Howto install Skype 2.1 beta in Ubuntu

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Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. Calls to other users of the service and, in some countries, to free-of-charge numbers are free, while calls to other landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing.

Note:- This is still in beta version and not recommended to install in production systems

What's new in this release:

* Skype's SILK codec for outstanding quality with negligible bandwidth usage,

* HQ video support,

* PulseAudio support,

* SMS send support (*Sending SMS requires available Skype Credit),

* Contact groups,

* Contact labels, or tags, for easier contact organization,

* Chat window improvements (typing notification, message editing, s/geeky text/replacement/, new emoticons),

* Nicer contact list with mood messages and video capability icons,

* Nicer tray icon.

More detailed release notes can be found from here

Install Skype 2.1 beta in Ubuntu

First you need to remove the existing version of skype using the following command

sudo apt-get autoremove skype skype-common

Now you need to download .deb package from here and install the downloaded package using the following command

sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb

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32 Responses

  1. Guy says:

    Any idea why this is only available for Intrepid? Or does it work in Jaunty anyway do you know?
    TIA

  2. admin says:

    Intrepid package should work in jaunty

  3. I’ve tried it in karmic. Skype 2.1 beta loads, but crashes with a pulseaudio error when making a test call. I went to change sound options to ALSA, but the only available option was Pulse.

  4. Mark_in_Hollywood says:

    Can you help me, please?

    mark@Lexington-19:~/Downloads$ ls
    skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb
    mark@Lexington-19:~/Downloads$ sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb
    Selecting previously deselected package skype.
    (Reading database … 193033 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking skype (from skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb) …
    dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of skype:
    skype depends on libqt4-dbus (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqt4-dbus is not installed.
    skype depends on libqt4-network (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqt4-network is not installed.
    skype depends on libqtcore4 (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqtcore4 is not installed.
    skype depends on libqtgui4 (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqtgui4 is not installed.
    dpkg: error processing skype (–install):
    dependency problems – leaving unconfigured
    Errors were encountered while processing:
    skype

  5. Dman says:

    Hey Mark, type the following removing the quotes, “sudo apt-get install libqt4-dbus libqt4-network libqtcore4 libqtgui4”

    Then try installing the deb package.

  6. Dman says:

    Oh yeah type that in a terminal.

  7. Vancouverite says:

    Mark_in_Hollywood,
    The package does not have all of its dependencies installed. You can “fix” packages that are missing dependencies using:

    sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -f upgrade

    -Van

  8. Matt Hartley says:

    Sounds like some mixing up on the repositories, but this ought to help you out nonetheless.

    http://packages.ubuntu.com/

    Use the search, then when you select the right version of your Ubuntu install, scroll down to the bottom of each page for the direct download link.

  9. Yves14 says:

    I installed Skype 2.1 beta on my Jaunty system and fell back on the non-working video I had encountered on Intrepid some time ago.
    More, for some reason it jammed my Firefox (3.5.1)

    I find it safer to remain with Skype 2.0 static-OSS for the time being. And maybe install 2.1 after the coming of Karmic Koala Ubuntu.

  10. Zoltan says:

    I installed Skype 2.1 on my Intrepid (8.10) and my Logitech Quickcam Fusion (046d:08c1) stopped working: no video, no sound input.
    I went back to 2.0.0.72, it works just fine.

  11. Mark_in_Hollywood says:

    Strange to say, a few minutes after the “failed dependencies” message, the “Update Manager” re-installed the packages previously removed. So, thanks, all & CASE CLOSED.

  12. Matt Hartley says:

    Yves14: Assuming you are using 32bit Ubuntu.

    Drag off a Skype icon to your desktop, goto properties then under command enter this.

    V4L1 webcam use this – all one line:

    bash -c ‘export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype’

    V4L2 webcam use this – all one line:

    bash -c ‘export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so; skype’

    My Logitech STX communicate stopped working with the latest release, using the V4L2 version above got me going straight away. 😉

  13. Matt Hartley says:

    Here is how to get audio working with the latest PulseAudio supported release.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORxV_n1gHfU

  14. Brad says:

    Thanks for the info on the webcam, Matt! Very helpful. For anyone who wants to use those commands, though: note that the quotation marks on this page have to be manually changed to regular double-quotes.

  15. David Salinas Cortés says:

    I was waiting for this. Thanks, it worked perfectly!

  16. Claudia says:

    Thank you sooo much Matt!

