I'm glad to see that work is indeed progressing, and I'm also glad to see that you're including the community in this.

Unfortunately, it looks like the bug list keeps me from installing until at least the beta

I can't say that it is working now for me, because I haven't configured my microphone yet(so even skype 1.3 isn't working) but I downloaded it to see the layout. And.... I am very pleased!! it really reminds me of Windows or Mac's skype. It's great that we can write our mood in the main window, not as previously in our profile. Now we can even disable the notifications!! it's good because this yellow triangle was very annoying. Thank you!!!

Nice, but.. Is it possible to know when, in which month, are we going to have at least a development release with Video support?

Thanks in advance.

adventhorizon: Is there any bug in particular that's holding you back from using this release?

wow, you guys rock! Just installed it on my kubuntu 7.04 and it's working like a charm!

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for that release. I was really looking forward to 1.4 and it has some interesting features, but why are the groups gone and where are the smileys ? It would also be great if the call window could somehow be hidden withouth hanging up.

Wow, great! I downloaded and installed it. Trying to open options dialog was initially crashing Skype, but after I got online for the first time, this stopped happenning.

I hope the interface is not frozen yet? It looks a bit ugly for me in its current state...

Hi,

thank you for the release but... I must say that I *hate* the new interface. No groups, it's ok... I guess we can live without it... But separate call window ? I'm sorry but I can't see the point ? Why don't you simply try to mimic the windows version ? It's really easy with QT4, why do you want it to look different ?

Thanx for the effort anyway...

andypoo: It's not just one bug, it's several of them. The only one that's really pressing for me is knowing whether or not messages have gone through; my school has a terrible anti-file-sharing bandwidth throttling thing that randomly drops my connection. Several of the others just look like they'd be very annoying.

I've got 1.3 working 'well enough', this alpha looks like it'd be a step backwards in functionality. Until most of the published bugs are fixed I'll just stick to what I have and let the more technical people deal with the problems.

Very nice to see that something is happening. I really like the new user interface: it's smooth, clean and simple. Keep up the good work!

running well on a Fedora Core 6. Just log of ALSA errors.
I like the new interface, hope to try alpha versions in the next days. take the comunity updated.

I'm waiting for the video.

does this mean skype for the nokia n800 internet tablet is near??? i cant wait..

wow please forgive all the bad things i've said about skype on linux, 1.4 is looking really good, it integrates into gnome really well(important because all the major desktops use it. redhat fedora ubuntu SLED n all) and the ui is clean and simple. brilliant work and well worth the wait.

ok.finally.
nice job for the gui ,
but what misses to me is groups and emoticons....

waiting for video.....

alessandro

Hurrah ! Keep it up !

running fine on ubuntu feisty. Gotta admit, the new interface is very nice, much cleaner than the old versions. I like the way you included the chat history. Also it's running very fast, congrats.

If you implement the groups, please go the old 1.3 way, don't use windows-like groups: I want to see all my online buddies sorted in groups at once. A nice add on would be seeing those mood messages in line with the names.

Is there any roadmap on when you plan to release 1.4 beta/final?

One goo point about the announcement page, needed is sigc++2 but no mention as to where or how to get it. If you can't package needed packages, then a pointer to them would be nice.

any chance we'll see a 64-bit version anytime soon?

Thank you Skype linux team, I looked at UI an it looks great but we are all waiting for Video. Thank you for your hard work.

I think that X11 API and DBUS API are not implemented.
I am wrong?
Thanks.
Jose Alberto

> But separate call window ?

There is code to have call window inside main window, but it was buggy and we didn't release it with alpha.

> but what misses to me is groups and emoticons....

Indeed, I've just noticed
Seriously, we're working on it. I can't stop repeating: remember this is ALPHA.

> I think that X11 API and DBUS API are not implemented.

They are not in the alpha. However, I got X11 working here and will have DBUS and unix/tcp sockets soonish, so hope is not lost.

I usually do not install alpha versions but I was so frustrated with the old version of skype (remember that the CPU went up to 100% and no communication was possible) that had to do it and...

...IT IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No problem any more. Skype is running since three days without any stop. No CPU usage and the sound quality:

JUST GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could not believe that this quality would have been possible. You guys did it!

You did a good job.
Thanks a lot.

Well, this new skype version r0x i like the gui, it doesn't use so much place like the windows version....and until now it didn't make any problems....awesome

Even if just an Alpha, this is a very nice release. The new interface is very clean and has become very similar to the Mac version (I have no idea what the Win version looks like).

