?End of Skype in Ubuntu

[jeffbilling]

Is it possible/likely that in the near future we will no longer be able to use SKYPE in Ubuntu (I am thinking of purchasing a Skype phone number)

[Paqman]

It's possible I suppose, but Skype haven't given us any reason to think so. If you did purchase a number and then Skype dropped support, you'd have every right for a refund for the unused portion of the period you paid for. That's just basic consumer rights.

[Thewhistlingwind]

It's possible.

Depending on who you talk to it's either probable it will be no longer supported, or unlikely support will be dropped.

I don't see microsoft making any efforts to maintain Linux/Ubuntu support in the future.

[Paqman]

I don't see microsoft making any efforts to maintain Linux/Ubuntu support in the future.

I can't really see them bothering to tell Skype to drop it either. It's not like Skype squander a lot of resources on the Linux client. Microsoft are more likely to be keen to see Skype improve the cashflow from all their customers, regardless of what OS they're on. Throwing away users to meet some obscure strategic goal for the benefit of other parts of the Microsoft empire isn't likely to be a popular idea with Skype.

[karlik1230]

I think it is possible but unbelieveble. Why? Just because Skype is brilliant. I does not imagine my life without skype.

[apacketofsweets]

Worst case senario, you use Skype on a Virtual Machine, providing your machine is up to it.

[drawkcab]

I would bet on MS dropping development of Skype's Linux client.

[unknownPoster]

I would bet on MS dropping development of Skype's Linux client.

I would bet on Microsoft continuing development of Skype's Linux client.

[Legendary_Bibo]

I'm willing to bet MS actually maintains the Linux Skype client, and people will stop using it just because MS touched it.

[KiwiNZ]

I dropped Skype quite some time past . Don't like making 1960's quality phone calls.

[Quadunit404]

i'm willing to bet ms actually maintains the linux skype client, and people will stop using it just because ms touched it.

this.

[XubuRoxMySox]

I use it because most of the people I do VOIP with use it instead of the others. I don't care that it's a MS product for cry'n out loud. I won't refuse to play XBOX 360 games just because it's a Microsoft product. Who cares? It's better than PlayStation and Wii.

-Robin

[Spice Weasel]

I use it because most of the people I do VOIP with use it instead of the others. I don't care that it's a MS product for cry'n out loud. I won't refuse to play XBOX 360 games just because it's a Microsoft product. Who cares? It's better than PlayStation and Wii.

-Robin

I agree. Except for the part about games consoles, all of them suck.

(Wait, I agree with dixiedancer? Call the papers, pigs are set to begin flying any moment now!)

[Legendary_Bibo]

I use it because most of the people I do VOIP with use it instead of the others. I don't care that it's a MS product for cry'n out loud. I won't refuse to play XBOX 360 games just because it's a Microsoft product. Who cares? It's better than PlayStation and Wii.

-Robin

Yeah because a console that won't have any new games for the next year outside of multiplatform is a great product.

I don't like using Skype VOIP, just the IM part. I like Google Voice a lot better, and it works straight from my internet browser.

I hope MS makes some improvement to the quality, it'd be nice that when I video chat with family that I could actually hear them.

[disabledaccount]

Skype is not following VoIP standards (this can be confirmed by using ANY alternative VoIP client) - but, it's obvious that they made their own 'standard' and Skype is everywhere. This is disease that already captured mobile phones.
But fortunately I'm invoulnerable, and I can communicate using different ways.

...and to be honest: Ekiga is not ready to compete with Skype neither is GNU project, but I hope it'll change ASAP...

[Quadunit404]

I use it because most of the people I do VOIP with use it instead of the others. I don't care that it's a MS product for cry'n out loud. I won't refuse to play XBOX 360 games just because it's a Microsoft product. Who cares? It's better than PlayStation and Wii.

-Robin

Agreed, except the part about the consoles. I'm indifferent regarding what I game on.

(Hold on, I agreed with dixiedancer? Who am I and what have I done with myself?!)

[Thewhistlingwind]

Skype is not following VoIP standards (this can be confirmed by using ANY alternative VoIP client) - but, it's obvious that they made their own 'standard' and Skype is everywhere. This is disease that already captured mobile phones.
But fortunately I'm invoulnerable, and I can communicate using different ways.

...and to be honest: Ekiga is not ready to compete with Skype neither is GNU project, but I hope it'll change ASAP...

De facto standards DO exist.

It just sucks when a company owns them..........

[Legendary_Bibo]

Skype is not following VoIP standards (this can be confirmed by using ANY alternative VoIP client) - but, it's obvious that they made their own 'standard' and Skype is everywhere. This is disease that already captured mobile phones.
But fortunately I'm invoulnerable, and I can communicate using different ways.

...and to be honest: Ekiga is not ready to compete with Skype neither is GNU project, but I hope it'll change ASAP...

Sources?

[oldsoundguy]

It has already happened. Skype will not work in FireFox 5.x, for instance. There has not been an update of the Skype driver for Linux in nearly 3 years and that one is still a BETA. Linux has moved on, Skype has not.