  17. Matt Hartley says:

    Happy to help, all. 🙂

  18. Matt B. says:

    My webcam, Logitech Quickcam for Notebooks, is detected and video works, but the mic in it is not. The only option under sound devices is “Pulseaudio server (local).” Didn’t have this problem under 2.0.0.72 (but had other problems). Anyone have any ideas?

  19. Matt Hartley says:

    First install padevchooser – set it to run in Sessions using the command in the box as padevchooser.

    Then watch my video closely, it shows you exactly what to do.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORxV_n1gHfU

  20. Mitch Z says:

    Please note: I believe above syntax should be:

    bash -c “export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so; skype”

    There is a semicolon after v4l1compat.so and the quotation marks are a normal double quote mark

  21. Dutch Treat says:

    Can anybody confirm if Skype beta 2.1 will function in Ubuntu Karmic 9.10 ?

    (I do need the SMS function)

  22. pg says:

    Yes, it works.

  23. Jana Richterová says:

    can you help me pleas? I would like to install skype.

    jana@doma:~/Downloads$ sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb
    Selecting previously deselected package skype.
    (Reading database … 104843 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking skype (from skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb) …
    dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of skype:
    skype depends on libqt4-dbus (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqt4-dbus is not installed.
    skype depends on libqt4-network (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqt4-network is not installed.
    skype depends on libqtcore4 (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqtcore4 is not installed.
    skype depends on libqtgui4 (>= 4.4.3); however:
    Package libqtgui4 is not installed.
    dpkg: error processing skype (–install):
    dependency problems – leaving unconfigured
    Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils …
    Errors were encountered while processing:
    skype
    jana@doma:~/Downloads$ sudo apt-get install libqt4-dbus libqt4-network libqtcore4 libqtgui4
    Reading package lists… Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information… Done
    Package libqt4-dbus is not available, but is referred to by another package.
    This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
    is only available from another source
    E: Package libqt4-dbus has no installation candidate
    jana@doma:~/Downloads$ sudo apt-get install -f
    Reading package lists… Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information… Done
    Correcting dependencies… Done
    The following packages will be REMOVED:
    skype
    0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
    1 not fully installed or removed.
    After this operation, 25.7MB disk space will be freed.
    Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
    (Reading database … 104977 files and directories currently installed.)
    Removing skype …
    Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils …

  24. admin says:

    @try to run the following command from terminal

    sudo apt-get -f install

  25. Viktor says:

    HELP PLEASE!

    Hi.
    I have a problem with skype after 2-3 days of use.
    I’m a newbie to Linux I have the latest Ubuntu 9.10, and installed skype 2.1 beta.
    My log in screen and all the letters have been changed to a weird forms. In the settings menu, i think i’m in the right place and try to change the language, but only got the weird signs. The links are the screen shots from the weird thing, that i cant change.

    http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd245/UNP-Ludaaa/SSfromSkypeLanguage2.jpg

    http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd245/UNP-Ludaaa/SSfromSkypeLanguage.jpg

  26. Sb says:

    Don’t install the antiquated client found on skype.com. If you install Skype from medibuntu.org, everything should go without a hitch.

    At least it did for me.

  27. Dzekas says:

    Instead of doing ‘dpkg -i’ stuff you could just open downloaded deb package. Ubuntu will launch gui installer, which installs dependencies too.

  28. Jelena says:

    Please, help me. Can’t unpack the deb. package for Skype 2.1 beta. I’m using Karmic. (It works fine on my friend’s computer).
    jelena@jelena-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb
    dpkg: error processing skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb (–install):
    cannot access archive: No such file or directory
    Errors were encountered while processing:
    skype-ubuntu-intrepid_2.1.0.47-1_i386.deb

  29. Kayla says:

    I am using Ubuntu 9.10. I am running it off of a jump drive. I am having trouble getting the package installer for Skype to open. I downloaded it from skype’s website and I have a 32 bit. After I downloaded it, I clicked it and this comes up:
    Software index is broken
    This is a major failure of your software management system. Please check for broken packages with synaptic, check the file permissions and correctness of the file ‘/etc/apt/sources.list’ and reload the software information with: ‘sudo apt-get update’ and ‘sudo apt-get install -f’.

    Help would be very much needed. Thanks.

  30. Sticky says:

    It is also important to update your system in the update manager before unpacking Skype 2.1 Beta whatever bit you’re using. I too encountered errors when I tried to unpack it the first time. It is also possible that there errors in downloading the file so I downloaded another copy. Those were the two things that I did and I successfully installed it. I hope this helps.

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