[quote=berkus]That's a totally silly question, because even if I know - you won't. So just try not to ask it please, the release will happen once the release is ready for the release.[/quote]

[quote=berkus](and if I were in BOFH mode then the answer would be)

Yes.[/quote]

Utter Knob

GOD BLESS YOU THANK YOU FOR ALSA SUPPORT!!
Finally I can talk with stuborn friends

Hi all,

I tried beta skype on my gentoo, but I meet several bugs :
- it does not close correctly - it does not close at all ^^
- calling other people does not work
- receving call does not work

I have not more information at this time, I'm using skype regulary, so this version is not for me ^^

But, I want to thanks you for developping at last a new version, I was boring to want for it for so long time...

Perhaps one day we can have a version supporting (really) several soundcards, with possibilty to choose different soundcard for micro and speaker...

Wait and see...

Regards

Hello!

Unfortunately, the Beta Skype 1.3 is too riddled with bugs to be useful. A Beta has to be at least usable, or else you won't get decent beta feedback. However, this one is just not ready. It looks more like alpha to me, since basic functions are broken.

People can't hear you after a few seconds or minutes anymore. Then again and then not. You can't have a conversation like that. Also, if Skype is left running, it locks up the entire computer when a message or call arrives. The longer it ran, the longer the lock up. Also makes it unusable. This is all on a pretty standard Ubuntu 6.06, with an install from the deb package, BTW.

So, I can't use the Beta Skype at all, and need to go back to the last 1.2 version. However, when I start that, I cannot get any notification sounds at all of any kind. If I get a call, the Skype window will say 'Ringing', but I don't hear anything. If I am on a different virtual screen, I will miss the call completely. Basically, I'm forced to always stare at the Skype window? I don't think so. Sound works, because I can make call to other people and can talk, it's just that I don't hear the notification.

If someone knows how to get notification sounds going in Skype 1.2, it would be great if you could let me know, please.

Thank you very much!

Tom

[quote=dolphinholmer][quote=berkus]That's a totally silly question, because even if I know - you won't. So just try not to ask it please, the release will happen once the release is ready for the release.[/quote]

[quote=berkus](and if I were in BOFH mode then the answer would be)

Yes.[/quote]

Utter Knob[/quote]

Who is this Berkus jerk anyway, and why does Skype allow a prick like that to speak for Skype on this forum? I have NEVER seen a more blatant and rude example of the proverbial arrogant Linux geek, who revels in his superiority, while putting down others with crappy, useless and childish comments like this.

Whoever is responsible for PR at Skype should make sure to silence this guy and never let him touch this forum with a ten-foot pole again. Let someone take care of forum support who is at least somewhat human.

Others here in the forum are fawning over him 'finally' releasing ALSA support and all that. Well, that's good. I'm not blaming him for only now having this support ready, because the resources put on a project like this are the results of corporate decisions. I am even grateful that Skype does have at least some Linux support. That's good too.

But the moronic attitude this Berkus person displays here is just beyond rediculous. Completely uncalled for. Berkus, if you don't know how to treat people in the forum decently then don't post here at all. Let someone else do it for you - the world would be better of for it. The last thing a frustrated user, who PAID (!) Skype for SkypeOut credits - and tries to give feedback to help YOU make a better product - needs is an idiot who vomits insults or useless crap like you do.

Knowing that Skype lets jerks 'take care' of the Linux community makes me look really hard at every possible alternive.

Tom

[quote=tombraun]Whoever is responsible for PR at Skype should make sure to silence this guy and never let him touch this forum with a ten-foot pole again. Let someone take care of forum support who is at least somewhat human.

Tom[/quote]

That's fine. I'm not going to post to this forum anymore and let better suited persons handle that. Don't worry too much.

[quote=berkus]That's fine. I'm not going to post to this forum anymore and let better suited persons handle that. Don't worry too much.[/quote]

Great! A sulking hissy fit! A very childish reaction again, just what we have come to know from you.

You not posting here won't be much of a loss. Just make sure there is really someone there then who takes care of the forum.

Tom

[quote=tombraun][quote=berkus]That's fine. I'm not going to post to this forum anymore and let better suited persons handle that. Don't worry too much.[/quote]

Great! A sulking hissy fit! A very childish reaction again, just what we have come to know from you.

