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Vendor:

skype.com

License:

non-free
(copyright.txt)

X-(

quality:

Version reviewed: 4.2.0.11-1

Download

unsigned .deb

X-(

Source:

not-available

X-(

Lintian:

minor errors

(./)

Control scripts

none

(./)

Languages:

es pl zh_t ja no pt_br fr cs ro lv lt pt_pt et ko bg uk ru en zh_s th de it tr

(./)

Architectures:

i386, amd64

-

Legend: (./) = Pass ; X-( = Bad

Skype is a non-free (proprietary) software. It's also closed source, owned by a corporation, and not supported by Debian. Have you considered using a free and open source alternative, which is community-owned and supported by Debian, such as the VoIP ekiga , linphone , or jitsi ?

Installing Skype

Skype is available for amd64 and i386 architectures and Debian 5 or later. Generally, latest packages can be found at the Skype website.

<!> Note that there are currently no repositories which hold the latest version (4.x). You will have to re-download the package from the website each time there is an update. Since apt-get cannot inform you of updates, you might want to enable "[x] Check for update on startup" in the ‘Advanced’ tab of the options menu in Skype.

Debian 7 "Wheezy"

32 bits / i386

The i386 package works well with a standard i386 Debian 7 system. To install, type in the following commands in Terminal:

# wget -O skype-install.deb http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-deb
# dpkg -i skype-install.deb

If needed, to fix missing dependencies you might want to use:

# apt-get -f install

64 bits / amd64

Notes

  • The following instructions are working with both Debian 7.4 and 7.5. If not working please open a ticket with Skype forum.

  • From Wheezy onwards, Debian supports Multi-Arch. The Skype packages for i386 works well with Multi-Arch.

First, you will have to enable Multi-Arch, to do so type in the following commands in ROOT Terminal:

# dpkg --add-architecture i386
# apt-get update

Then, download the i386 package as above and install:

# wget -O skype-install.deb http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-deb
# dpkg -i skype-install.deb

If needed, to fix missing dependencies you might want to use:

# apt-get -f install

Quite a few i386 packages will be installed.

Done, Skype is installed. Enjoy.

Notes

Frequently Ask Questions (F.A.Q.) for 64 bits

Question: Skype does not start when I click the Skype Launcher? Same thing using Terminal, it returns "symbol lookup error"

Answer: Using Terminal type in the following command to start Skype

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/ /usr/bin/skype

Notes

skype: symbol lookup error: skype: undefined symbol:


Question: Not able to install libqtwebkit4:i386 ?

Answer: If apt-get is not able to install libqtwebkit4:i386 as dependency, try with aptitude (If you know what are you doing)

As you probably want the version skype-debian_2.2.0.35-1_amd64.deb ( as newer versions have problems associated with pulseaudio ) One can edit the deb package to fix the dependencies for wheezy - The control file should have:

Depends: libstdc++6 (>= 4.1.1-21), libasound2 (>> 1.0.14), libc6 (>= 2.13-1), libgcc1 (>= 1:4.1.1-21)


Question: Sound Problem?

<!> As of Skype version 4.3.0 the PulseAudio server must be running, as ALSA support has been dropped. Symptoms are no sound in the program and no devices other than "default" listed in the program options for microphone and speakers. Version 4.2.0 works with ALSA, but libpulse still must be installed, as described below.

Answer: If you have sound problems you may be missing libpulse. You can install it with:

# apt-get install libpulse0:i386

If you have pulseaudio 4 and skype 4.2 with wrong sound, use either solutions :

1) PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC variable environment as trick from skype forum:

$ PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC=30 skype 

2) From http://pc-freak.net : In file/etc/pulse/default.pa substitute the line :

load-module module-udev-detect

with

load-module module-udev-detect tsched=0

and restart Pulseaudio server.

Debian 6 "Squeeze"

The Skype website no longer offers packages specifically designed for Debian 6.0: only for Debian 7. There is already a bug report on the Skype public bug-tracking system which decries this. ( non of the new deb packages work as well as skype-debian_2.2.0.35-1_amd64.deb - and it is more spammy besides - really time to move to linphone ).

http://download.skype.com/linux/skype-debian_4.0.0.7-1_i386.deb works on Debian 6.0. It's unknown whether or not any newer Skype packages were designed to work on Debian 6.0.

If you want MSN Messenger and Facebook support, you'll need Skype 4.1. http://download.skype.com/linux/skype-ubuntu-lucid_4.1.0.20-1_i386.deb — despite its filename — seems to work fine on Debian 6.0. Skype 4.1 has not yet been formally reviewed for this wiki.

http://download.skype.com/linux/skype-debian_4.1.0.20-1_i386.deb does not work on Debian 6.0.6. Even if you force it to install, the binary fails to start.

http://download.skype.com/linux/skype-debian_4.0.0.7-1_i386.deb does work on Debian 6.0.6 x86_64 despite the architecture mismatch, you can install:

# apt-get install ia32-libs ia32-libs-gtk

and then run:

# dpkg -i --force-architecture skype-debian_4.0.0.7-1_i386.deb

Package Review

Path and Files

A binary is installed in /usr/bin, some data files in /usr/share and a little bit of documentation in /usr/doc. A configuration file for dbus is dropped in /etc/dbus-1/system.d/.

Lintian

# lintian -v skype-debian_4.0.0.7-1_i386.deb 
N: Using profile debian/main.
N: Setting up lab in /tmp/temp-lintian-lab-iZ1DBQdipA ...
N: ----
N: Processing binary package skype (version 4.0.0.7-1, arch i386) ...
W: skype: hardening-no-relro usr/bin/skype
W: skype: changelog-not-compressed-with-max-compression changelog.Debian.gz
W: skype: new-package-should-close-itp-bug
E: skype: description-starts-with-package-name
W: skype: extended-description-line-too-long
W: skype: extended-description-line-too-long
W: skype: possible-unindented-list-in-extended-description
W: skype: extended-description-contains-empty-paragraph
W: skype: binary-without-manpage usr/bin/skype

Note that a changelog is included only for the purposes of "compliance". It does not actually list what has changed from release to release and there is no version history included within it.