Skype Alpha for Linux

blubbi · Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:53 am Post subject: Skype Alpha for Linux

Microsoft recently released a new Skpye version in "alpha" state which seems to use WebRTC and Chromium runtime environment.

RPM and DEB packages are available here:
https://community.skype.com/t5/Linux/Skype-for-Linux-Alpha-and-calling-on-Chrome-amp-Chromebooks/td-p/4434299

Did anyone yet bother to write an ebuild for the new version?

The 4.x version starts to get more and more useless as group chats opened with the latest Windows client cant be used with the old Linux version etc...

Cheers,
Bjoern
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Perfect Gentleman · Veteran Joined: 18 May 2014 Posts: 1249

imo, no one want this crap.
it's better to use web-client.

blubbi · Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 1:40 pm Post subject:

Well, I hope your attitude to towards this is not the general attitude how the Linux community approaches this, because than it is doomed to fail.

I would rather give it a chance and hope for the best and give some feedback.

If this is the general attitude, I probably will keep the ebuild for myself (if I find some spare time to write it).

I rather would like to see it fly as all my colleagues around the world are using Skype on Windows and MAC.

Greetings,
Bjoern
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Fitzcarraldo · Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 2:07 pm Post subject:

Perfect Gentleman · Veteran Joined: 18 May 2014 Posts: 1249

I didn't say not to use Skype. I said their new client is crap. It didn't offer more than usual web-client. Moreover there are several such clients from community.

1clue · Advocate Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 2569

Perfect Gentleman · Veteran Joined: 18 May 2014 Posts: 1249

What do I criticize ?
Alpha Skype client is crap 'cause it can't connect to Skype server with my firewall settings, but the old linux client can. New clients form community also can.

1clue · Advocate Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 2569

It's alpha. You've been around this forum long enough to know that alpha code is not necessarily useful yet.

I think we can safely assume that anyone posting the way the OP posted knows what alpha code means too.

Just saying that alpha code is crap is in no way useful and as you found out can lead to all sorts of bad interpretations, from technical to political.

You can say that it doesn't handle firewall settings yet. Your first post on this thread should have contained that information. Maybe the OP doesn't have a firewall, or doesn't have the same sort of firewall and therefore the app might be useful?

Ant P. · Watchman Joined: 18 Apr 2009 Posts: 6920

blubbi · Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 3:28 pm Post subject:

Giving no feedback and just avoiding it, isn't making it better.

Telling MS that that you can't connect through your FW might be valid input as telling them that it uses to much resources.
With enough feedback it might turn into something usable.

So an official slotted Skype ebuild for the Alpha would help to spread it.

Greetings,
Bjoern
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1clue · Advocate Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 2569

blubbi · Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 12:03 pm Post subject:

Hahaha,

after I quickly created a ebuild (I am again amazed how easy it is t package stuff in gentoo - it took only 5 min to create a working ebuild) and wanted to submit it to the bug tracker, I mad a search for skype and had to figure out there is already an ebuild which is a bit more sophisticated and installs skype into /opt/ and is using slots. I simply named my ebuild skypeforlinux

I suggest you go for the version in the bugtracker:
https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=588814

net-im/skypeforlinux-1.2_alpha_pre2.ebuild

Perfect Gentleman · Veteran Joined: 18 May 2014 Posts: 1249

i've made little research and found out that Ghetoo-Skype is the best client so far.

blubbi · Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 10:30 am Post subject:

No ebuild available

But I'll keep an eye on both versions.

I don't care about video chat or all the useless emoticons (movie snippets etc..).

Features I care about:
* Voice chat to ANY Skype client
* Initiate/participate in multi client chat regardless of which version
* Initiate/participate in multi client calls regardless of which version
* Initiate/participate in multi client screen sharing regardless of which version
* Send receive files via drag & drop
* ! prefix do suppress showing emoticons when pasting e.g. code
* Sync bookmarks/favorites across devices

Cheers,
Bjoern
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colorimeter · n00b Joined: 26 Jul 2016 Posts: 2

I prefer to use web-client.

cgits · n00b Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 71 Location: Europe

I am hijacking this skype thread in order to ask if anyone can configure the skype web-client and choose which is their capture device.

I guess not, how then do I do this? I am only using ALSA and nothing else audio-related (like pulseaudio).

When I test my microphone using arecord, in order to get a result I need to use the device
-D hw:0,1
(and the sample format
-f S16_LE but I am not sure if necessary for skype)

Maybe this has to go to .asoundrc somehow? But I don't find examples with capture devices.

Ant P. · Watchman Joined: 18 Apr 2009 Posts: 6920

Web clients depend on your browser's audio support and microphone permissions. If the browser doesn't have working microphone input, the webpage won't either.