Great job, looking forward to subsequent releases!

Thank you

I haven't tried the alpha yet, but I must say that it would be nice if 1.4 would be available for the 64 bit versions of linux.

good update - works fine for me (debian - sidux) but still hoping for VIDEO!!! Cheers

Wouh, very impressive update ! Congrats to the developpement team! Keep going to the video !
I'm using the gnome envirronement but the new GUI isn't as ugly as the previous one, i can even say it's clean and beautiful !
Thanks !

No, sorry, but no.

Why a rewrite? For sound quality? And given the regressions, it seems that the rewrite was not worth it at all. And I could not care less about UI when the important features like video are _still_ unsupported.

If I sound bitter, it might be because I am.

If only there was _some_ kind of Open Source client, these issues would have been ironed out _long_ time ago.

johannes.schindelin: I understand your disappointment. I thought the same thing. but hey, just use ekiga, it works better than all clients, it's open source, has support for webcam. it's just working perfect on linux. really just can's say the same for skype. maybe some day it will, but not now, sorry skype team

Qt offers more and more to easily build a pretty usable and nice looking GUI. This skype release is rather essential considering the long time we wait for each release cycle and no new features respect to the last 1.3 neither sending sms, maybe we'll see video in one or two year ?
It seems the Linux is always the last thing to think of.
More resources and manpower Skype, Linux users are waiting for you.

I downloaded the Alpha version, but frankly I don't like the new design. I prefer the previous Linux version as far as the GUI goes, however I did notice an improvement in sound which definitely helps. I think functionality is severely limited in this new version. This could be due to its Alpha status perhaps.

I concluded that I'm sticking to the 1.3 stable version, and I'll wait for the full release of 1.4 to comment further. However, like most people commenting, I would appreciate video capabilities as well although given my webcam I'll have to get a new one since it isn't giving me a decent image on any application on Linux (on Windows it works great, but I use Linux (Ubuntu Feisty Fawn) as my basic OS now).

Anyways, good job to all those involved.

when do you plan to focus on the most two important things?
i mean:
- 64bit version
- video support

if you state that the sound quality is now comparable to win and mac version, and that the gui is ok now, i advice you to focus on that, otherwise you will loose so many linux users!
is there a linux roadmap?

wow, i'm really happy with the new skype, i love the looks and it works great. Of course i'm also still hoping for a video and 64bit version, but for now i'm quite happy with this already. I just hope the next release comes a bit quicker. Cant you get more people to work on the linux version???
thanks for the work!!!

Unimpressive. Not only is it literally years behind the Windows version with regards to video, but the sound isn't even implemented properly. In Windows, you choose an input and an output device. In Linux, you choose a 'Calls' device. That's crap. So many people have microphones built in to their webcams. My point is that many people use one device for input and another for output and this software STILL doesn't support that. I'd file a bug report/feature request except that I've completely given up hope for this software ever becoming useful. The sad thing is that if this was open source, I'd send you a patch for that quicker than you can say "we promise to have video support in version 1.5".

Thanks for this release! I've running skype 1.4 alpha since its available for download (i saw a news post at phoronix.com) and i have to say the sound quality is really improved. The new GUI looks ok even using gnome. So way to go!!

Don't forget to read the "known issues". So i'm here testing the alpha version to report any bug, and looking forward to contact groups, smileys, and better looking gui, and at last in the row (for me) video.
Even the file transfer it's improved!

Cheers skype team!

johannes.schindelin: Qt3 is quite outdated, so I can totally understand their step towards a much more recent toolkit. There are some issues with Qt3 that probably won’t ever get fixed by Trolltech.

cypher.switch: I must agree on this one

andypoo: I think it was mentioned in a previous post, but — why don’t Skype, as a whole, use Qt for all of the project? It’s portable, and would work on Windows and OS X (especially since Qt4 was released) just fine, and you all wouldn’t need to code things again and again. It seems like a waste of energy to me.

Hi, it's cool, that skype for linux is being developed - not so rapid as I'd like, but... it's fare... for now Linux is not so popular as Win... of course that's a question of time... But I turned the wrong way from our topic. So, I haven't yet installed 1.4 - I'm planning to do so the day after tomorrow, but as I see there is no suport of public chats, that became available in 3.0 for win... That's really pity, because I need to boot win in VM to use that feature, it's really annoing... guyes, implement the base of protocol features and only after that think about the interface, video etc.
Best regards...