You not posting here won't be much of a loss. Just make sure there is really someone there then who takes care of the forum.

Tom[/quote]
tobraun, calm down.

Some (and especially last) berkus' posts were much too emotional and rash as for Skype employee, but from the other side he is one, who was willing to communicate with us at all. I really apperciate his involvment on the forum (except a few posts).

So please stop. I think enough was said already, and warming up the discussion will be loss for all of us (at both sides).

And lastly, wasn't berkus' answer exactly what you asked for?

[quote=follow]Some (and especially last) berkus' posts were much too emotional and rash as for Skype employee, but from the other side he is one, who was willing to communicate with us at all. I really apperciate his involvment on the forum (except a few posts).

So please stop. I think enough was said already, and warming up the discussion will be loss for all of us (at both sides).

And lastly, wasn't berkus' answer exactly what you asked for?[/quote]

Yes, yes, I will calm down. I don't want everyone to have to suffer, but even though we are paying customers, he can black-mail us? Endure my crappy attitude or else... ? That doesn't sound right either. I mean, we paid that company! :shock:

Sigh...

Well, if the guy has problems with what I said here, let him be upset with me only. That way, the rest of the forum hopefully can still enjoy the priviledge of his esteemed company and bask in the light of his supreme knowledge.

Tom

[quote=tombraun]Whoever is responsible for PR at Skype should make sure to silence this guy and never let him touch this forum with a ten-foot pole again. Let someone take care of forum support who is at least somewhat human.[/quote]
If you want polished PR, go read press releases. If you want solutions to the problems that you experience with Skype (beta) software, provide enough detail about your environment, and about how to reproduce the problem. You may also want to read https://developer.skype.com/Support/LogFile and follow the instructions there.

[quote=ppmotskula]If you want polished PR, go read press releases. If you want solutions to the problems that you experience with Skype (beta) software, provide enough detail about your environment, and about how to reproduce the problem. You may also want to read https://developer.skype.com/Support/LogFile and follow the instructions there.[/quote]

But see: It's not about polished PR, it's about the solutions as you said. The problem is (was?) that when people asked questions, or even offered help (such as the thing about the logging and logfile), the answer was often rather ... well ... rude.

I think you will find that many people would like to help, and nobody really cares about the polished PR. But it just is not very nice when you get certain kinds of responses.

Please also understand that it is easy to get frustrated then, because many (most?) of us actually paid money to Skype. I guess in return we would like to experience at least a minimum level of kindness when we (those paying customers) report bugs, ask questions about issues, or even the release, and so on.

Maybe this emotional outburst yesterday can help to put a few things in perspective, and allow us to move on from here in a more positive manner.

We DO appreciate that there is Linux support. And we DO realize that it is probably not the highest priority for Skype, and therefore the resources committed to it are limited. We also DO appreciate that you cannot tell us answers to all the questions we might have because of company policy and strategy.

But, please, DO appreciate also that we are paying customers on one hand, and human beings on the other, who would like to help, and please treat us as such - even if you don't always think that our questions are good ones.

Just some kindness...

Tom

When I read tombraun's posts and I read Berkus' posts, I am hard pressed to find Berkus at fault. On the one hand, he could be more accomodating. On the other hand, he was even remotely as rude or abusive as tombraun was.

For those of us who are consulting this forum to keep up with the progress being made on Skype for Linux, I would respectfully ask Berkus to continue to post as he makes progress toward the release. The beta is better for most than 1.2, but still has a long way to go. It is nice to have periodic updates as to the progress being made.

And I would respectfully ask tombraun to try a more civil tone in his criticisms.

[quote=randcoop]It is nice to have periodic updates as to the progress being made.[/quote]

Except that he didn't give updates, because he thought that even asking for such was a 'silly question'. In the end it is us who are the paying customers, and he is an employee of that company that we pay (and thus we in some way pay his salary as well). Under those circumstances, and considering that this forum here runs on Skype servers (or at least their domain), we are entitled to something better.

Skype is not a volunteer project, where you let replies of that style pass. It's a for profit business. We tend to forget that as Linux users, because we are used to the more 'informal' ways of open source software.

Let's apply the same standards here as we would with any other business who takes our money. Customer service! If you can't tell us things, you don't have to be rude about it.


