Use Skype under Linux

Note

This is an old guide, kept here to show how it used to be in earlier times. Today you would typically use browser-based web conferencing software to stay in contact.

Skype is a program to do video phone calls over the network.

Get it

To download and install Skype, find out your distribution and proceed accordingly

SUSE 12.2 till 13.2

This example has been tested on 2014-12-12 on SUSE Linux 13.2. Other distributions should work same or similar: Surf to http://www.skype.com Choose "Downloads -> Choose your distribution -> Dynamic". The download starts. open a console find out if you have a 32bit or 64bit system if you have an X64 operating system, install some libraries: yast -i libQtWebKit4-32bit libqt4-32bit libXss1-32bit libXv1-32bit unpack the file: tar xvjf Downloads/skype*.bz2

Run it

• run skype:

cd skype*
./skype

Configure it

You will now have to select "Options -> Sound Devices -> Make a test call" and experiment a bit with what Sound Card you use. "Make a test call" will explain everything to you.

Problems

Audio

Audio has been improved a lot with Skype 4 from 2012.

• Does not work with Mandriva 2008
• Does not work with Mandriva 2009

See also

• use a webcam with Linux
• http://www.ehow.com/how_5575179_use-skype-through-proxy.html - use skype via a proxy