June 2007

The releases continue to roll out nicely, and another few weeks after the last Alpha update, here we are with our Beta, the Great Cucumber!

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This release is also a milestone for us, as it is the natural successor to Linux 1.3 and is the first time we’ve created packages for 1.4. You can also find it via the public download site, so everybody is invited to enjoy the goodness of 1.4.

The big news of this release is the support of glibc 2.3 systems. What this means is that Skype 1.4 will now run on some older systems without upgrading the base system. This includes a fair few distributions out there, based on the feedback we received from 1.4 Alpha.

More good news - emoticons are back! Yup! Animated and static emoticons are back in Skype for Linux. By default, animated emoticons are currently disabled due to some CPU usage concerns, however you can re-enable them in the Options dialog.

Also, we have a new feature for the Linux platform. Call Forwarding! If you have SkypeOut credit, you can now setup a phone number to have calls forwarded to when you are not at your PC. The cost of the call being forwarded to you is charged at Skype standard rates. Skype does not need to be running for call forwarding to take place, making it ideal whilst travelling.

We’ve also finally cleaned up all the serious issues affecting Qt 4.3.0 adoption, and now that Qt 4.3.0 is stable, Skype 1.4 is also ready for it.

We’re still committed to regular updates, and you should see an updated beta within the next month with even more bugfixes, so keep those bug reports coming in and discuss if you’re having any issues on our forums. After the next release, our direction will become extremely focussed on a much requested feature, video! Stay tuned!

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