Making skype links work
By
Berkus on August 17, 2006 in Tips and tricks.
So here’s a short description of how to make skype: links in your browser work.
Applies to Mozilla (Firefox) and Konqueror. Assumes you have skype-action-handler installed in /usr/local/bin - adjust path as appropriate.
### For Mozilla (Firefox)
* Open Mozilla (Firefox)
* Type about:config in the address-bar to open the configuration editor.
* Use the scroll bar to navigate to the network.protocol... section.
* Check if the network protocol section includes a network.protocol-handler.app.skype key.
* If a key exists, edit it. If no key exists, create a key by right-clicking on any key and selecting New -> String from the pull-down menu.
* Enter network.protocol-handler.app.skype as the key name.
* Enter /usr/local/bin/skype-action-handler as the key value.
### For Konqueror
Locate the KDE services directory (it most probably will be ~/.kde/share/services/ for you). In this directory, create a file named skype.protocol. Add the following code to this file:
[Protocol]
exec=/usr/local/bin/skype-action-handler "%u"
protocol=skype
input=none
output=none
helper=true
listing=false
reading=false
writing=false
makedir=false
deleting=false
When you restart Konqueror, the action handler will work.
### For Opera
(courtesy of ZennouRyuu)
* Click on Tools>>Preferences>>Advanced>>Programs then click “Add”
* In the “Protocol” field enter skype and then select “Open With Other Application” and in the box enter /usr/local/bin/skype-action-handler
That is it, it works straight away.
### For GNOME-aware browsers (Epiphany, Firefox 1.5)
(courtesy of sebi)
Run the following two commands:
/usr/bin/gconftool-2 -s -t string /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/skype/command '/usr/local/bin/skype-action-handler "%s"'
/usr/bin/gconftool-2 -s -t bool /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/skype/enabled true
The changes should become effective immediately.
Comments
Hi! Thank you for your hint about firefox. In my system (suse 10.1 firefox 1.5.0.9) the link works if it is in the form skype:user?call but does not work with a skypecast link. I also tried with /usr/bin/skype-action-handler plus the skypecast link and it did not work. Any suggestion? Thank you, Mauro
m_a_cremonini | Saturday, Jan 6
This only seems to work if I type the URL directly into the address bar. However, it doesn't work for image/links because the "is Skype installed" script can't tell you have Skype installed. Is there some way of reporting back to the script that you have Skype installed?
James
jgxenite | Saturday, Jan 13
Erm, well. This is for links that are not guarded by evil javascript. You may also try to register application/x-skype mimetype manually for the browser you use (this will make JS allow such links).
Registering this mimetype when installing skype is in TODO for next skype version tho.
berkus | Sunday, Jan 14
This' really cool
I just found this post after installing Skype 1.4beta for Linux on my ubuntu today. I thought, "Coool! There's a solution finally!", but suddently I relized that there's no "skype-action-handler" in the latest relaease......
I've tried to point the calue to /usr/bin/skype and add
network.protocol-handler.expose.skype to false
and
network.protocol-handler.external.skype to true
But after clicking the skype:someone?chat link, it opens(excute) an other skype and says database failed....
My problem is:
If there's no skype-action-handler in this skype release, how and what should I do to ask skype which's already running to make a call, instead of start running another skype?
If it won't bother, plz just msg me...
Truely Thanx!
my skype: bluetraveler
bluetraveler | Friday, Jul 13
Do these instructions need to be updated for the new Skype 2.0 linux beta release, I cant seem to find the action-handler
mole840 | Friday, Jun 6
There's a bunch of third-party action handlers lying around, just use the search, Luke.
berkus | Tuesday, Jun 10
Please update this as applicable for current releases (here in 2008 almost 2009).
How do I get skype-action-handler if I don't have it? where do I get it?
Thanks!
crawfrdb | Saturday, Sep 20
On Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) after upgrading FireFox to 3.0.9. skype links don't work. I have reinstalled skype, but it didn't help. Still the same invitation to download Skype. It seams that action-hadler or what ever is gone. Any ideas?
Skype on Ubuntu 2.0.0.72-1
Links workd with FF 3.0.8 and Skype 2.0.0.72-1
nad2000 | Monday, Apr 27