Skype 2.2 beta for Linux with Skype Access and improved audio/video quality
Today is the day.
I’m glad to write to you about Skype 2.2 beta for Linux. The major new features of the Skype 2.2 for Linux are:
- Skype Access
- Support for call waiting and holding
- Improved audio/video quality in calls
We recommend to all our Linux users to upgrade to this version. Start downloading it now. Though please remember that this is a beta version, which means that it has a few known glitches in.
Please let us know what you think about this release by discussing matters on our forum – and in case anything unexpected should happen, please let us know by raising an issue report on our public issue tracker.
The new features and improvements:
Skype Access
Skype Access is a nifty addition to Skype which lets you connect to paid WiFi hotspots around the globe easily and to pay for them with Skype credits. No need to hassle with credit cards or subscriptions – and you pay by minute, so you will pay for the time you actually use the service and you don’t need to buy a voucher for a full hour in case you just want to make a 5 minute Skype call or send a few emails.
Support for call waiting and holding
Skype for Linux now supports call waiting and holding. It’s especially good if you are hosting a conference calls and people are calling in. In addition we have also included a support for easy conference call hosting.
Improved audio/video quality on calls
We have updated the underlying libraries to the newest version available, which should enhance audio and video call quality and reliability.
In addition to these bigger changes we have introduce numerous small improvements and bug fixes.
The full release notes for Skype 2.2.0.25 are:
Features:
* feature: Skype Access.
* feature: Support for call waiting and holding.
* feature: Improved audio/video quality on calls.
Improvements:
| Category | Description |
| Account creation | Improve advice on the account creation password error messages. |
| Add contacts | Add Search again button and make search user dialog more user-friendly. |
| Calling | Don’t play ringing out sound on a conference call. |
| Calling | Easy Conference calling support via Skype links |
| Calling | Add a contact to call via drag and drop |
| Contact list | Add possibility to drag and drop multiple contacts to a contact group. |
| Hotkeys | Add “Full screen video” keyboard shortcut. |
| Instant Messaging | Add call button to chat window. |
| Instant Messaging | Improved quote message usability. |
| Instant Messaging | Add ‘Last 6 Months’ and ‘Last Year’ under chat history dropdown. |
| Misc | Quick online status changing possibility from tray icon. |
| Options | Support for multiple text sender IDs under SMS options. |
| Options | Add small label next to Sound Setup instructing users that PulseAudio settings are held outside of Skype. |
| Profile | Added start/stop Screen sharing button to contact card. |
| Profile | Add Last Seen item in profile viewer. |
| Send contacts | Add possibility to send contacts via drag and drop on the contact list. |
| Video | Dynamic update video devices list when it changes. |
| Video | Support for receiving differing aspect video correctly both in window and fullscreen |
| Call Phones | Country selector is now more user friendly. |
| Instant Messaging | Improved IM selection and copy functionality. |
| Options | Improved SMS sender number verification. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Desktop setting style is now the default one for new clean profiles. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Improve experience when using Oxygen style. |
Known issues:
| Category | Description | Workaround |
| Installation | Skype fails to be installed on Ubuntu 11.04 Beta 1 | Visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/712377 for the suggested fix. |
| General | Logging out and then in, intermittently causes Skype to crash | None available |
| General | On Debian amd64 version Skype crashes on startup with the message: “Inconsistency detected by ld.so: dl-open.c: 623: _dl_open: Assertion `_dl_debug_initialize (0, args.nsid)->r_state == RT_CONSISTENT’ failed!” | This seems to be Debian only issue with 32 bit PulseAudio libraries being installed even if PulseAudio is not active, a workaround can be: – Debian Lenny: sudo chmod a-r /usr/lib32/libpulse{-simple.so.0.0.1,.so.0.4.1} – Debian Squeeze: sudo chmod a-r /usr/lib32/libpulse{-simple.so.0.0.2,.so.0.8.0,common-0.9.15.so} |