When are NOKIA N800 edition release?
I wait...............

No video!?! I just want to know, when? Ui or chat history are not interesting, video is what we all need. I want Skype to have new functions, and i think this is what Development for. Sorry, but this isn't bleeding edge, this is one sad bleeding Skype!

May 16 2007
Tested on Kubuntu 7.04 and 1.4.058_alpha work good !
Thanks !
NetMaxD

Please don't release a new version, if you don't add video feature. The windows version has video support already since years!!! Why the linux users have to wait so much? For me it's not so important that the GUI looks good, but that I can see the othere user and send SMS.

I cannot believe so many people can write, but are totally unable to read. The statement clearly reads: „After this release has passed into beta stages, our next goal will be to implement video features, and this is not too far off.“ Quit whining about the lack of video in this ALPHA RELEASE, alpha meaning pre-test in software terms. It's a good thing we get to peek under the hood, really.

I am actually quite surprised that no-one so far has mentioned one of the most interesting things about this alpha, namely the seemingly completely revamped audio stack. It now detects all the dmixed and dsnooped logical devices, for example, and also supports Pulseaudio! Yeah, the network-agnostic sound server. Damn and blast, that's some great news, and so what if everything doesn't really work yet as it should, things are looking very promising indeed.

Let the people code already!

"The release cycle has also changed and beginning with this release, we expect to release a new version every few weeks until we go Gold, and then some more.". Lets speak orders of magnitude, whats the delta(release)? 10 days, 100 days , 1000 days? You said you expected a new version every few weeks. Do you still expect that. If theres a new release will it be on the blog or do we check the download site.
Thanks in advance
Wolfgang

Hi -- next public update is due out within the next week, all going well. So, yes, this is still expected.

It will be blogged upon release.

It would have been great if you could finish the new version as soon as possible and pre install them on Dell computers with Ubuntu pre installed. I really hope Skype give some love to Linux version too. I mean common guys cant you see Linux is changing the balance of power ?

First i would just like to say thanks, thank you for releasing this to the public.

I'm loving 1.4 already, much better than 1.3. I havent found any bugs apart from some small visual glitches, so, very stable for me here.

Looking forward to future releases in terms of features, like:
Emoticons
Notification of unsent messages
Video support
etc etc.

加油！

well skype for linux is unusuable as long as the fonctonnalities is so far beyond the windows version.

As soon the video support is on we could test it.
As it exist other program that do that it doesn't worth testing it right now.

Hello everyone

I've just installed the new version... and I'm really disappointed. I really miss my groups - some people I talk to when I'm home, some of them when I'm at work... I have no idea if the message was delivered or ot. And still don't understand why 'exiting' is _hidden_ under the settings button.

Can't wait a little more usuable version

Yes. Works lovely. However we are waiting for Video support please . Works really fine under Etch and gnome 2.14.3 kernel 2.6.17

My wife has no knowledge of using linux (ubuntu feisty) other than logging in and browsing the web. She took the linux laptop I had back home to the US and she successfully installed the beta. I am still here in France for a few weeks and I can see my family.
Thank you very much for this. You folks are the best.

I have the micro-laptop from ASUS (ASUS eeePC)with LINUX (Xandros). It came preloaded with SKYPE(Beta 2.0.0.27
On an extended trip I tried (with varied success) to use Skype (voice) using the on-board Wi-Fi wireless at a number of different locations. The "voice" mode routinely broke up BUT the "chat mode" worked fine. To eliminate the mike/headphone as problem source, I plugged into local LANs hard wire and Skype worked OK in either mode. The ASUS eeePC WiFi module is from Atheros (Model AR5007 EG which is 802.11 b/g

Any ideas ?

I have the micro-laptop from ASUS (ASUS eeePC)with LINUX (Xandros). It came preloaded with SKYPE(Beta 2.0.0.27
On an extended trip I tried (with varied success) to use Skype (voice) using the on-board Wi-Fi wireless at a number of different locations. The "voice" mode routinely broke up BUT the "chat mode" worked fine. To eliminate the mike/headphone as problem source, I plugged into local LANs hard wire and Skype worked OK in either mode. The ASUS eeePC WiFi module is from Atheros (Model AR5007 EG which is 802.11 b/g

Any ideas ?