[quote=randcoop]And I would respectfully ask tombraun to try a more civil tone in his criticisms.[/quote]

Ok, I admit that my tone was probably a bit aggravated. I was just very much fed-up with his tone, and the needless arrogance and rudeness. So, I sank to a low level myself and was rude in return. I shouldn't do that, but sometimes it just annoys me too much. Especially since it would have cost him NOTHING to be just a little bit more considerate. Instead of being insulting to our intelligence, he could just say things like: "Sorry, I can't tell you." Less words than he originally wrote! It would have been so easy...


Tom

[quote]Except that he didn't give updates, because he thought that even asking for such was a 'silly question'. [/quote]

But he has given updates in the past. You picked one particularly nasty response he gave (and I agree with you that it was inappropriate). But for the most part, he's been quite helpful.

[quote]Let's apply the same standards here as we would with any other business who takes our money. Customer service! If you can't tell us things, you don't have to be rude about it.[/quote]

We agree on this. Where I disagreed with you was the tone you used when you asked for that customer service. It's clear the Skype is lacking in customer service (and, incidentally, I think it's lacking this for its Windows version as well). To some extent, these civility issues may have to do with language differences (many of the Skype employees speak English as a second language). But mostly, I think, Skype as a company is oblivious to customer service. They seem convinced that their product will carry the day regardless of their service or even their performance. I am not convinced of this, though I continue to use Skype. As foreign phone calls become less expensive throughout the telecommunications industry, Skype will have a tough time, I think. The connections, even in Windows, are spotty and often difficult. And the skype phones that allow you to leave the computer are not very reliable or comfortable. A regular phone connection remains a much more reliable way to talk.

[quote]So, I sank to a low level myself and was rude in return. I shouldn't do that...[/quote]

That was my point. And now, I am happy to say thanks for your more reasoned follow-up.

I just don't understand one thing:
why is skype (or probably alsa) doing such an intensive IO on the harddisk? Has somebody ever noticed such behavior? It was also the case with previous versions of skype and of fedora.

For the protocol - I'm using fc5, and previously fc4. (further details in my prev. posts)

tdik: is there an easy way to measure the harddisk-IO-bandwidth for a specific application? I'm too lazy to close all my 231 open applications just to leave skype open

When do you experience intensive harddisk IO? When idling, chatting, calling, speaking? All of it?


Just my 2 Eurocents concerning the last few posts:

Please let's try to stay "professional". Tombraun has already realized that his response was offensive but i can also understand why he got that upset in the first place.

Berkus: You have often shown that you are a nice person and gave information on progress several times before (in the forums and on your blog), but I also think that your responses were sometimes kind of rude. Nonetheless, I'd like to see you posting here again because this it not a yahoo chat group but the forums of a professional company with commercial goals.

If you encounter a question that looks "silly" to you, please think twice if the question was intended by the OP to be silly. I think that could be your part in avoiding such problems in the future.
In my opinion such problems _should_ be discussed in communities but in a more professional way. It is the part of all users to stay calm in such situations and try to work it out without flaming. Flame wars _never_ result in anything one can be proud of.

So let us forget all this and try to think twice before pressing the submit button in future.

Bye,
Oxy

Hmmm. Well, I for one applaud the development on getting Skype working with ALSA - though, truth to tell, it wasn't that bad under OSS emulation on my machines.

I can cope with having to kill the process on a daily basis to get around the sound chopping up after a period of time.

But the real showstopper for me, given that I use a headset, is being unable to select a separate ringing device. Having the option present as a greyed-out placeholder is seriously annoying, as if to casually gloss over the fact that a phone that you can't hear ringing is only half a phone.

Can nobody explain while this apparently simple but obviously critical bug has been allowed to persist for so long?

Better still, can nobody suggest a useful workaround for this problem?

This is a fature requst and not a bug report. I would like to have the ability to merge different calls into a conference call.

I've just installed skype-1.3.0.30-r1 on Gentoo linux and I cannot create a new account. It seems to try to connect and then it returns a "Logging failed" error message every time.

I have tried switching off my firewall, starting /etc/init.d/dbus manually, deleting ~/.Skype/* and trying again, but it always fails to login.

Could you please help me troubleshoot this problem?