| General | On some amd64 distributions avatars are not showing, this is a problem with 32-bits emulation Qt library. Qt tries to find its image format plugins, but finds a 64-bits version instead and fails to load it. | A workaround is to specify a plugin path when launching skype like this: – Ubuntu 64 bit: install “”ia32-libs”" package and launch Skype with: QT_PLUGIN_PATH=/usr/lib32/qt4/plugins skype – Arch 64 bit (with 32 bit chroot installed in /opt/arch32): QT_PLUGIN_PATH=/opt/arch32/usr/lib/qt/plugins skype – Other distributions might have a different path. |
| Options | When PulseAudio is enabled in the audio settings, only that specific entry will be available. | To change PulseAudio settings, use the PulseAudio manager tool that is bundled with your distribution. |
| Video | Your video capture might show seldomly green, scrambled or black image. | Please install one additional package which might solve your problem: – Ubuntu 32 bit: install “”libv4l-0″” package and launch Skype with: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype – Ubuntu 64 bit: install “”lib32v4l-0″” package and launch Skype with: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype – Other distributions might have the same library, but may have a different path. |
| Video | Webcam problems when trying to send video from a Logitech camera and/or the error message ‘Failed to query UVC control’ in the console and syslog. | Visit [http://www.quickcamteam.net/documentation/faq/logitech-webcam-linux-usb-incompatibilities] for the suggested fix. |
| Video | How to make video working on Logitech Quickcam Messenger [0x046d:0x08f0] | Visit for suggested workarounds: – http://www.kuhrti.de/index.php/linux/logitech-quickcam-messenger-on-linux/ – http://www.kuhrti.de/index.php/article/logitech-quickcam-messenger-on-ubuntu-9-04/ |
Bugfixes:
| Category | Description |
| Calls | Call transfer did not work |
| Calls | Call windows showed sometimes undisclosed_pstn xxxx for caller. |
| Calls | Video was not restarted always when switching from screensharing to video. |
| Calls | Myself preview was not rendered if user did not have XVideo support. |
| Calls | Myself video was not displayed correctly after remote user stopped sending his/her own video under fullscreen. |
| Calls | Call window was not properly updated when call was autoanswered. |
| Contact List | SkypeOut contact would disappear from groups after renaming. |
| Contact List | Infrequent UI rendering issue when using quickfilter when contact groups were enabled. |
| Crashes | Crash when clicking Apply button in SMS/Call Forwarding tab on options. |
| Crashes | Crash when opening options while signing-in. |
| Crashes | Crash when adding an incoming call to conference. |
| Events | Pressing enter on a birthday event did not open an IM. |
| Events | Unwanted missed call event when declining incoming call. |
| Events | There were no default text for outgoing authorization requests. |
| Events | Incoming new chat event closed the myself and my services areas. |
| Events | Skype played a notification sound when message was received on active conversation. |
| Events | Open receiving directory option was incorrectly displayed for pending incoming file transfers. |
| Events | Sometimes authorization events were not cleared after clicking on them. |
| Instant Messaging | On some distributions mouse cursor did not change while hovering on top of chat links. |
| Instant Messaging | Returning from fullscreen didn’t correctly resume video. |
| Instant Messaging | Chat participants text size was too narrow when a small system font was in use. |
| Instant Messaging | The date separator was missing on chat events. |
| Instant Messaging | Editing multiple messages concatenated them in edit box. |
| Instant Messaging | The conversation view scrolled when adding a person to a conversation. |
| Instant Messaging | Typing indicator was cropped when a small font is in use. |
| Instant Messaging | Instant Messages on group conversations were sometimes wrongly ordered when messages were delivered with a delay. |
| Instant Messaging | Edit and Remove message options were too close. |
| Options | Test video button was enabled even if there weren’t any supported webcams connected. |
