Skype

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Installing Skype

To install skype, you need to have the community repository uncommented in /etc/pacman.conf

#[community]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
#Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

becomes:

[community]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Now use pacman to install Skype:

# pacman -Sy skype

64-bit Installation

Because skype is only offered as a 32-bit binary, there is no official arch package for x86_64. However, you can install bin32-skype from AUR instead.

Skype Sound

Recent versions of Skype (2.0+) have native ALSA Support, ealier versions support only the deprecated OSS.

Skype ALSA Sound (2.0+)

Sound should work out of the box, if not you can select a sound device to use in skype options. if you have problems with skype blocking your sound device, you only need to add the following to your ~/.asoundrc

pcm.dmixout {
  # Just pass this on to the system dmix
  type plug
  slave {
     pcm "dmix"
  }
}

then you can start skype as normal, go to the audio options and select dmixout as your speaker- and ringingdevice.

Skype-OSS Sound (Pre-2.0)

if you have a recent version of skype, this will not work and is not needed, look at the "important notes" on start of this page. Option B is preferred over other options. With option B you can use skype AND let other programs play sound too. With option C you can do that too, but option B is way easier to set up.

A. With OSS or Kernel OSS emulation for ALSA

Start "skype" and make sure no other program is using your soundcard. If you want to use skype AND let another program play sound too, look at option B instead.

B. Making ALSA + dMix work for Skype

First of all, we need to install the alsa-oss package from pacman:

# pacman -Sy alsa-oss

Add the following to "~/.asoundrc" (the file ".asoundrc" in your home directory) If the file doesn't exist yet, just create it!

Many thanks to Lorenzo Colitti for figuring this out!

# .asoundrc to use skype at the same time as other audio apps like xmms
#
# Successfully tested on an IBM x40 with i810_audio using Linux 2.6.15 and
# Debian unstable with skype 1.2.0.18-API. No sound daemons (asound, esd, etc.)
# running. However, YMMV.
#
# For background, see:
#
# https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=1228
# https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=1224
#
# (C) 2006-06-03 Lorenzo Colitti - http://www.colitti.com/lorenzo/
# Licensed under the GPLv2 or later

pcm.skype {
   type asym
   playback.pcm "skypeout"
   capture.pcm "skypein"
}

pcm.skypein {
   # Convert from 8-bit unsigned mono (default format set by aoss when
   # /dev/dsp is opened) to 16-bit signed stereo (expected by dsnoop)
   #
   # We can't just use a "plug" plugin because although the open will
   # succeed, the buffer sizes will be wrong and we'll hear no sound at
   # all.
   type route
   slave {
      pcm "skypedsnoop"
      format S16_LE
   }
   ttable {
      0 {0 0.5}
      1 {0 0.5}
   }
}

pcm.skypeout {
   # Just pass this on to the system dmix
   type plug
   slave {
      pcm "dmix"
   }
}

pcm.skypedsnoop {
   type dsnoop
   ipc_key 1133
   slave {
      # "Magic" buffer values to get skype audio to work
      # If these are not set, opening /dev/dsp succeeds but no sound
      # will be heard. According to the alsa developers this is due
      # to skype abusing the OSS API.
      pcm "hw:0,0"
      period_size 256
      periods 16
      buffer_size 16384
   }
   bindings {
      0 0
   }
}

If you get the error message :

The dmix plugin supports only playback stream

then add the following to .asoundrc :

pcm.asymed {
        type asym
        playback.pcm "dmix"
        capture.pcm "dsnoop"
}

pcm.!default {
        type plug
        slave.pcm "asymed"
}


Now run skype in this way each time you want to use skype:

ALSA_OSS_PCM_DEVICE="skype" aoss skype

Optionally you can make a script to start skype:

As root, create the file: /usr/bin/askype

# Little script to run Skype correctly using the modified .asoundrc
# See: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Skype for more information!
#
# Questions/Remarks: profox@debianbox.be

ALSA_OSS_PCM_DEVICE="skype" aoss skype

Now make sure every user is able to execute the file:

# chmod a+x /usr/bin/askype

You can also fix the menu entry so you can start Skype from the your window manager's menu:

Edit the file: /usr/share/applications/skype.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Skype
Comment=P2P software for high-quality voice communication
Exec=askype
Icon=skype.png
Terminal=0
Type=Application
Encoding=UTF-8
Categories=Network;Application;

Sometimes it takes a while for Skype to start up,

but once it's loaded it should work ok!

C. Using OSS emulation with oss2jack

oss2jack is another way to have OSS emulation without using ALSA directly. Instead, oss2jack creates a OSS device that forwards everything to JACK (JACK Audio Connection Kit), which in turn mixes, then outputs to the standard ALSA device. For more information on setting this up, please refer to Allow_multiple_programs_to_play_sound_at_once#ALSA_with_oss2jack.


Problems

  • I can receive multiple audio streams, but I can only send one:
    • for example: skype can send and receive audio, and I still hear other sounds playing from other applications, but I can't record my microphone with other applications. Skype or aoss blocks the audio input for itself
  • No video after the new kernel change with gspca.

Install libv4l, the userspace video for linux libary, and run skype with LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype to start skype with v4l 1 compatibility

  • Skype doesn't use my GTK theme, even though other QT apps do:

Run skype using the following command:

/usr/bin/skype --disable-cleanlooks -style GTK

If you wish menus within desktop environments to load skype with a GTK theme by default then modify the 'Exec' line of /usr/share/applications/skype.desktop so that it reads:

Exec=/usr/bin/skype --disable-cleanlooks -style GTK

Similarly if you have set skype to autostart then modify ~/.config/autostart/skype.desktop in the same way.

Questions or Remarks

You are free to edit this wiki entry if you have anything to add or change, and for more questions or remarks you can mail me (profoX) at profox@debianbox.be

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