Hi Skype Staff,

I know the userbase of Linux/PPC is probably much smaller than the userbase of any other OS here, and that's why I didn't yet make a suggestion on publicmind. I first wanted to know how you (Skype Staff) felt about that.

If Skype doesn't contain much assembly (and it probably doesn't), could you consider just making a build of it for Linux/PPC ? This wouldn't take much time, and would allow some of the PPC people to use Skype even without it being ported to MacOS X... I'm willing to help beta test it (I would build it, but I don't think you would ask this :-) ).

Thank you for even just taking the time to consider this.

--
Alain Perry

We have received quite a lot of requests for this. And even Torvalds himself runs it on G5 so yes, don't hold your breath, but it might happen sometime.

I would like to second this request. I'm using a Pegasos PowerPC machine, which cannot run MacOS, and therefore I cannot run Skype in Virtual PC.

I'm really happy about the linux version of Skype. But I don't have any x86 maching to use it on, would be cool with a ppc version for linux. Thanks for a good application.

Hi Skype staff,

First of all i would like to thank you for providing us with this great usefull software.

Here in Brazil we have a lot of PPC machines that were brought back to life using linux boxes. Althought we fell that there is a lack of attention by now on this linux architecture, PPC linux comunity still growing.

I am writing you because today computational enviroment have leading us to integration in a worldwide scale, becaming a fundamental communication medium for people all around the world.
Guys do not follow the mistakes done by some web browser pluggin makers that keep linux ppc users apart from the global comunity.

Thanks.

We are running Linux here on two macs and one x86 pc, too bad that skype does only run on one of them.

Building this binary we desire is just a "make" away.

So guys, where is the problem? Please be a better company then nvidia (geforce drivers) and macromedia (flash), and do what the won't: release a ppc version, *PLEASE*

I don't believe this is more work then just type ./configure && make dist or whatever you use as your build tools on a linux/ppc machine.

andi

hey i'm another guy wanting skype for yellowdog linux 3.01
on a power mac 9100/132
just got X to work today and I can't believe
I'm using firefox on this old machine
I just upgraded it from os 8.5 and an mklinux
that never got past eth0 failed
i have a girlfriend in China and am looking for an
alternative to yahoo messenger for voice chat
so hook up the skype.ppc.rpm

I use Debian on a Powerbook G4 and hope of a version of
the Skype Client . I love these cool piece of software.

Hi Everyone:
The NY Times has just printed an article regarding Skype today and I came by to your website to investigate the possibilities for myself. I've learned some amazing things about your product and its quality and wish you every success.

I also hope that somebody rushes the PPC version of Skype into production so that it can be downloaded as easily as the other versions of Linux. I understand that you fellows are all the way out there in a remote section of Europe or farther out (from me anyway). You are on the Earth after all and in that sense we are all local. It is too bad that we cannot see how close we are; after all from the Universe's perspective -- we live in a cab!.

Anyway....in whatever environment you exist there must be an expression to appropriately state without insulting anyone with sufficient emotive force -- I prefer Tornado strength myself -- HURRY UP ON THE PPC PROJECT! To be followed with a strong embrace best done with both arms as one would a relative or dear friend who has
falllen asleep while at the steering wheel of a car -- to demonstrate affection, and concern for that person's performance.

One should not have to hug this person too many times to help her/him overcome difficulties with self-confidence...but one must do what it takes to encourage talent!
Consider the extra effort as emotional support of the staff; maybe there's an overhanging sense of sadness or depression there. Treat them to lunch -- ok, at least a sandwich with coffee -- hmmm, maybe that's too kind. Well, the point is to get the sleeper moving; medical issues should be considered after the fellow falls over his/her desk. Then call the medics to make sure the desk is clear for the next worker....

OK, OK...not everyone appreciates the NY sense of business style....but hey....it works here!

I'm teasing playfully, of course. Stilll it would be great to see a working version of your program for use on Linux PPC systems.... like TOMORROW!!

Having read the other posts here I'm well aware that this will not happen.

Still if you feed your programmers and treat them to coffee with lots of sugar and Dorito chips nearby...and an occatsional hug or "pat on the back" -- not "knife in the back" -- your programmers may perform beyond expected parameters!

You have been a good sport about my teases...I am looking forward to your fine product
whenever it becomes avaialble.

Best wishes..... :wink:

I use Gentoo PPC Linux on an Apple Powerbook. In theory I could run it with Mac On Linux, but a native version would be much nicer. It should be an easy recompile from the x86 version.

Hoi,

I am running Debian Linux (unstable/experimental) on a Powerbook G4. I offered help several times, and I am still in major hope of seeing a release of Skype for this kind of hardware.

