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"Microsoft has just released a new version of Skype for Linux, once again addressing many of the reported bugs, but also introducing some new features that certainly come in handy to those on the platform."
According to the official changelog, which you can read in the box at the end of the article, Skype 1.7 for Linux is still part of the alpha development stage, but it includes several important improvements, such as fixes for the reconnection of the app that occurred every once in a while when it was suspended for a longer time.
There were plenty of users who complained that Skype for Linux was reconnecting automatically when not using the app for a certain amount of time and Microsoft has already acknowledged the bug. This new version fixes the problem, so everything should work correctly after updating.
Additionally, Skype for Linux 1.7 introduces a new grid layout of the group calls, but also fixes the standard behavior of unread messages. According to Microsoft, this means that "when opening chat with unread messages, the view will focus on the first unread message and as you scroll, messages will be marked as read."
http://www.softpedia.com/blog/microsoft-officially-releases-skype-1-7-for-linux-508199.shtml
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bob_super on Monday September 12 2016, @06:41PM
The main question is whether it will start downloading and installing Win10 in the background, or just install "telemetry" tailored to your specific distro...
(Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Monday September 12 2016, @07:02PM
It bundles a Blue Screen screensaver to remind you of the good ole days of Windows 9x. Clippy NOT included.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Monday September 12 2016, @11:20PM
The main question is whether it will start downloading and installing Win10 in the background, or just install "telemetry" tailored to your specific distro...
It's Skype - isn't telemetry understood to be included?
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 12 2016, @06:43PM
There's Microsoft in my Linux! Linux done gone mundane! I must install something else on my rig now, something that's still l33t enough for basement dwellers! Help me nerds! You're my only hope!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by opinionated_science on Monday September 12 2016, @07:04PM
dumped skype onto my lame laptop. I dont care , unless they put the source on gitub, I'll treat it like spyware.
Trust is not a fixed quantity , but an empirical determination of risk. M$ blew theirs decades ago, and then we got Snowden who set the entire industry on the back bench.
I recommend using signal/OTR with pidgin or Jitsi - all fully spyware free, or at least , FOSS
(Score: 4, Interesting) by DannyB on Monday September 12 2016, @07:22PM
I dumped Skype years ago when Google Hangouts would let me video chat on Linux (with Chrome browser) and Android. Friends / Family could all use Windows / Mac / Android tablets and phones.
It just seemed like a win to be able to video chat with everyone on any platform, and especially the ones we actually used.
I was actually done with Skype a bit prior to when Microsoft bought it. But Microsoft's purchase really made me wonder about the future of the Linux port, which true to form, seemed to languish in obscurity while Google offered real support.
Is there a chemotherapy treatment for excessively low blood alcohol level?
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Tuesday September 13 2016, @02:53AM
Likewise. It was especially nice when Hangouts chat client could be used with straight XMPP. The client was open then. It's closed now, but still better, and with a higher trust level (for me) than anything related to Microsoft.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Tuesday September 13 2016, @06:59AM
Depends. In terms of continued Linux support, I'd certainly trust Google more than Microsoft. In terms of privacy, until recently I would have trusted Microsoft, although lately they've done a lot to destroy that trust. However I definitely wouldn't trust Google on that.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Informative) by canopic jug on Monday September 12 2016, @07:12PM
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Tuesday September 13 2016, @12:09AM
There's an announcement on the company's Web forum, made by someone with "Staff" written next to his/her alias.
https://community.skype.com/t5/Linux/What-s-New-in-Skype-1-7-for-Linux-Alpha/td-p/4473114 [skype.com]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 12 2016, @08:17PM
"Microsoft has just released a new version of Skype for Linux, once again addressing many of the reported bugs, but also introducing some new bugs that certainly will frustrate those on the platform."
FTFY
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday September 12 2016, @08:43PM
~ $ equo search skype
╠ @@ Searching...