| Options | No video devices found error message was not displayed correctly. |
| Options | When changing a default directory for received files, Skype sometimes asked for permission to overwrite a file. |
| Options | Video preview froze when saving video options. |
| Packages | Fix dependencies list in SUSE and Fedora rpms. |
| SMS | SMS message cost was shown incorrectly after first SMS was sent. |
| SMS | Invalid numbers could lead to empty SMS windows. |
| SMS | SMS input area was not automatically cutting pasted text if it was too long. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Some dialogs were not automatically closed on user signout. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Contact card’s label was wrongly set in some cases. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Newly added contacts were not found by quickfilter. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Skype showed 0 byte size for incoming files bigger than 2 GB. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | “More emails” button under edit own profile did not always work correctly. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Invalid Phone number label error was displayed after opening Phone contact profile. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Start conference call dialog was not closed when pressing escape. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Show avatar’ button was displayed on authorization dialog even if there was no avatar to show. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Editing own profile window was sometimes too narrow to accommodate scrollbar. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Sometimes incoming file transfer info was missing or inaccurate. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Start call option on contact card was mising after being removed from a conference call. |
| UI rendering/generic issues | Auto-accept file sending did not work when transfer window was closed while user status was Do Not Disturb. |
| Localization | Order Countries and Languages list in a locale aware manner. |
| Localization | Echo123′s language depends on own profile’s language and not from UI’s language. |
Updated languages:
* Brazilian Portuguese (Fabio Roselet)
* Bulgarian (Nikolay Filipov & Nikolina Filipova)
* Estonian
* European Portuguese (Francisco Miguel Ferreira)
* French (Cédric Lamouche)
* German (Claudius Henrichs)
* Italian (Marco Cimmino)
* Japanese
* Korean
* Latvian
* Lithuanian (Viktoras Kriukovas)
* Polish (Karol Szastok)
* Romanian (Péter Henning & Monika Henning)
* Russian (Pavel Shevchuk)
* Simplified Chinese
* Spanish
* Thai
* Traditional Chinese
* Turkish (Ömer Emin Dede)
* Ukrainian (Oleh Nykyforchyn)
still no useable version (native 64bit) after years, why dont you even bother continue developing it?
There is 64 bit version native from that what I see in Ubuntu deb packages.
I expect plenty of people will pile on csamsel2002′s comment, saying that the x86 build works fine on their x86_64 system. The reason to desire a native x86_64 is to avoid a lot of compatibility libraries.
These are the 32-bit packages I have to have installed on Fedora 14/x86_64 to support Skype:
# ldd /usr/bin/skype | grep lib | awk ‘{print $3}’ | xargs rpm -qf | sort | uniq
alsa-lib-1.0.24-1.fc14.i686
dbus-libs-1.4.0-2.fc14.i686
expat-2.0.1-10.fc13.i686
fontconfig-2.8.0-2.fc14.i686
freetype-2.4.2-4.fc14.i686
glib2-2.26.0-2.fc14.i686
glibc-2.13-1.i686
keyutils-libs-1.2-6.fc12.i686
krb5-libs-1.8.2-9.fc14.i686
libcom_err-1.41.12-6.fc14.i686
libgcc-4.5.1-4.fc14.i686
libICE-1.0.6-2.fc13.i686
libpng-1.2.44-1.fc14.i686
libselinux-2.0.96-6.fc14.1.i686
libSM-1.1.0-7.fc12.i686
libstdc++-4.5.1-4.fc14.i686
libuuid-2.18-4.8.fc14.i686
libX11-1.3.4-4.fc14.i686
libXau-1.0.6-1.fc14.i686
libxcb-1.7-1.fc14.i686
libXcursor-1.1.10-5.fc14.i686
libXext-1.1.2-2.fc14.i686
libXfixes-4.0.5-1.fc14.i686
libXi-1.3.2-1.fc14.i686
libXinerama-1.1-2.fc13.i686
libXrandr-1.3.0-5.fc13.i686
libXrender-0.9.6-1.fc14.i686
libXScrnSaver-1.2.0-1.fc12.i686
libXv-1.0.5-1.fc13.i686
openssl-1.0.0d-1.fc14.i686
qt-4.7.1-17.fc14.i686
qt-x11-4.7.1-17.fc14.i686
zlib-1.2.5-2.fc14.i686
The Skype v2,2Beta x86 binary is 21MB in size (!), where the v2.1Beta2 binary was 18MB. They must already be statically linking a lot of libraries to get the binaries this big.
