Microsoft Finally Releases A Beta Version of Skype For Linux (betanews.com)

"We want to create a Linux version of Skype that is as feature rich as the existing Skype on desktop and mobile platforms," read Thursday's announcement from Microsoft's Skype team. "Today, we're pleased to announce that we are ready to take the next step and promote Skype for Linux from Alpha to Beta." They're promising more than just better performance and bug fixes. "We have been listening to you and added in some of your top requests." Slashdot reader BrianFagioli shares the list:

• One-to-one video calls can be made from Linux to Skype users on the latest versions of Skype for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac.
• Calls to mobiles and landlines with Skype credit.
• Linux users can now view shared screens from other Skype desktop clients (Windows 7.33 and above, Mac 7.46 and above).
• Unity launcher now shows the number of unread conversations.
• Online contacts in contact list now include Away and Do Not Disturb statuses.

Comments

no group chat?

[gmack]

No group chat for Linux? This is actually a step backwards.

Re:no group chat?

[Z00L00K]

I no longer care about Skype, it has had its peak.

Once it was good, but now it's bloated and not much resemblance to what it once was aside from the name.

Re:no group chat?

[Billly Gates]

Except it's universal as email for group meetings and job interviews

Re:no group chat?

[Frosty Piss]

Except it's universal as email for group meetings and job interviews

What are these "job interviews" and "group meetings" you speak of? I live in my mom's basement, all I have to do is text her when I'm ready to eat.

No text search

[kav2k]

Even though text messaging isn't the main feature of Skype, still not having any ability to search for text in conversation is crippling.

Re:Escape from Skype!

[fluffernutter]

You need a new mac with touchstrip, I never seem to be able to hit the ESC key.

Skype is a surveillance tool - Don't use it

[Nocturrne]

Why are people still using this? It's been known to be compromised by the US and Chinese governments for a long time. China even has their own "special" version ffs. https://www.amnesty.org.au/act... http://www.nartv.org/mirror/br... Maybe they realized some people they disagree with are using Linux, so they needed to make a Linux version to gather that additional intel.

Re:As the old adage says

[PolygamousRanchKid]

The new adage says, "Beware of lending money to Greeks!"

But anyway, I think you are spot on. FTF Announcement: "we have been focused on building a new experience that is in line with Skype’s ongoing transition from peer-to-peer to a modern cloud architecture".

In other words, they want to drag you kicking and screaming into their cloud architecture. Oh, and say, "Hello!", to Microsoft Windows 10 Telemetry Spyware on Linux.

You are the Fish, Microsoft is the Fisher, and Skype on Linux is the worm on the hook.

Thanks but NO Thanks!

[Jerry]

Why should I install Skype (one poster called it spyke) and allow MS to use "Legal Intercept" to spy on my communications, or give that privilege to some gov agent?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/e...

It was bad enough when Skype's previous owners burgled Linux users CPU and bandwidth to act as P2P for others communications and left daemons remaining in memory after Skype was shut down! Were they spying too? MS changed the P2P feature to a Linux server farm on which they installed their patented "Legal Intercept" software. If you use Skype you might as well open your Window and shout to the outside while you talk.

I've moved on to other PRIVATE means of communication. One nice one that works well on my KDE Neon User Edition OS is "Wire".

Re:As the old adage says

[ruir]

They are not deceiving anyone....It is just MS being MS.
Government bitch, turning Unix more unstable, creating problems of compatibilities where there is none, binaries or interfaces that never mesh well with the native OS.
It is neither in their best interest it works as well as Windows, nor has not ever been their policy supporting continuity of business.
Those who drink the kool aid may think otherwise...

They've been listening...

[nowsharing]

"We have been listening to you"

In fact, we've heard everything you've said.

Seriously, who uses Skype these days?

[yelvington]

Skype was a big deal back in the day. I can remember holding my laptop up to a window in Paris to steal an unsecured wifi signal and phone home. Wowza! But that was ten years ago. I have dozens of VoIP and video conferencing choices. The world has moved on and Microsoft is the backwater, not the mainstream.

I spent a week in Ukraine a few months ago and wound up on a three-hour conference call with work back in the US, using Google Voice. (Whether that's progress or not is open to debate.) But I was not concerned about losing the 10-euro credit on my Skype account when I got an expiration notice from the Borg.

Like the VHS tapes I just hauled off to Goodwill ... I just don't need it any more.

Skype for arm.

[DrYak]

Well, this one is not only "64-bit" only, it is specifically amd64 only. No arm64, no siree. And I'm typing these words on an armhf laptop.

Remember that Skype *also has* a web client.
(And the latest Skype for Linux was basically that skype web-app warped together in a single-package together with google blink and a few key plugins).

Note: For Audio/Video calls, the web relies on ORTP, Microsoft's own Not-Invented-Here incompatible copy of WebRTC.

On the positive side, the JSON/XML protocol use by the Skype Web client has been successfully implemented as a Pidgin pluging by Eion Robb ("skypeweb").
Currently chat works (including group charts).
Last time I've check, the developer had also being to look for supporting audio/video calls through the same interface as the skype web app.

Circumventing

[DrYak]

2 key things :

- Skype has also a web interface. You can either run into your firefox browser (thus no local daemons). Or use Eion Robb's excellent "skypeweb" plugin for Pidgin / libPurple.
(And last time I've read about it, this official new Linux client is basically the web app in its own self-contained app)

- OTR is a message encryption that works over any protocol. It's completely agnostic to the messaging system underneath.
If you want to avoid your privacy exploded, you could try to use it (but if both of your use non standard client able to run OTR atop of it, you might better switch to another network).