Microsoft Finally Releases New Skype App For Linux (skype.com)

Four months after Linux users complained about issues with Skype app -- an update in March apparently broke the instant message and video calling app -- Microsoft announced a few minutes ago the launch of the Alpha version of a new Skype app for Linux, a move that "reaffirms the company's commitment to the Linux community." The blog post adds that there will be a two-hour Q&A session todat at 7AM PDT between Linux users and engineering team to welcome the new app. The alpha version uses the "latest, fastest and most responsive Skype UI." The company also says that users on Skype for Linux 4.3.37 will no longer be able to use the app to make or receive any calls -- so you really need to use this new app. In the blog post, Microsoft also adds that anyone with a Chromebook and Chrome for Linux can now visit web.skype.com to make one-to-one and group voice calls on top of text messaging feature. It is also an alpha version of Skype -- and is built on top of WebRTC standard.

Comments

lacks sensible security

[Anonymous Coward]

And yet, the skype password is stored in plaintext in a sqlite file on Linux.

Re:lacks sensible security

[Anonymous Coward]

So what?
If you use pidgin, then all passwords are stored in plaintext as well.

Don't use Skype!

[LichtSpektren]

Microsoft does not protect their user's data, and Skype itself is a security and privacy nightmare: https://www.eff.org/node/82654 (N.B. the EFF is going to update this score card soon, but it's still right about Skype; see here: https://www.eff.org/mention/ns...)

Requirements

[arth1]

Unfortunately, they built it on a fairly new OS, making it impossible to run on many still supported (and systemd free) distros, despite there being nothing that's really needed that only the newer distros provide.

Error: Package: skypeforlinux-1.1.0.21-1.x86_64 (/skypeforlinux-64-alpha)
                      Requires: libstdc++.so.6(GLIBCXX_3.4.15)(64bit)
Error: Package: skypeforlinux-1.1.0.21-1.x86_64 (/skypeforlinux-64-alpha)
                      Requires: libstdc++.so.6(CXXABI_1.3.5)(64bit)

Hell No...

[LVSlushdat]

Sorry, everybody I used to Skype with, we now use Line.. Works everywhere we need.. I used to support/use MS products, but after I retired in 2010, all of my personal systems moved to 100% Linux, no dualboots.. After seeing what a "turd-in-the-punchbowl" Windows 10 is, NOTHING MS is gonna touch my computers/network. Yeah.. I know, big deal.. But its a big deal to me.. MS has gone off the rails...