[disabledaccount]

well ...I've thought It's not a secret, but it seems that peoples think that Skype=VoIP, which is just not true. Skype is using P2P-like protocol, what means that every active Skype client works/can work as a 'server'.

[Spice Weasel]

It has already happened. Skype will not work in FireFox 5.x, for instance. There has not been an update of the Skype driver for Linux in nearly 3 years and that one is still a BETA. Linux has moved on, Skype has not.

... Skype driver? Skype in Firefox? What is this?

[cgroza]

There has not been an update of the Skype driver for Linux in nearly 3 years and that one is still a BETA. Linux has moved on, Skype has not.

There has been an update to Skype this June, 2011: http://blogs.skype.com/garage/linux/

[Thewhistlingwind]

... Skype driver? Skype in Firefox? What is this?

Your computer didn't come with dedicated skype hardware? What is this 2012?

[jeffbilling]

Thanks for all the replies. The consensus seems to be 'That Skype will be around for the foreseeable future'.
One more question "Can you use any other VOIP(or P2P) to communicate with a Skype user?":confused:

[jerenept]

T
One more question "Can you use any other VOIP(or P2P) to communicate with a Skype user?":confused:

No. They use AES encryption, with a random key selection. Not breakable. Ever.

[beew]

Thanks for all the replies. The consensus seems to be 'That Skype will be around for the foreseeable future'.
One more question "Can you use any other VOIP(or P2P) to communicate with a Skype user?":confused:

No. But I have been trying to get my contacts to use other cross platform alternatives along side Skype just in case MS drops support and so far the responses have been good. I think as long as the alternative is easy to install or doesn't need installation (web base) it wouldn't be too difficult to sell.

[DangerOnTheRanger]

I'm willing to bet MS actually maintains the Linux Skype client, and people will stop using it just because MS touched it.

There is reason to fear - see that article on Slashdot about MS patenting a method to listen in on VoIP calls right after they bought Skype?

[oldsoundguy]

... Skype driver? Skype in Firefox? What is this?

Not been able to get Skype to work on Linux ... EVER. Using high end Logitech cameras (tried several models) They work fine in every other Linux programs (Cheese, etc). Sound tests fine and so does the display. Skype .. NOPE!! (using same settings on an old XP Windows box I have for Adobe programs, it goes on line immediately .. so something is amiss with Skype.. so I quit using it. Not worth the hassle.)

[jeffbilling]

There is a link explaining how to use Logitech webcams and it works perfectly with my logitech Orbital
This is the script and you just run it.

#!/bin/sh
export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
skype &

also see : http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=993262

[oldsoundguy]

There is a link explaining how to use Logitech webcams and it works perfectly with my logitech Orbital
This is the script and you just run it.

#!/bin/sh
export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
skype &

also see : http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=993262

been there and done that .. still does not work .. refuses to call out. Camera checks out as does the audio. As I said, not worth any more of my time.

[unknownPoster]

There is reason to fear - see that article on Slashdot about MS patenting a method to listen in on VoIP calls right after they bought Skype?

And yet we live under the Patriot Act in the US.

If you think you're important enough to be listened in on you'll either know how to avoid it OR you're actually not important enough to be listened in on and you just have a huge ego.

[ScionicSpectre]

The likelihood of being listened in on shouldn't change your level of acceptance for tapping. It's the principle of the thing.

For the record, I have no compelling reason to think Microsoft would put effort into making Skype incompatible with Linux, as it's built on Qt. The worst they would do is to just stop distributing new versions of Skype- I think they're too lazy to make newer versions incompatible with older versions.

I know a lot of paying Linux customers, also, so I don't think it would be financially wise for them to discontinue support. Microsoft also has a history of collaborative efforts with the open community (although many of those could be said to be efforts to embrace, extend, and extinguish).

I hope XMPP and SIP find a mainstream use that people can gather around, since this communication difficulty is getting old. Open standards on the web- why not open standards in communication? It seems logical, but a lot of the mainstream Linux users I know just use Skype, anyway (they don't have an alternative their friends will accept on other platforms). Google's video chat is all I can think of, and that has its own problems.

[Joentokyo]

I hope XMPP and SIP find a mainstream use that people can gather around, since this communication difficulty is getting old. Open standards on the web- why not open standards in communication? It seems logical, but a lot of the mainstream Linux users I know just use Skype, anyway (they don't have an alternative their friends will accept on other platforms). Google's video chat is all I can think of, and that has its own problems.[/QUOTE]

I agree completely with this comment. I only use Skype because none of my family can be bothered to try any other VOIP. Most of them won't even use Skype as easy as it is to use. I just wish someone could come up with an open source alternative because Microsoft will surely screw it up.

[galacticaboy]

Microsoft has already released a statement saying that they will not stop support for Skype in Linux, they said that a lot of their users are using Skype on Linux and they will keep up the support. Even if they do stop there are other alternatives such as Ekiga, GNU Telephony, and Google Talk.

Ekiga is actually pretty good, really the only downfall is that you cannot call Skype users unless you actually pay to call over the "Phone Network", but you cannot make PC to PC calls to Skype users, only users who are using a VoIP program that supports SIP addresses.