Sunday, January 10, 2010

Install Skype

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

Skype 2.1 Beta for Linux

This guide will show you how to add the official Skype repository to your apt-get source list and allow you to download the newest version of Skype as they become available.

In a terminal type:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
- this will allow you to edit your source list

Add this line to the bottom of that file:
deb http://download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian/ stable non-free
- save and exit the file

Refresh your sources, in a terminal type:
sudo apt-get update

Then in a terminal type:
sudo apt-get install skype
- to install Skype

You can also download the Skype .deb directly
- if you are using Ubuntu 64-bit this repository will not work for you, you will have to install Skype manually from the website.



Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover?
Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

3 comments:

agentofkaos said...

After adding skype respository to sources.list, I issue a sudo apt-get update which can't find the newly added repository:
W: Failed to fetch http://download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian/dists/stable/non-free/binary-lpia/Packages.gz 404 Not Found [IP: 78.141.179.3 80]

E: Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I am running the out-of-the-box version of Ubuntu that comes with the Inspiron mini (8.04).

Worse comes to worse, I'll upgrade it, I was just hoping for a low impact setup out of the box.

redDEAD said...

The Dell version runs LPIA packages the Skype repository only has i386 and 86_64 packages.

Read the FAQ:

http://www.ubuntumini.com/2010/01/frequently-asked-questions.html

agentofkaos said...

Ah ha, I didn't know about the LPIA (versus others) package difference.

Per the FAQ, I installed the medibuntu repository and keyring. After that, an apt-cache search offered up Skype. apt-get installed it, and bang, skype starts up. Chat, voice, video all working.

Thanks for your help.