╠ @@ Package: dev-python/skype4py-1.0.35-r1 branch: 5, [sabayon-weekly]
╠ Available: version: 1.0.35-r1 ~ tag: NoTag ~ revision: 3
╠ Installed: version: Not installed ~ tag: n/a ~ revision: n/a
╠ Slot: 0
╠ Homepage: https://github.com/awahlig/skype4py [github.com]
╠ http://pypi.python.org/pypi/Skype4Py/ [python.org]
╠ Description: Python wrapper for the Skype API
╠ License: BSD
╠ @@ Package: media-sound/skype-call-recorder-0.8 branch: 5, [sabayon-weekly]
╠ Available: version: 0.8 ~ tag: NoTag ~ revision: 3
╠ Installed: version: Not installed ~ tag: n/a ~ revision: n/a
╠ Slot: 0
╠ Homepage: http://atdot.ch/scr/ [atdot.ch]
╠ Description: Records Skype calls to MP3/Ogg/WAV
╠ files
╠ License: GPL-2 GPL-3
╠ @@ Package: net-im/skype-4.3.0.37-r5 branch: 5, [sabayon-weekly]
╠ Available: version: 4.3.0.37-r5 ~ tag: NoTag ~ revision: 1
╠ Installed: version: Not installed ~ tag: n/a ~ revision: n/a
╠ Slot: 0
╠ Homepage: http://www.skype.com/ [skype.com]
╠ Description: P2P Internet Telephony (VoiceIP)
╠ client
╠ License: BSD MIT RSA W3C no-source-code regexp-UofT skype-4.0.0.7-copyright
╠ @@ Package: net-im/skypetab-ng-0.5.2 branch: 5, [sabayon-weekly]
╠ Available: version: 0.5.2 ~ tag: NoTag ~ revision: 2
╠ Installed: version: Not installed ~ tag: n/a ~ revision: n/a
╠ Slot: 0
╠ Homepage: http://github.com/kekekeks/skypetab-ng [github.com]
╠ Description: An LD_PRELOAD wrapper that adds
╠ tabs to Skype for Linux
╠ License: LGPL-3
╠ Keywords: skype
╠ Found: 4 entries
I don't use it, you can see that it's not even installed on my system. But, skype is available, and apparently it's not the Microsoft verions. This one is at version 4.3.0 - already three full versions ahead of Microsoft!
Hail to the Nibbler in Chief.
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Monday September 12 2016, @09:17PM
Yup, running Skype 4.3.0.37 here from the official website.
And if you go to skype.com and download the linux client from there, that's the version you'll get.
Sooooo.. is this extremely old news? Is this alpha-specific numbering?
Softpedia has a blog post on 3rd of September about Skype alpha 1.6 for Linux being released... more questions.
Anyone with some answers?
(Score: 3, Informative) by FakeBeldin on Monday September 12 2016, @09:21PM
(sorry, reply to self)
answers [skype.com].
Turns out Skype is developing an Alpha version for linux, which (judging by the link's download-url) is indeed based on web instead of a full skype client.
And yes: "Skype for Linux Alpha" has different version numbering from "Skype for Linux", because.
(website ran out of answers there, sorry).
(Score: 2) by Appalbarry on Monday September 12 2016, @08:52PM
Yeesh. A download link [skype.com] would have been nice.
For those who care,
a) It installed easily on my Mint box
b) As far as I can tell it's audio only, not video
c) The actual UI looks like about 1998
d) There was some confusion because I tried to sign in using my email address (which works if you sign as a Microsoft account holder) rather than my Skype ID, which apparently I do not have even though I had set up a brand new Skype log-in mere minutes earlier.
Aside from all of that, if Skype works in your browser why would you bother?
(Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Monday September 12 2016, @09:08PM
Sometimes, a fat client actually has features that work, and works independently of the browser installed. I could use something that has javascript disabled, for example, and it might still function.
I would rather have a client installed to launch when I need it, than some plug in running constantly in the background.
Of course, Lync (on Windows) is an ugly client to behold as it is, but I like that it is not directly browser dependent. I never saw the Skype metro look but heard it was worse than any other iteration of it.
People were pleased when it would only take 3/4s of the screen and allowed them to, for example, use twitter in the remaining 25%.
I can't imagine how anyone works when an IM client takes 3/4th of the screen. Time to install pidgen or trillian or something in that case..
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Tuesday September 13 2016, @03:58PM
c) The actual UI looks like about 1998
Considering what modern UIs look like, this is a big plus.
I wish we could just go back to UIs from ~2003 and stay there.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Monday September 12 2016, @09:13PM
As Softpedia isn't really a primary news source, here's some info closer to home.
On the Skype download page, at least when using Linux, there is a link to "Find out about early access to Skype for Linux Alpha" [skype.com] (this link requires Skype login). It opens an article dated July 13th. 2016, which I quote from liberally below: