New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

diffycat · 2014-06-21 07:45:45

headkase wrote:

One of the larger changes is that ALSA is no longer supported and users are instead directed to use Pulse Audio.

It will just require 'libpulse' as a dependency or running 'pulseaudio'?

headkase · 2014-06-21 12:03:57

diffycat wrote:

headkase wrote:
One of the larger changes is that ALSA is no longer supported and users are instead directed to use Pulse Audio.
It will just require 'libpulse' as a dependency or running 'pulseaudio'?

I'm not sure, here's what the link says:

This version dropped support for direct Alsa support; please install PulseAudio 4.0 or greater for the best calling experience.

student975 · 2014-06-21 13:19:10

Heh.. In parallel: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=183166

Sudowoodo · 2014-06-21 17:11:44

It's in the repos now, I just upgraded it.
Oh, the difference.
Has anyone tried Tox?

headkase · 2014-06-21 17:15:43

Sudowoodo wrote:

Oh, the difference.

I sense a bit of sarcasm. I've upgraded too, bit of a UI change - menus now - but otherwise much the same for the user facing components at least.

headkase · 2014-06-21 17:35:46

See: Here.

There is a mandatory upgrade to continue using Skype for Windows and Mac. Linux isn't mentioned in that article but if those older versions are being discontinued then that leaves speculation open that either the protocol or codecs have changed.

Sudowoodo · 2014-06-21 19:01:46

headkase wrote:

that leaves speculation open that either the protocol or codecs have changed.

...Or that the backdoor has changed.
I wish I could just

sudo pacman -Rsn skype

headkase · 2014-06-21 19:21:33

Sudowoodo wrote:

Or that the backdoor has changed.

You aren't even: Wrong. It is a legal requirement in the USA to have a law enforcement back-door in many things, including VOIP. Microsoft and Skype are in the USA so it follows from there that Skype likely has a back-door.

Edit: not necessarily the Skype program but at least the Skype network.

Last edited by headkase (2014-06-21 19:24:36)

clfarron4 · 2014-06-21 19:26:13

headkase wrote:

You aren't even: Wrong.

There's goes any hope I had of anything like Skype not having any backdoors.

Sudowoodo · 2014-06-21 20:14:16

clfarron4 wrote:

headkase wrote:
You aren't even: Wrong.
There's goes any hope I had of anything like Skype not having any backdoors.

Install Skype Secure from the AUR, it works like skype-restricted (which in turn works like this), "but wraps around already installed skype binary". This way you don't have to wait when a new version is out, too.

capoeira · 2014-06-21 23:17:15

so is there any way to use skype without pulse now? I use jack since i work with audio production, and pulse isn't realy an atractive option for me

headkase · 2014-06-22 01:16:01

Sudowoodo wrote:

clfarron4 wrote:
headkase wrote:
You aren't even: Wrong.
There's goes any hope I had of anything like Skype not having any backdoors.
Install Skype Secure from the AUR, it works like skype-restricted (which in turn works like this), "but wraps around already installed skype binary". This way you don't have to wait when a new version is out, too.

That would just keep it from looking around your own system. I suspect that wire-tapping is done in the protocol itself, when it leaves your computer through the normal network connection. If it is (likely) back-door'd. Hacking your computer isn't legal, I think, but monitoring what comes and goes through Skype is covered in the original given link.

Sudowoodo · 2014-06-22 08:09:48

headkase wrote:

That would just keep it from looking around your own system. I suspect that wire-tapping is done in the protocol itself, when it leaves your computer through the normal network connection. If it is (likely) back-door'd. Hacking your computer isn't legal, I think, but monitoring what comes and goes through Skype is covered in the original given link.

Better safe than sorry.

stupidus · 2014-06-22 10:39:04

This Skype Secure seems to me like a way to kind of work around the pulseaudio requirement. My idea was to disable pulseaudio for my normal user (or the whole system for that matter), and then only let it be started for the _skype user. This way, I could continue using alsa, and pulseaudio would only be started if I start skype and stop again once I am finished with skype.

But I still see 2 problems with this.
1. How do I disable pulseaudio from automatically start at boot and when I login?
2. How can I be sure, that my normal user does not use pulseaudio even when skype (and therefore pulseaudio) is running?

Does anyone have ideas how to do this? I guess this is part of the solution, but I am still not sure about the rest.

smirky · 2014-06-22 10:58:20

pacman -Syyu --ignore skype

This is my solution and I think it won't be replaced in the near future (sadly)...

Sudowoodo · 2014-06-22 11:28:48

smirky wrote:

pacman -Syyu --ignore skype
This is my solution and I think it won't be replaced in the near future (sadly)...

headkase wrote:

See: Here.

I don't think this will work forever. A future update might be forced for skype on Linux, too.

smirky · 2014-06-22 11:32:17

They can't force the Linux users to reconfigure their sound systems just because they feel like it... I'll stick with the ignore option and if such a day comes, it's -Rsn for me!

stupidus · 2014-06-22 12:49:44

I managed to get my workaround from above to work. I configured pulseaudio with dmix according to the wiki. Then I removed the pulseaudio files in /etc/xdg/autostart. After that I copied /etc/pulse/client.conf to ~/.config/pulse/ and set autospawn to no. This prevents pulseaudio to be started for my normal user. But when I run skype secure, pulseaudio is automatically started for the user _skype and stops automatically once I close skype.

ecognito · 2014-06-23 01:41:06

I wonder if it would be possible to package pulseaudio and skype into a docker container to isolate the impact from the rest of your system...

clfarron4 · 2014-06-23 21:25:15

In case anyone's that determined, mid-kid's packaged Skype 4.2 in the AUR: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/skype42/

Last edited by clfarron4 (2014-06-23 21:25:27)

Sudowoodo · 2014-06-24 16:09:09

Version 4.3.0.37-2 is now in the repos.
EDIT: Now 4.3.0.37-3 is in the repos.

Last edited by Sudowoodo (2014-06-24 20:51:47)

karolis · 2014-06-25 20:59:46

anyone else having this bug after 4.3.0.37-3 upgrade?
Skype doesn't show any errors, downgrade doesn't help. Any ideas what other package(s) might be causing this?

firekage · 2014-06-26 10:35:34

stupidus wrote:

I managed to get my workaround from above to work. I configured pulseaudio with dmix according to the wiki. Then I removed the pulseaudio files in /etc/xdg/autostart. After that I copied /etc/pulse/client.conf to ~/.config/pulse/ and set autospawn to no. This prevents pulseaudio to be started for my normal user. But when I run skype secure, pulseaudio is automatically started for the user _skype and stops automatically once I close skype.

Could you give us link for this? Would like to try it. I updated arch, saw that Skype is 4.3 and didn't have sound, so i reverted to 4.2 where i had sound and have it.

stupidus · 2014-06-27 15:13:38

There is no link. It's all in this thread.

Here's the summary:

1. Install skype-secure from AUR

2. Install pulseaudio

3. Setup pulseaudio to use dmix, as explained here

4. remove any pulseaudio files from /etc/xdg/autostart

5. copy /etc/pulse/client.conf to ~/.config/pulse/ for all your normal users, uncomment the autospawn line in these files and set it to no

6. optionally reboot your system to be sure

If you follow these steps, you should still be using alsa for your normal user, but use pulseaudio for skype.

But if you did not have sound at all with skype, you might have some other problem with your sound setup. For me there were no problems, because I have a very simple setup with only one sound card, and only the builtin speakers and microphone of my laptop.

firekage · 2014-06-28 11:56:00

Thank you.

BTW - i wonder, if i install it from aur, and then in repos there will be newer Skype, would i have to update skype-secure, or reinstall it?

Arch Linux

#26 2014-06-21 07:45:45

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#27 2014-06-21 12:03:57

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#28 2014-06-21 13:19:10

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#29 2014-06-21 17:11:44

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#30 2014-06-21 17:15:43

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#31 2014-06-21 17:35:46

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#32 2014-06-21 19:01:46

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#33 2014-06-21 19:21:33

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#34 2014-06-21 19:26:13

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#35 2014-06-21 20:14:16

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#36 2014-06-21 23:17:15

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#37 2014-06-22 01:16:01

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#38 2014-06-22 08:09:48

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#39 2014-06-22 10:39:04

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#40 2014-06-22 10:58:20

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#41 2014-06-22 11:28:48

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#42 2014-06-22 11:32:17

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#43 2014-06-22 12:49:44

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#44 2014-06-23 01:41:06

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#45 2014-06-23 21:25:15

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#46 2014-06-24 16:09:09

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#47 2014-06-25 20:59:46

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#48 2014-06-26 10:35:34

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#49 2014-06-27 15:13:38

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

#50 2014-06-28 11:56:00

Re: New Skype for Linux released, version 4.3 | Edit: Now in Repo's

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