[quote=MickKi]I've just installed skype-1.3.0.30-r1 on Gentoo linux and I cannot create a new account. It seems to try to connect and then it returns a "Logging failed" error message every time.[/quote]
This means that the Skype name you chose was already taken. You should just pick a different username.

There is a bug in LinuxSkype user interface -- the availability of the username is not checked until you try to login.

Thanks, I did use a somewhat cryptic name but it seems that someone else thought of it first!

I can login now and use Skype.

I can repeat the same. Skype 1.3.0.30 beta freezes when receiving call or chat message. This occures when there is new chat session or older session was idle'ing for long time.

It appears that Skype causes soft CPU lockup:
-----------------------------
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] BUG: soft lockup detected on CPU#0!
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000]
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] Pid: 22244, comm: skype
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] EIP: 0073:[SYSENTER_RETURN+3/16] CPU: 0
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] EIP is at _einittext+0x3fc300de/0xfff3f424
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] ESP: 007b:b58923a4 EFLAGS: 00200246 Tainted: P (2.6.15-23-686)
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] EAX: 00000000 EBX: 08e0a3bc ECX: 00000001 EDX: 00000001
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] ESI: 08e0a3bc EDI: 0000006e EBP: b58923b8 DS: 007b ES: 007b
Aug 9 15:47:40 localhost kernel: [4574045.863000] CR0: 8005003b CR2: b6894bf4 CR3: 18b20000 CR4: 00000690
--------------------------
Aug 8 11:02:52 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] BUG: soft lockup detected on CPU#0!
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000]
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] Pid: 14980, comm: skype
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] EIP: 0060:[get_offset_pmtmr+22/464] CPU: 0
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] EIP is at get_offset_pmtmr+0x16/0x1d0
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] EFLAGS: 00200282 Tainted: P (2.6.15-23-686)
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] EAX: 00d6e6e7 EBX: 0a513584 ECX: 00000000 EDX: 00001008
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] ESI: 00d6d8f3 EDI: 00d6e6e2 EBP: d5773f90 DS: 007b ES: 007b
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] CR0: 8005003b CR2: b7f59e32 CR3: 0889b000 CR4: 00000690
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] [do_gettimeofday+31/208] do_gettimeofday+0x1f/0xd0
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] [getnstimeofday+20/64] getnstimeofday+0x14/0x40
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] [sys_clock_gettime+49/176] sys_clock_gettime+0x31/0xb0
Aug 8 11:02:53 localhost kernel: [4470275.580000] [sysenter_past_esp+84/117] sysenter_past_esp+0x54/0x7
------------------------------------

OS: Ubuntu Linux Dapper
Kernel: 2.6.15-23-686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue May 23 14:03:07 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux
PC: IBM ThinkPad R52 (integrated Intel audio)
it doesn't matter if I choose ALSA or OSS. Freeze occures in that case if Skype tries to make initial sound (incoming message or call). If I choose OSS freezes occures rarely because device is being occupied by other software (XMMS for example).

I remember once there were a warning in Creative SBLive drivers readme for Linux. It stated that driver is incompatible withy SMP kernels. Could it be an issue here?

[quote=elvinas]
I can repeat the same. Skype 1.3.0.30 beta freezes when receiving call or chat message. This occures when there is new chat session or older session was idle'ing for long time.

It appears that Skype causes soft CPU lockup:

OS: Ubuntu Linux Dapper
Kernel: 2.6.15-23-686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue May 23 14:03:07 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux
[/quote]

I have the same : sundenly my pc freeze for 15 secondes and I get a phone call or a chat message ! I am not the only one.

Kubuntu 6.06
I hope this will be solved quickly

[quote=deyan]Hello,

I used Skype 1.2.0.18 and it worked fine. Today I downloaded the 1.3 version, but when I start it it says:


I have alsa installed and libasound.so.2 is in my /usr/lib directory. Is the problem in the beta or is it in my PC ?
I am using Gentoo with amd64.[/quote]

Deyan, I had the same problem. Solution is very simple:


Remember, skype is using 32-bit libraries, not 64. So it looks for libasound.so in /emul/linux/x86/usr/lib instead of "normal" /usr/lib.

Hope it helps...

Marek ZJ.

Downloaded the BETA Skype and installed with no problem on Suse 10.1!!

When having conversations found that the line was really crackling and breaking up.

