it has Unity-related options and not the Skype ones…
any suggestion?
ciao
Ciao Nicola, nice to see you here.
So there are 2 issues here:
1) You are probably missing the Skype icon in the systray due to upgrade of your Ubuntu and not clean install? Good guess? In that case search for how to white list Skype in the tray.
2) In the specific question “Will the 2nd(+) instance trigger the 1st one instead of kicking another process?”, yes it will in the next version.
ciao
Ciao Nicola
I use debian testing, skype work well but i have also 2 problems
1- Sometimes the webcam of my partner interlocutor not seen (obscured with strange green lines)
2- My webcam image is blurred most of the time
may be due a slow internet connection of my interlocutor…or what?
thank u for reply(ps. sono mi fa piacere vedere un concittadino per il nostro skype pinguino)
I just wanted to say that I tried Skype out on my main PC running Linux Mint 11 last night, and it was mostly great. Most of the features I tried were fine; there was a problem with the webcam display which caused a stripe to appear to the right of the local image which had a repeat of the top of the incoming feed. It actually worked a lot better than an earlier version did for me on Windows XP. All this on a cheap £8 Asda webcam as well!
Are there any plans to develop this further? Obviously it’s not going to be your main priority now that you are a subsidiary of Microsoft, but I would pay for one of your great value subscriptions if you were actively maintaining it. There seems to be a lot of interest in further development of the Linux version.
Many thanks.
Is the Linux version of Skype already discontinued or can we expect any major updates the next months? Need to argue with admins about switching to different (voice)-chat…
i do not wonder why there are almost 300 replies to this….. -_-
******!!!
Why are you so cruel to linux users?? you will only lose members this way