hmmm a bit slow but better that than nothing...

The MID gui is a good idea. I hope you keep the current version of the gui as well, however, for desktop users.

SMS is great!

Does the 'better audio quality' include pulseaudio?

Thanks for this update.
Would you know when we can hope to see the next version released?
Have you been working on webcam compatibilities? (I have a Logitech Quickcam messenger which is working on linux with some software, but not with skype. So I hesitate whether wait for the next skype release or buy a new webcam compatible...)
Thanks!

Finally! Thanks for the update...looking forward to a new version to test and hopefully a 64 bit too.

Thanks for the update. But still waiting for 64bit version. Many thanks in advance.

But why you resigned from skypecasts? I miss them. (I'm not saying about linux version now, but skype in general).

All very intreresting developments!

Personally, I'm still missing contact groups in the Linux client.

Good news. Still, I'm glad Skype is hiring because the GNU/Linux version is still way too behind compared to other OSs. Wish releases were more frequent, even if with less features.

I love Skype, that said, I wish Skype loved Linux as much as I like the software and the operating system. The development is slow. It's too minimalistic, it's missing many customization features that can be found in MacOS X and Windows. Furthermore, what happened to the better chat windows that used to be in 1.3 and earlier versions? When did Skype decide to step backwards and put in a crappier interface when people type to you?

At least the good part is that we know you guys are hard at work and I hope to use the next version of Skype! A better ALSA engine would be great!

Seems that horrible thing I tested in windows. In fast that seems to be windows. You should also get better email support. Seemed machine answered or not able to understand my questions. I hope you start using QT4 and better integration with KDE and Bluetooth.

Here is a bug report
I have configured my bluetooth headset and when is not conected Skype tryes to access it, then freezes. After that I have to restart Skype so I try to disable bluetooth in settings window but skype freezes again. So the only solution is deleting ~/.skype but it doesn't exist. So, I can only use Skype when bluetooth is connected.

Phonon integration for KDE would be great.

"Mobile devices such as Mobile Internet Devices (MID) and NetBooks are the future for Linux."

Does it mean that you are forgetting us, old customers, that used Skype in a laptop or desktop PC for years with always less functionality than other people that pay the same or less? Maybe I should cancel my Skype World Unlimited and SkypeIn account.

Phuck MID! Where's bloody client for Ubuntu 8.04???? Preferably for 64bit system. I din't switch to Linux to use dam MS's protocol to video-call!

looking forward to new version of skype to Linux platform, just more speed please

I haven't posted for a while, so thought I'd jump in

With regards Linux on the Desktop, the next version is well-underway, and hopefully we'll have separate news about that in the near future. It hasn't been forgotten. MID is an additional project which affects the Linux community at large.

As for the Bluetooth issue, we've been working hard on this and other audio issues, and hopefully we'll have these fixes all ready for our next major release also.

Andy.

Ah, thanks for that info. "Linux news coming hopefull in the near future" is good news. Perhaps I should put this in a forum, but is there anything like tabbed chat windows coming up? Having multiple windows open is really annoying (we use skype at work, people working in the Netherlands, Finland, Serbia). Especially now that KDE4.1.1 taskbar still doesn't support grouping of windows, I get a very messy taskbar.

Hi. Thank you for updating on Skype for Linux.

Please add a send button next to the text chat like you have in Windows.

Thank you for caring about us Linux people.

I wish you would fix the problem with using a capture device. I've tried 3 and they all give a green screen instead of a picture under Skype for Linux. They work fine under Windows.

Nice.
Any plans on Video for the nokia tablets (N8x0)?
That would be great.
As google talk video already works, should be possible to have skype video.
Maybe at a reduced resolution/rate if the load on the sistem may be too high.

Leodp123

I'm glad a new version is coming out. This version of Skype seems to be forgotten from time to time. There is no user manual on the website for Linux Skype.
Plus there is no easy way to send bug reports!!!
I have a Logitech Notebook Deluxe Webcam and depending with who I'm talking to I loose my video window and can only see them. The menus when using video also disappear. Additionally Skype only seems to work with USB audio input (mics) all attempts with mics from the mic port had incredibly low volume. But that seems a small thing compared to the video issues.
I would love it if the Linux version would get more love.