If you find any problems, run into compiling errors or anything - I have some experience coding on this machine - just post the error here and I might try and explain. - I guess you guys-n-gals are pretty good, anyways? Since it'S running on macOSx and on Linux, I figure it's really no more than a "make", is it?

greetings, shocky

The sad truth - it's a bit more than a "make". We're using some external components which are not currently available to us for Linux/PPC, but may become in the future.

that explains the waiting, I figured if it was just a make you would have done it by now - thx for the information

shure hope those externals are more cooperative then know examples... I hope it's not something like the networking... because porting something that is not cleanly coded on x86 can be a real pain *cough*

anyways... that was quick info and I'll keep my hopes up.

Having skype on my ibook when running linux will be great

I would also like to use skype on my powerbook

All the people in my office use skype because I demo it to them even installed it and now I'm the unique I cann't not use it. What we can do to speed it? any prevision of the launch?????

Thanks in advance

Juantomás

hehe... same here... I started something... now most of my friends have and use skype and I cant (except when booting osx)... *sigh*

*hopesforthenearfuture*

For me one skype for Linux/ppc please :lol:



Greatings Hendrik

I'm using Debian "unstable" on an iBook and it would be really nice to have Skype since all of my friends use it. (I refuse to use MacOS X, it's just too girly for me.)

First, THANK YOU for programming such an amazing and useful tool!

And now,

I just wanted to put one more plead for the cause ) Debian 3.1 GNU/Linux on a Powerbook G4 here, dying to see Skype running native! ))

If you need any testers, feel free to contact me! Or better, post it in Slashdot! :0

Cheers,

--
J. Javier Maestro

Thanks for this great tool! It is amazing and works nice on x86.

But ... I am using Gentoo on a iBook G3.

Would you please release a PowerPC-Version? It would be very nice! We have already a lot of trouble with JavaPlugins and Macromedia Flash on desktop.

So please, do not let us beg on knees and bring another excellent product to our community. It could help to convince other users of the great Pegasos-platform too.

Regards,
m3x

Yeah, I second that.

If someone could create ready to use binary tarballs containing libraries etc suitable to run in QEMU together with the closed-source killer apps like skype and flash then that might be a push in the right direction until we get native PPC support.

It would also be useful with a step-by-step guide how to run skype with QEMU. I have tried using skype with QEMU but got some sysctl problem with QEMU 0.6.0 but I think that got fixed in CVS. And now 0.6.1 is released...

Thanks!

/ magnus

Skype is known to work under Ubuntu x86

Since the PPC and x86 versions are exatly the same with exatly the same libs, could you have a look to try to build in for ?

I tried Ubuntu, and till now it one of the best linux I have seen for ppc.

My Logitech QuickCam 4000 Pro is usable with hot plug and play as well.

Ubuntu is Debian and Gnome 2.8 based for information.

The problem is not the system libs, but as Skype staff said, they use external libraries, which are not ported (yet?) to those architectures...

ha ...

Because there is Gnome meeting working and I heared Skype was based from Gnome meeting, right ?

Never heard Skype being based on GnomeMeeting...

But you don't understand.

Skype works very well under Ubuntu x86. When you install Ubuntu, you install all the Libraries OK ?

The PPC realease and the x86 release are EXATLY the same, completely equal. Extatly ! Same libs, same softwares ALL !
So if Skype works under the x86 release it means that there are the libs it needs Ok ?
Since PPC are x86 are issued the same way and at the same moment and they are both maintained in the same time, the libs are also available under the PPC version of course !

http://releases.ubuntu.com/warty/warty-rel...ll-powerpc.list
http://releases.ubuntu.com/warty/warty-rel...stall-i386.list

http://releases.ubuntu.com/warty/warty-rel...l-powerpc.jigdo
http://releases.ubuntu.com/warty/warty-rel...tall-i386.jigdo

http://www.gnomemeeting.org/
http://advogato.org/person/rcastro/

Search these forums for another comment I made on this. One of the codecs used by Skype is indeed iLBC. Skype also uses other, more high-quality codecs like ISAC. This has nothing to do with GnomeMeeting apart from the fact that they may use the same codecs.

I was just checking back to the page to find out theres still no such thing as a release of skype for linux-powerpc?

I shure hope it will happen within this lifetime...

is there a "when the linux powerpc release is here we will mail you - list"? :lol:

i'd like to use skype on my G4 Mandrake.

thank you !

Gday guys,

Also a ppc user, using rawhide Fedora-ppc (Come check us out on #fedora-ppc on freenode !, now with G4 s ibook sleep support ! ). I had fedora working on Mac OS X while it was on this machine, very impressed.

Is there a status update on this, or should I look at working on something myself ?

I'm downloading Yellow Dog Linux for my blueberry ibook right now and would love to be able to use Skype with it (and I doubt you have any plans for a Mac OS 9 version!). So put my name on the list of PPC Linux hopefuls! Now if there's a USB headset or phone that I'll be able to use under Linux I'll be all set...!)