Went back to the old version and everything is working great again.

I like the look of the new version and obviously there may be some bugs in it still. Overall it was good apart from the poor voice quality. Especially like having the test call feature there to help set up the sound properly.

I have also had the soft lockup bug since I upgrade skype to the beta one.

It locks my PC between 15 sec to 5-6 min. I can wait 15 seconds but over a minute it is pretty frustrating. This happens primarily when (it seems) I get a connection from someone.

The load indicator skyrocks and the following messages are found in syslog:

[19974097.500000] BUG: soft lockup detected on CPU#0!
[19974097.500000]
[19974097.500000] Pid: 31204, comm: skype
[19974097.500000] EIP: 0073:[<b75d31d5>] CPU: 0
[19974097.500000] EIP is at 0xb75d31d5
[19974097.500000] ESP: 007b:b47dd38c EFLAGS: 00000246 Tainted: P (2.6.15-26-686)
[19974097.500000] EAX: 00000000 EBX: 08d6abc0 ECX: 00000001 EDX: 00000001
[19974097.500000] ESI: 08d6abb8 EDI: 0000006e EBP: 000837ae DS: 007b ES: 007b
[19974097.500000] CR0: 8005003b CR2: b47ddbf4 CR3: 20a94000 CR4: 00000690

$ uname -a
Linux dolcevita 2.6.15-26-686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Aug 3 03:13:28 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux

Is there someone investigating this issue ? It's probably a kernel issue, but skype is the only program to trigger it.

zgrep -A 2 "soft lockup" /var/log/syslog.* | grep Pid
/var/log/syslog.0:Sep 10 20:20:57 dolcevita kernel: [19973976.284000] Pid: 31202, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.0:Sep 10 20:20:57 dolcevita kernel: [19974097.500000] Pid: 31204, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.2.gz:Sep 8 11:34:26 dolcevita kernel: [19769759.300000] Pid: 9386, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.2.gz:Sep 8 11:34:26 dolcevita kernel: [19769799.560000] Pid: 9388, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.2.gz:Sep 8 15:44:50 dolcevita kernel: [19784838.908000] Pid: 16692, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.2.gz:Sep 8 15:44:50 dolcevita kernel: [19784851.320000] Pid: 16694, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.2.gz:Sep 9 01:32:50 dolcevita kernel: [19820087.812000] Pid: 30942, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.2.gz:Sep 9 01:32:50 dolcevita kernel: [19820114.552000] Pid: 30944, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.3.gz:Sep 7 09:56:25 dolcevita kernel: [19677436.012000] Pid: 3631, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.3.gz:Sep 7 09:56:25 dolcevita kernel: [19677491.272000] Pid: 3633, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.3.gz:Sep 7 21:16:46 dolcevita kernel: [19718319.068000] Pid: 25694, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.3.gz:Sep 7 21:16:46 dolcevita kernel: [19718352.000000] Pid: 25696, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.4.gz:Sep 6 14:30:00 dolcevita kernel: [19607451.840000] Pid: 5611, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.4.gz:Sep 6 14:30:00 dolcevita kernel: [19607509.096000] Pid: 5613, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.5.gz:Sep 5 12:04:44 dolcevita kernel: [19511957.396000] Pid: 27032, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.5.gz:Sep 5 12:04:44 dolcevita kernel: [19512206.652000] Pid: 27035, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.5.gz:Sep 5 18:03:08 dolcevita kernel: [19533924.736000] Pid: 7211, comm: skype
/var/log/syslog.5.gz:Sep 5 18:03:08 dolcevita kernel: [19533942.092000] Pid: 7214, comm: skype

Installed well on Kubuntu 6.0.6.1 TLS. I was able to quickly make a call to a landline easily.

FYI, I registered the soft lockup issue in the ubuntu issue tracker
See https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+sourc...6.15/+bug/53216

I have exactly the same hardware setup, but Debian, and exactly the same symptom. A more recent post by someone indicated that the sound device selection isn't functional at all. Is that true?

I would say no. I use Skype dedicated Logitech headsets on all my Skype-enabled computers (and other sound cards for music etc) and the selection works fine with both OSS and ALSA.

On the other hand, it may very well be non functional in your setup. If I were you I would create a new thread about the specific problem and hope that someone helped you investigate the problem there.