Thanks for the hard work.

I can't wait to get the same full-screen Skype that the Windows beta has on my Ubuntu laptop, I think it's so much easier to use and means I don't have about 5 different windows open! It looks like Linux will be getting the full-screen treatment in the near future - fantastic!

My only disappointment in Skype for Linux is the rather modest number of Extras - Windows has mountains of choice, Mac has a few here and there, but the last time I checked, Linux had about 4.

My 3Skypephone works a dream, I just want my Ubuntu laptop to reflect that experience!

While you're at MID, how about a version for the Openmoko Freerunner?

i have a strange problem. when i use search feature to find friends, it searches friend but i can't add the contact through button. it never highlights. sometimes it does. its really weird

That would be fine if we have at first high quality videos and some controls to change contrast, brightness. Secondary, My acquaintance (a girl) saw Skype 4.0 and was impressed. It would be difficult to change her Operating System (major changes in her computer could probably lead to losing rights for installing Windows again). What to show her on Linux while there is such wonderful the 4.0 interface? What terrible would happen if some another features from Skype for Windows (f.e 3.8 or 4.0) you etrust someone you don't pay for it but ofcourse under your conditions?

I hope to see improvements soon: More features for Ubuntu Linux, including a way to easily adjust sound volume, and have sound on both sides. And even more important: I really want to start using Skype Prime as a provider.

3 things:
1) Pulse Audio
2) 64-Bit!
3) compact, tabbing chat windows (windows! please! do not force us to tow this ugly over-wide main window over the cube - I don't even have a widescreen display!)

Interesting. Good to see that Linux skype isn't dead after all. By the way your "We're hiring" link is dead. If I didn't already have a job writing Qt that'd be cool..

Right now I'm writing a simple skype interface for people with disabilities or elderly people using Skype4Py and PyQt4. The skype interface is pretty nice, but it would be great if it were possible to embed video into your own app instead of just popping up the call video...

This post has got me really excited about Skype for Linux. If Skype for Linux starts looking like Skype 4 BETA for Windows (i.e. full screen, one window for everything), then that will be the tipping point for me to completely migrate from Windows to Linux.

As it stands, Skype is the best IM program for Linux, but when it's competing against the likes of Pidgin, that's no big feat. Currently, Skype is pretty good functionality wise but not so good user interface wise. I want to see the one unified windowed look and when I do, I'll be a very, very happy man!

This post has got me really excited about Skype for Linux. If Skype for Linux starts looking like Skype 4 BETA for Windows (i.e. full screen, one window for everything), then that will be the tipping point for me to completely migrate from Windows to Linux.

As it stands, Skype is the best IM program for Linux, but when it's competing against the likes of Pidgin, that's no big feat. Currently, Skype is pretty good functionality wise but not so good user interface wise. I want to see the one unified windowed look and when I do, I'll be a very, very happy man!

Great to see this. The sound/100% CPU issue has been quite annoying. On my old single-core machine, I had to restart Skype to fix it. While it seems to work ok on my new dual core, CPU still spikes to 100%, but sound isn't dying like it was before.
Any ETA on the next alpha or beta?

@rabbit.editor:
Here's Skype's bug tracker for Linux: https://developer.skype.com/jira/browse/SCL

Hi Skype devs . now this may be a little weird, but i dont think skype needs much more work. i mainly use it for voice but it does everything i want. i fear the GUI may grow blockier and clumsier like the Win32 version, hope not. its nice and uncluttered as is, and.. its QT and is'nt suffering from feature bloat. good. works well behind NAT, audio is good, not sure about if i need echo-cancellation / full duplex tweaks. works well from my Debian right upto my Kubuntu wireless laptop.
i'm not a fanboi, skype employee or a newbie (i started Linux on redhat 5.1)
i would like a updated (non flaky) skype app for my BREW OS '3 skype phone' cellphone, but thats for iskoot to sort out i guess.
Mark

Dear skype developer team. It's me again. As every year in September/Oktober I am asking
about the status of skype for linux. In your last post I expeceted a roadmap or at least any date when we can expect the next release. I can not understand how you can say that you work on skype for linux but you can not tell any date. For me sounds strange.

This year I payed already more than 300 Euro for skypeout. Last year even more. I use skype
quite much and I would like to have more features as the windows users have already since a long time, i.e. I would like to send SMS.

I use skype because the quality is really very good now and the version I use runs very stable on SUSE 11.0 but please let us know when we can expect the next version.

>4 months since the last "hotfix" update
Nearly 1 year since the introduction of a new feature (beta featuring video somewhere around early november 2007)
What users have been asking for years: SMS, a 64 bits version, contact groups, better audio support (pulse etc...) etc...
What you propose 1 year after the last feature introduction: SMS (maybe?), and an interface dedicated to netbooks (only a portion of the skype linux users), and a job to help improving the interface...
I would love to know how you can determine that what users ask for is not what users need...
Or does it really take a whole year of development to implement SMS support?

Please sort out the bluetooth headset issue. It's the only thing I can't get to work for me in Ubuntu Hardy. It does work in Vista, though. I love Skype, but not enough that I'll boot into Vista just to use my bluetooth headset. Oh, that and I cannot stand the cluttered look of Skype for Windows. I sure won't be upgrading to the next version if lots of clutter is added to the interface. No more gimmicky features, please. Just fix the sound issues and you're done.

I have a netbook, the O.S. is Ubuntu Linux MID Edition 8.04.
is skype for linux availible for this version?
I have tryed to install it but it doesn't work.

thanks

please release a new version for linux soon. i like ubuntu very much because it has some major advantages over windows. and i really don't want to switch back to windows again, what i did a couple times already, because i didn't want to start back my computer into windows and then back into ubuntu all the time. many of those annoying things of linux have been resolved. and the only thing missing for me is a good version of skype. that's the only thing that i still start windows for. everything else works perfect, even windows programs in wine or in a virtual machine - except skype. and skype under linux has noticeably lower sound and video quality and of course the missing sms function. skype is great, only windows isn't for me.

And how about voicemail?

Right - nevermind.

Hi Skype Developers Team,

I'm using Skype under Linux with Opensuse. There is a bug. The buttons under the call box (button to start the video, to shutdown the microphone...) dissepear when the video start. I think this problem appears only with opensuse because all is working fine with my Ubuntu. Could you compile a new rpm for Opensuse 11.0 user?????

Thank you in advance

seb.leonard:
Since this problem is not experienced on other linux distros then it is very likely that the problem is rather on the Qt package/version that OpenSuse 11.0 ships. What I could suggest to you is to download and use the static package of skype, which includes its own Qt version.
http://skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/linux/choose/
cheers

WE NEED SKYPE 2.5!

I guess that's it for this year...one more year passed...

Since you are hiring people to work on Linux client, I hope there are plans for a GTK version.

@danielrmt If they use QT 4 there is no problem for you. Latest version automatically uses GTK theme so you won't notice it's a QT app.

Skype doesn't even work on my Fedora 10.
If skype for linux is dead, please let us know.

xinoef - I hope they'll do more to Skype for Linux soon too (fix the audio system so you don't have to close all other audio programs, add SMS, better contact list, etc); however, I've been using Skype on F10 for a week now with no problem. What problem are you having?

Yes folks, let's help ourself.
Skype for linux is dead.
No sign of life for a long time.

rodgersmc - I have a Fedora 10 x64, upgraded from a F9 where everything including Skype used to work.
Now everything still works, but Skype, which starts, and when I try to login, gives me an "Abort" message on the standard output and terminates.
"Abort" is not a very explicit error message so I didn't find any help about it.
I tried to erase my .Skype folder to reset everything but that didn't help either.
Same goes for stopping the bluetooth service... Whatever that is, it is not an issue I have faced before.
I came across this on google, so far it is the only match I found:
https://developer.skype.com/jira/browse/SCL-440

Anyways, sometimes it feels like there is really only one guy working on skype for linux, having to pretend being a team, and because he's been busy the last 6 months, didn't even care for fixing bugs. It is great we could use a widespread crossOS application with video and stuff for the first time, but now I am really looking forward to seeing this evolve.

Some more feedback would be great from the developers. 1 post per month or something would be nice, so that we know you're alive and doing something. Heck, even 1 post per quarter would be an improvement... And a shorter release cycle for updates would be good too.

But who of the developer(s) schould write the post?
If that developer is writing the post who will develop then?

I am disgusted with the way paying customers are treated, only because we use Linux. Even though Skype may receive less revenue overall from Linux users due to there being less of us, I still give around $200 per year. I should have the same features and stability as the other platforms, plus why do we not hear anything from the developer for months at a time? One paragraph explaining where he is developing would suffice.
I'm close to telling everyone i know to explore open source alternatives, no matter how hard it would be to swap their program use to something new.

@ramon.parada
My problem with Qt is not the theme, but the libraries I have to install just because of Skype. (Please don't tell me to switch to KDE)

I thin that the best solution is to make good skype api, docs and library and let the client to the developers from other multicommunicators like kopete etc. etc.

Besides, there are better solutions than weak linux skype that are open, free and just work good.

@danielrmt
You do not need to install KDE but only the Qt library which often is installed by default on most Linux distros. KDE and Qt are totally two different things. If you still prefer not installing Qt on your system then you can simply use the static package of Skype. Hope this helps.

huh? how comes new builds for version 4 (!!!) in windows are appearing nearly weekly and now a version 2.5 for windows mobile has been released...and now talks about MID platform skype...

definitely skype doesn't care about GNU/Linux platform..just loads of talk but no actual thing done. Skype is hugely paid and they earn zig millions and they are not able to build a newer version for linux? are you kidding me?

just promises for a MID version etc... show me a version which can be used in linux and then we'll talk. for the moment the version 2 beta (still beta...) is worse than pidgin!!!

@psaraci
I know Qt and KDE are different things, but it is still a library I have to install only because of Skype. Here are the Qt packages I have in my system just because of skype (output from sudo aptitude remove --purge skype):
libqt4-assistant{pu} libqt4-core{pu} libqt4-dbus{pu} libqt4-designer{pu}
libqt4-gui{pu} libqt4-network{pu} libqt4-opengl{pu} libqt4-qt3support{pu}
libqt4-script{pu} libqt4-sql{pu} libqt4-sql-mysql{pu} libqt4-svg{pu}
libqt4-test{pu} libqt4-xml{pu} libqtcore4{pu} libqtgui4{pu}
qt4-qtconfig{pu} skype
They use 51MB!!!
Right now I'll look for this static version, thanks for the tip.

@seba_w_pracy
Yes, I agree with you. With a good skype API/library, the community would develop a GTK client, but the protocol would still be closed, and skype would still earn all his money.

Right now, there's a plugin for pidgin, but it requires you to open skype, so it can't help very much. I still have to keep 51MB with Qt libraries.

@seba_w_pracy
Exactly. This is the main lack of whole the skype thing. For the linux fellow it would have been good enough to provide NO GUI and just a proprietary library that cares with their proprietary protocols ans so on.
Things would be much faster and people which don't like QT can easily write their own GTK+ alternative or wathever else they like.
Speaking of the actual linux skype GUI, so it's an abort.
Only the missing of tabbed windows make it useless and completely annoying.

@seba_w_pracy
Exactly. This is the main lack of whole the skype thing. For the linux fellow it would have been good enough to provide NO GUI and just a proprietary library that cares with their proprietary protocols ans so on.
Things would be much faster and people which don't like QT can easily write their own GTK+ alternative or wathever else they like.
Speaking of the actual linux skype GUI, so it's an abort.
Only the missing of tabbed windows make it useless and completely annoying.

No any news for a long time... When we can hope to see the next version released?

...just another disappointed GNU/Linux user wondering when Skype will release it's next version or give up and just give the community the tools to do it on its own. My Skype usage would be a lot higher if frankly I could just send SMSs without Python...

To Skype:
you should be ashamed for your linux Skype. there aren't other words to say about this.