A question for the developers: why is Skype blacklisted on Fedora for prelinking?
Given that Skype demand-loads many, many libraries, it sure would be nice (hint, hint) if all those symbols were reconciled *before* I click on the Skype icon. Just sayin’.
Thanks a ton for the update!
I wish we could hide Skype’s notification icon, because people can use the API to controll Skype (and spawn the window).
Great many thanks for the update, but … where’s 64bit version of Skype? It’s the only application on my Linux which prevents me from moving into the shiny 64bit computing world.
Thanks to the folks at Skype for the great efforts in bringing this great product to Linux. In spite of previous comments, I understand you don’t have to develop a Linux version at all, and despite our little market share, you keep making the efforts and investment in our favorite OS. I commend you for that.
Thank you for the update!! I I hope that we go back to see more of those regularly from now on.
I hoped I could see at last tabs in order not to have one window per conversation. No luck
It’s a real shame this doesn’t work on a mainstream OS like RHEL5. The last version did. Is there any chance you can change the dependencies so that we don’t get this message:
./skype: /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6: version `GLIBCXX_3.4.9′ not found (required by ./skype)
as it’s obvious this isn’t going to work. What is it in the new Skype that needs 3.4.9 stuff? Please redistribute with a lower dependency!
[rhel5-box]# strings /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6 | grep GLIBCXX
GLIBCXX_3.4
GLIBCXX_3.4.1
GLIBCXX_3.4.2
GLIBCXX_3.4.3
GLIBCXX_3.4.4
GLIBCXX_3.4.5
GLIBCXX_3.4.6
GLIBCXX_3.4.7
GLIBCXX_3.4.8
GLIBCXX_FORCE_NEW
Not that I’m not grateful, you understand. Thank you for bothering to actually develop a linux version.
It was about time! Many thanks.
There’s a greek translation for skype, why not include it?
That’s great ! With 2.1, video didn’t workd. with 2.2, VIDEO AND SOUND DO NOT WORK !!! (sound is just horrible)
Is there an efficient way to do bug reports?
I for one am happy about ongoing development. Thanks for the update!
About time! Good job. Props for the 64bit versions for Debian and ubuntu.
However, we still cannot make video conference calls? Please get version 5+ to Linux soon? Thanks.
Would be nice to have a proper 64 bit version. However, I’m just happy I have Skype.
Only problem with this upgrade is my desktop video has stopped working. It’s a “Creative WebCam Live!”. Would this be a similar problem to the Logitechs?
Great job. Could you fix the .deb repos? As you have an official “amd64″ version (although it’s just packaged to look that way), it’d be great if it was installable and upgradeable without manually downloading the package.
Skype for linux is simply a vintage software!
Anyone know if this works with B2K devices? I use kb2kskype on Ubuntu 10.10 and don’t want to break my setup!
On another note: Here’s a great big, fat BOO on you for not supporting speed dial #s (in Linux or Windows versions). Do I need to come work for you guys in order to get this feature uncommented out in the source code?? [Send me a salary offer, and I'll consider it...
]
I grabbed the static version, running on latest Debian Sid.
When I installed it in ~/skype/skype_static-blahblah and linked ~/bin/skype -> ~/skype/blah (so the shell finds the linked one in my path) it does not find any of its sound files (can complete test call, but get no notification sounds, and “play a test sound” doesn’t work (without any error messages). I have to run it from its own dir, and then it works.
