New Skype for Linux

[arochester]

"Skype has announced an alpha version of a new client for Linux. Given Skype’s ownership by Microsoft, will Linux users care? "

http://fossforce.com/2016/07/skype-fina ... ux-market/

[GarryRicketson]

Well, this "linux" user doesn't, I don't use "Skype", in fact I honestly
do not know what it is for.
I notice on my cell phone there is a option for "Skype", but have never used it.
So I did a search key words, "what is skype for" ,
I can see why I don't need it, it does not do anything, that I can not do any way,
without it.

From a "about skype" site,.> if you pay a little, you can do more things, in more ways, with more people – like call phones, access WiFi or send texts

Hah , that is funny, Why would I want to pay a little, ?, I all ready can , call phone, access WIFI, and send text,...and more,... and all with out "skype".

[HuangLao]

no need for it, its been known for years that they record every "call" made on/through it.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/is-skype-s ... ersations/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/24/tech/web/ ... veillance/

[Ardouos]

no need for it, its been known for years that they record every "call" made on/through it.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/is-skype-s ... ersations/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/24/tech/web/ ... veillance/

Some people just prefer the convenience over security. People I have spoken to to just say "I got nothing to hide", does this mean people would not care if I read all their mail when it came through the door too?

Rhetorically speaking...

[bester69]

"Skype has announced an alpha version of a new client for Linux. Given Skype’s ownership by Microsoft, will Linux users care? "

http://fossforce.com/2016/07/skype-fina ... ux-market/

I cant do phone calls in this version, What the Shit!!

[kuroneko]

"Skype has announced an alpha version of a new client for Linux. Given Skype’s ownership by Microsoft, will Linux users care? "

http://fossforce.com/2016/07/skype-fina ... ux-market/

I cant do phone calls in this version, What the Shit!!

It's still in Alpha that's why but I guess it will get better.

I use Skype because I have friends that only use Skype and I'm happy to see a new version after like 2 years with no updates I just hope for the best. I would not use Skype if it was not for my friends who use nothing else other than that.

[tuxserbia]

Already mentioned in other thread, old ginger droid, without gp, gps and other bloat from alphabet, just Gmail app for mail, and Skype for occasional calls. Not even front camera, maybe even better this way

[Bulkley]

I agree with every criticism anyone has about Skype. It really is crap software. However, persuading relatives on the far side of the world to use something else is an uphill battle that I can't win. Skype has an undeserved user loyalty.

[rovernut]

I agree with every criticism anyone has about Skype. It really is crap software. However, persuading relatives on the far side of the world to use something else is an uphill battle that I can't win. Skype has an undeserved user loyalty.

What are some good alternatives that work on Linux, Apple, Windows and Apple and Android phones?

I don't use Skype for anything I wouldn't write on a post card.

[Ardouos]

What are some good alternatives that work on Linux, Apple, Windows and Apple and Android phones?

I don't use Skype for anything I wouldn't write on a post card.

There will never be a direct replacement. The closest application that could "replace" it is the long awaited Tox, but it is still in development.

There is:
Tox (as already mentioned)
Firefox Hello
Google Hangouts
TeamSpeak
Mumble
Viber
Jitsi

[gradinaruvasile]

This Skype is essentially a web application bundled with some web engine, chromium probably. You get the same thing by going to web.skype.com in a browser. In Chrome you have audio calls ATM, video calls will follow.
This "webification" of Skype should in fact lessen the need of looking for a "replacement" (which is not working btw if you have non-technical or otherwise uninterested contacts, which is most of the use cases). The gripe until now was that the only available native Linux Skype client started not working in some cases or had other issues. Now Skype, just like Hangouts (ok, Hangouts has some no-standard quirks), uses webrtc so interaction with audio and video devices and stream routing etc is done by Chrome whiuch works well.

BTW open source wrappers such as ghetto-skye work better right now.

[Danielsan]

Is Chrome or Chromium the same or does it works only with Chrome?

[gradinaruvasile]

It work on either. Both the unofficial ghetto-skype and the official alpha Linux Skype uses Chromium as engine (start the client, call echo test then launch pavucontrol, you will see that the recording/playback streams are named Chromium.

The Chrome specific features AFAIK are related to the built in Adobe plugin and other stuff related mainly to encrypted playback of copyrighted streams such as Netflix.

[Danielsan]

Actually from chromium at the web page application I have enabled only the voice calling, I tried to install skype-ghetto but they suggest to install a nvm script and I don't want install it to try ghetto, I was unable to install ghetto-skype through npm.

[gradinaruvasile]

Only voice calling works via the web page now. Ghetto skype had some user agent modifications and it shown both video and audio active, but only audio calling works now.
And you don't need anything else beside the .deb file to install it.