To QT haters:
what the hell is your problem with QT4??? LOL! now, or you are ignorant or stupid. You prefer GTK2 to QT4? Then this means you don't understand anything about software and coding. Just shut up with your nonsence discussions about 50mb and such things. Anyways, no one is reading us, especially the skype team. Actually, there is no team. I hope the shit we get from them is made from 1 guy or else they should change job.

to bulletfx:
You can't force people to like what you like or either you're ignorant too. Personally I don't enjoy QT but I like GTK+, others can think different and may like whatever graphical toolkit they are used to. Stupid is to design a monolith software that doesn't easily allow to write your own graphical frontend.

give me one reason that makes sense for saying you don't enjoy QT. I'm ready to bet 100 dollars you don't have 1 single reason for saying such a thing. anyways, to stay on topic, come on Skype team.... it's year 2009... with all the money you have you could even create from scratch an OS...

I'm afraid you lost 100 dollars:)
I don't enjoy C++ so by reflex I don't enjoy Qt too. I prefer good old C.

good morning skype, wecki wecki! new version please!

For those who just like to play around with new toys, we've got the MID client available now for download.

Note, that the MID client isn't meant to be a replacement for the Linux desktop client (development there is still continuing), however you may find it fun to play around with.

http://share.skype.com/sites/garage/2009/01/skype_for_mids_beta.html

Maybe there are no technical reasons to prefer GTK over Qt, as there are no reasons to prefer Qt over GTK. It's the same debate as religion. This is another reason to separate the GUI and the protocol, allowing community to write their own GUI, keeping the protocol library closed. Forget it, I don't expect this to happen anyway.

And for those who don't like to play around but would rather like to have a usable version of Skype, do you have something that actually works properly with alsa ? How many years before that happens ?

xinoef: 1.4, 2.0 and the MID client all work with ALSA. They do not play nicely with PulseAudio currently. PulseAudio support is expected in the next desktop Linux release.

It'll be really great if you will post news about new version development a little bit more often... Just some kind of review of the new features... As for now, Skype works with PulseAudio terribly, and Pulse is included into the major distributions, such as Ubuntu, OpenSuse and Fedora...

andypoo: that would make it usable on 90% of the linux installs, so that would be great. Which one has the priority, MID or PulseAudio ? Which inevitably leads to the next question: when ? Let's consider Ubuntu which is likely to be your user base's average distribution, Pulse Audio has been the default sound server since April 2008. For Fedora, it has been since November 2007 !
I happen to be a fedora user, and for now more than a year, your product has been unreliable. What are we, users (or at least trying to be), supposed to think ?

Yes, I realise the next version is grossly overdue, and this has been a pattern previously with Skype for Linux releases. And I fully appreciate your frustration with it.

We haven't had a new release (ie. new major version) since November 2007 (the video release was already being wrapped up at this time), so it's not like we've been blindly ignoring PulseAudio. As I mentioned, it's a focus for the next release - so just hang in there Hopefully we can make you happy again soon.

Hi skypers,
I've spent hours getting Skype to work properly since I bought my Asus eeepc - there are soooo many problems! Maybe someone can give me a few tips?

contacts:
Weeks ago I sent out requests to my skyper friends for contact details, but nobody ever confirmed; today one of these friends and I happened to be online at the same time, and he skyped me, telling me that he had got the request moments ago. Does that mean that they would receive the request only if both of us were online at the same time? That means that people in inconvenient time zones would hardly ever be online at the same time, doesn't it?
I also sent out my skype name in emails, but my friends told me they could not find me with that name, although my account obviously exists (I have used it to make calls to telephones, and with that one friend who got my request).
video calls:
Yes, I have the latest Skype version (that's what the installation manager tells me when I try to install the latest download);
yes, when I open a Skype contact, the window shows the camera icon - when I click on it, it says " this contact is configured for video use";
yes, the camera is on and working - but within skype the picture from the webcam does not show, and if my Skype partner tries to send his webcam image, it does not open in my Skype window.
What can I do to make it work?

sms:
When you use Skype in Windows, there is an option to send sms directly to a Skype partner (if you right-click on a contact, you find "send sms" in the drop-down menu) -
in Linux, however, there is no sms option in the right-click drop-down menu.
Is that just (still?) missing in the Linux version of Skype, or can I do anything to get this function?

Thanks in advance, guys & gals!
Doro

It sure would be nice to see better video quality on linux. I suspect my QuickCam Communicate Deluxe is being underutilized.

