How to install Skype and run set-up in Ubuntu

[wolfman]

Raspberry Pi users please check link below at the foot of this page!.

To install Skype, use "Welcome" > Software Boutique > Internet > Install (Skype):

Once installed, you will find Skype under: Applications > Internet > Skype, right click the icon and then Add to panel or desktop (or both!) and then click on your icon to start Skype.

Now add your Skype login details per the instructions in the window:

If you don't want to keep adding your password each time you start Skype, click on the box bottom right where it states "Sign me in when Skype starts" before you add any details!:

Now click on Skype in the top left corner and on "Options":

The settings menu will open and you can set it the way you want it!:

What is important here is the "Sound Devices" settings, I recommend you don't allow Skype control of the sound settings but that is a personal choice, you can run Skype and play around with the settings to suit your needs, what is important is not to have the microphone slider up too high as that can cause distortion, do a "test call" and adjust the microphone settings to suit your webcam:

Make a test sound and then make a test call but first open "Sound Preferences > Input" and make sure your device is marked and that the slider for the microphone is set to your liking:

When you make a test call, the bog standard window will open and you will get a short welcome message, speak for 15 seconds or so and listen to how your voice playback sounds, if it is garbled/incoherent, adjust the microphone to a lower or higher level!:

Now go to Video Devices and check that your camera is working and set the ticks in the boxes the way you want them (My camera is working I just blanked it off as I don't want my ugly mug all over the web! ):

My Skype webcam is upside down!.

Should your camera be upside which can happen on older (mostly built-in) webcams, follow the next few steps to resolve this issue:

To get it to work for 32 Bit (hopefully all) Ubuntu versions. (Works for 64 Bit if the i32 packages are installed)

Press Alt + F2 and type "gksudo caja" ("gksudo nautilus" for normal Ubuntu) and enter your password.

Now follow this path: File System > Usr > Share > Applications and find the "skype" icon, right click it > Properties and paste the following command over the existing command, click on close and restart your PC done!. (Make a backup copy of the existing command for that just-in-case scenario!)

sh -c 'LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype'

or you can try:

bash -c 'LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype'

To install i32 libs:

sudo apt-get install libv4l-0:i386

THIS COMMAND ALSO SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF WHEN YOU OPEN AND CLOSE SKYPE MORE THAN ONCE AND THE SKYPE WINDOW ONLY FLASHES ON THE DESKTOP AND THEN DISAPPEARS!. (Happened on a friends Ubuntu Mate 15.10. 32 Bit version after installing a Logitech C120 Webcam and although the webcam was working fine, it (Skype) would just crash!).

Obviously the rest of the Skype options are up to you, I hope this helps you and "Happy Skyping".

You can also download the deb package direct from their website: http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-linux/ and install it using "Gdebi")

Raspberry Pi users please check here:

https://eltechs.com/product/exagear-desktop/

[alpinejohn]

New Skype for Linux

Hallo

It seems that Redmond has released a new Skype client for linux.

Link to news report (theregister.co.uk).

I imagine it will of course take a while before it’s included in the repositories (assuming it has no W10 “features” such as key-loggers etc.). Link to “W10 key logger” information.

This post is not an endorsement of this new version of Skype - it’s just to let you know what’s happening.

[wolfman]

Thanks Ap,

I saw that a few days ago but I think leaving things the way they are is better as we know that Skype for Ubuntu from their own repositories works fine!.

[Fer94]

Can someone help me? I have tried to install Skype but I haven’t could
At the end of this you can see (It has not been possible to locate the package skype)
I already have activated the canonical partners repositories and also I have tried install it downloading the package from the official websites and it does not work either

fernando@Jarvis:~$ sudo apt-get install skype
[sudo] contraseña para fernando:
Leyendo lista de paquetes… Hecho
Creando árbol de dependencias
Leyendo la información de estado… Hecho
E: No se ha podido localizar el paquete skype
fernando@Jarvis:~$

[wolfman]

Hi Fer94,

use "Welcome" > Software > Internet > Skype and click the install button, it is no longer in the normal Ubuntu repo anymore!:

I hope it helps.

Edit: I have changed the thread to reflect the new requirements for installing Skype in Ubuntu Mate!.

[Fer94]

I’m not quite sure because I’ve already looked for it in the software
boutique and isn’t there and I read that there isn’t skype for 32 bits
architecture, is that true?

[wolfman]

That is correct, there is no longer 32 Bit support for Skype in Linux!.

What computer do you have? (make & model), it may be possible that you have a 64 Bit PC but you installed a 32 Bit version of Ubuntu Mate?.

[Fer94]

You were right my computer is compatible with 64 bits version of Ubuntu
Mate, I already installed it and is working perfectly and I don’t have
problem to download Skype, It’s in the boutique as you said. Thank you very
much!