Also: thanks, guys! I thought you were dead! Especially happy to see that there is a hotkey for fullscreen.
Also, what is the fullscreen video hotkey? Is it configurable? It’s not in the README and nothing obvious is in the config file.
Just hit F man it’s not that hard. I wish they put D for double size though.
That’s it?
After more than 1 year you come up with another beta and with almost no improvements?
have you ever heard “64 bit”?
Really you’d better drop the support for linux rather than treating the entire linux community like a bunch of stupids.
Your download page still says “Version 2.1.0.81″ at the bottom even though clicking on the links to download will get the 2.2 version.
Just out of interest, does the statically linked binary work on 64-bit systems? If so, what are y’all whining about, exactly? If not, then my condolences–that sucks.
At least… I have to do some more test to verify that it’s working better than the 2.1 version. This version was just not working since 2 or 3 months probably because of some change on skype server. And for what I see the “change” and new feature are so sparse that it cannot be a one year of work. There are still no conference call for linux, thanks it’s one of the feature that I miss but I do have big hope that a real alternative will emerge so I can remove this software from my hard drive. The concurrence does have time we just got our anual “update”. A very unhappy client (by the way you can check that I didn’t buy new credit recently, skype call was so unreliable and so bad that it was just throwing my money in the toilett).
Another beta version? Have we to wait 3 years again for a new beta release or finally we can have a stable version??
Thanks for that.
If like me others have logitech webcams that then stop working when you upgrade remember that there is a work around
You can use your terminal to open skype and get your camera working like this
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
Or edit your launcher for Skype so for instance in Ubuntu
Main menu
Select Internet>Skype>Properties and in the command box insert
bash -c ‘LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype’
Then close
When you launch skype now and test your camera it should work
Works wonderful here in Arch Linux, thank you developers and also the maintainer for their work
next could you improve on the look further, and add more configuration options to the chat windows? Don’t need the time stamps for instance! or at least move it to the right side next to the name instead, would look a lot better.
after update video don’t work with Logitech QuickCam STX in Ubuntu 10.10! when a fix for this truble?
do You call this “improvemet”? thank’s, but no more like this!
Thanks a lot. I’ll be wating for next release…
isn’t the lack of group video a known issue on skype linux? Or does it just not work on my computer?
Finaly an new version of skype to Linux ! lool
But is not 5.1, or 5.0, linux user maybe wait more … !
But why mac and windows users are beneficted ?
Bye
Thanks for the update. Running Kubuntu 10.10 AMD64 with Logitech Webcam B500 ID (046d:0807) and everything is running smooth here.
Thank you very much. Great job!
Yes i have install,
But the video stops to work, I was using the LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype, and the old version was working my Labtec Web-cam. With this skype version is not working any more.
I hope this will be solved in short…
My webcam works well with ekiga.
Ciao.
Ferenc.
My video stops to works.
It was working before with: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
some new possible solution?
in ekiga works perfectly.
The other new stuff I need to test it.
My video stops to works.
It was working before with: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
some new possible solution?
in ekiga works perfectly.
The other new stuff I need to test it.
My video stops to works.
It was working before with: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
some new possible solution?
in ekiga works perfectly.
The other new stuff I need to test it.
Thanks for your ongoing development of your Linux version. Looking forward to group video-calling in the next version
Is this a joke?, when are you releasing a non-beta version?, I cannot have a video conference call with my friends because you didn’t released version 5 that you already released for Mac OS, shame on you Skype.
Webcams that work out of the box with Skype 2.2 which i have used are:
1. Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000!
2. Logitech HD PRO WebCam C910
am using the 2nd one at the moment and it just rocks.
audio&video problem ob FreeBSD (with linux_base Fedora10)
Guys i luv skype and i started using fedora15 2day and skype is a lot diffrent please stop working on windows 4 a little bit and start working on this one until you get it 2 look like windows verson please we will all aprieciate that
works very good in ubuntu 12.10