Dear all,

I am new on Ubuntu (since yesterday) and I am very excited to learn more about all the possibilities here. I frequently used skype on vista or xp before, and I was used to send sms. Now I am wondering, how can I install the feature on Skype 2? I just did not get it how it is working and I tried to download the applications, but nothing. Could please somebody help me?

Thank you very much:)

A new skype is very much overdue for linux, but not only for the mid market, those of us that use the 64-bit operating systems would very much appreciate a native skype. And please suppost pulse audio, microphones are a hastle to set up.

As for the netbooks, in my house hold there are 4, 1 windows and 3 linux netbooks, a more updated interface would be also extremely welcome.

thought nice to hear that work is being done.

In my house there are 2 machines - both run Fedora Linux. I would also apreciate a beta testing version. With the current one I am having problems with my webcam since it's crashing all the time. It's been doing this since Fedora ported the drivers into the Kernel, so something changed in the libraries. The webcam works in other programs in Linux, but not in Skype. I did several kernel updates since then, but nothing has changed. I am looking forward to the new upcoming release and especially to the 64 bit version too! JUST RELEASE ONE!

When will you support vga resolution on linux? It's a real pity cause the picture looks ugly compared to the pictures sent by Mac or Windows users although even the cheapest webcams now support 640x480 or even 1280x960 resolutions. It still makes me feel second class skype customer being on a first class OS.

Please add a send button next to the text chat.

I wonder how many Linux:Skype users are using Skype Credits?

Aside from waiting for the newer version of Linux that hopefully has support for 64-bit, I was curious if the functionality of the new one would have a more welcoming feeling. The current feel of Linux Skype 2.0 is alittle dry and featureless, but we need more functionality owards chats, and calling, and 64 bit support.

Hii!!
Any news?

We are waiting...

I would love to hear current news on 4.0 for Linux........ Anything..... Teasers..

Would appreciate a Skype 4.0 Linux even for beta testing. When is it planned for ?

Hi,

Skype team, just clueing you in that there is a real need in the linux world right now for a new version of skype, especially one that will support pulseaudio and not do odd things to the cpu usage of my system. The sooner you can get around to releasing even a beta (might even take an alpha for a spin) the sooner I can get back to using ubuntu jaunty. Thanks.

Bring it on - it has been too long. I'd be thrilled to try a beta when it is available.

Bump! Please act on this promise skype! I need better audio support in linux. (ubuntu jaunty). Skype is pretty much unusable in it's current form. Also v4l support, but I have a workaround for that (LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype).

Thanks in advance..

[singing]Why are we waaaaaaiting / we are suffooooooocating...[/singing]

;) Seriously though guys, it's been frakking forever since we had a major linux release, and Windows is up to v4. Us Linux geeks are used to release early release often!

OMG! i've got an idea! It'll be the most awesome feature ever, and it's fairly easy to implement over a couple of days! what about making the linux client work again, even when talking to people who is using the operating system that the new skype supports?! think about it, being able to do instant messaging again, not having to see your message just come up with the error symbol for about 2 minutes before the skype 4.x people receives it?! of course, this is not first priority, i mean, why would people using skype 2 talk to people using skype 4? at least i don't think the average user would really expect such a feature from a software such as skype, i mean, you're not microsoft:p

Also, the new user interface looks good, what about releasing it as a bitmap? That way skype would consume almost no resources at all, freeing 99% of the cpu-usage it otherwise would consume when idle on linux!

All of the features you are planning are great, but if it takes 10 years to develop it, what is the point? How about releasing SOMETHING that works now but with only one added feature. If you focused on one componentized feature at a time, you might be able to release something every month to two months.

Well, it has been 10 months since this announcement. And no new Skype for (Ubuntu) Linux. What is going with Skype for Linux? Is the Skype for Linux project dead? Could a moderator or some other Skype team member let us know?

I hope you are still developing the client for Linux, the 2.0-series client is ugly, and it's web camera support isn't actually up-to-date. I know Linux and all the libraries are developing rapidly, and that is also a bad thing, but still... Anyway, thanks for the app in the first place, it has saved me quite a few pennies!