-Jason

still running ubuntu, still waiting, still sad there are no news

Let see what skype guys announced:
http://www.skype.com/company/news/2005/mac...x_linux_v1.html

,,Skype for Linux 1.0 requires a computer running at least a 400 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM,10 MB free hard drive disk space, sound card, speakers, microphone and an Internet connection.''

My ppc laptop matches these requirements... but they forgot to mention that *x86* processor is needed. It's even not specified on download page!

Unfortunately there seems to be no movement to support linux/ppc architecture :-(

Skype guys - is _anything_ happening related to linux/ppc support?

Well, I know at least two other people using linux on ppc hardware, which would be fast enough to run skype.

So if anyone reads this, who has not posted yet and would like to have a ppc version, please post.

All we can do is keep this thread alive, so that we will not be forgotten.

someone got skype working on under qemu? Of course it wont be fast enough for voice chat. but text chat is better than nothing.

andi

just found out that my powerbook has indeed an audio-in port
and as its running debian i also would love to see a linux-ppc version asap.

thank you !

When you said some libraries are missing under Linux PPC to port it, can you say exactly which libraries are required to port it ?

that would be inteesting, indeed. I for one would be willing to help.

It would be awesome to have a version of Skype for PowerPC. Actually would be awesome to have a version of Skype for any architecture where linux works. I'm really eager to know the issue with the missing library for Linux/PPC. Is it related to Qt?

Giulio

I'll gladly remind the hard working Skype staff once again that we're a growing community of Linux/PPC users who all have systems that comply with the official minimum system requirements but still have no working Skype.

Linux distros are becoming more user friendly all the time (I'm using Ubuntu Hoary 5.04) and more and more Mac users chose this alternative over upgrading to a costly and "heavier" OSX that doesn't run as fast as Linux especially if you don't have a new machine with plenty of ram. Apples latest success the Mac mini is also getting quite popular among Linux users.

Therefore - gentlemen - it's about time you allocate a few resources to Linux/PPC. You will not regret and it will be much appreciated.

to add to the list...

i'm a big fan of Skype, advertise for it to friends whenever I can, a lot of people are really happy with it.

but some of my friends use PPCs, just like me, and are working with Linux.

and currently, Skype is the only app that makes me (re-)boot in OSX.

So I am eagerly awaiting the day LinuxSkypePPC sees the light...

You guys are doing an amazing job, already, so I'm not complaiining, only begging, heh.

I use Debian GNU/Linux on a powerbook G4 and the only one application that I cannot use on it is skype. Do you have plans to port skype on linux/powerpc and where?

I would like to see a PPC linux version of skype.

1) There is a growing number of Macintosh users that use linux because it runs well on older computers.

2) Linux is free and OS X costs money. Lets face it- not everyone can afford to get OS X for an older Mac.


In other words Linux on old Macs brings new life to them.

Hi all
Gotta join the chorus for Skype on PPC!
Running YDL on B&W G3 and love it - Skype would be the icing on the cake!

Another Linux PPC user chiming in to say that Skype for Linux on other architectures (Specifically PPC) would be great!

I used Skype in OS X with great success, and found it great that Linux is supported, but was dissappointed to find i368 in the file name. At least mention this in the download page... If Skype was entered into the Debian package archives (assuming there would be nothing preventing this from working) under Non-free (as in not open source, not that it costs money), Debian/Ubuntu users on any platform would be cared for. Of course, a .rpm would still need to be created for YDL and other non Debian based users...

I know that PPC linux users are a tiny minority, but in any case, I hope that a Skype developer gets this working!

I would also like to use skype on my powerbook Crying or Very sad

Hi,

I'm a Linux/PPC user (I do use Debian GNU/Linux in my iBook G4) and I've just setup the built-in mic so now I'm ready to use VoIP applications.

I've used Skype for Linux/x86 and for OSX. It's a good program which can help us to save some money in phone calls. So, why not, I'd also like to get Skype running in my iBook.

I don't know exactly what libraries are you refering about. Have you programmed them or are there just a third party libs? Anyway, I'll be waiting for Linux/PPC version.

And just another question. Have you thought about free-licensing Skype? I mean, now Skype is free (as in "free beer") but not free (as in "free speech"). I think lot of users (me too) would use free clients for GNU/Linux when they'll be available. And so... Skype would lost some users (not too much, but users anyway). So, if program is freeware, why not release the code?

That's all folks!

I'm a debian user on a powerbook G4.
I would be very happy to use Skype on my laptop

Cheers.

I use wonderful Lombard 400Mhz. It works perfectly, better than macosx and with video acceleration.
Now I wait Skype to have the perfect system!

Please, do it!
If u need testers I'm available. :-)

I use Gentoo with 2.6.10 kernel.