Hi,

When will Skype video calling be available for Linux?

I used to use Mac OS and they just got the video preview version. So where is the Linux video preview (or final) version?

I just posted another topic with same content.... Anyway I am interested in video under linux too.

I found following link:
Skype Linux Blog



So let's wait patiently or something

Yep, Video, Video, Video

Video chat in linux makes Skype UNIQUE IM of all

I too eagarly expecting Video call in Linux

Sera

For Video and sound.. I'm using openwengo ...
Perhaps It's the best way for the moment... to use Video !

"Stop Asking" ??? That's an interesting reply. Guess will return to Instant Messengers.

Skype is available for Mac User ... so the Linux Beta version is near, Isn't it ?

....

don't get you hopes up that fast. Video isn't that easy to implement. Especially since there's two APIs that people have to consider.

There's Video4Linux 1 (V4L) and Video4Linux 2 (V4L2).

The thing is, the first version has most of the webcam drivers, however, the second one is clearly better but barely has any drivers.

The developers have to choose which one to choose. Many developers are starting to do the transition from V4L to V4L2, so there's that problem about future implements.

deltatux

I'd also like to see Video

deltatux makes a vary good point on why it wont be fun for the devs to make this happen

but when they do i hope they put webcams that are known to work with linux on the web store to save the linux newbies some time headaches and questions

lol

i wonder if the mac version is in QT or not

The new API for video4linux, is V4L2 ... so I'm thinking that the V4L2 should be used.
(It could be a minimum requirement, with a list of supported webcams )
V4l2 is an universal interface to deal with webcams.
So I don't understand 'the future problem'.Skype should implement V4L2 correctly isn't it ?

I'm sure that there is some GPL software who can provide some clues

I go agree
numerous im linux client does that with proprietary protocols they don't know

it should'nt be that hard for people who knows exactly the protocols

i guess it s just not a priority for skype to have a video version for linux.

the problemes is this one
i m trying to use openwengo as the webcam work perfectly but my contacts are on skype

then i m trapped

Just choose one and get on with it!
I did a project (worth 7.5 ECTS = 5 weeks) for my school, where I, among other things implemented a gui for two different cameras using v4l, c++ and fltk. And the camera part was not even a third of the work. I've never done any advanced c++ programming before that. How hard can it be for professionals?

here is an idea

why doesnt someone right a program that uses the skype api

the program would basicly be just a simple ip to ip webcam enough people on the linux circut start using it maybe they will get unlazy and make an offical one espesally if you lisense the ip to ip webcam in a way that they can steal it lol

That's an idea. If I had some time I'd maybe give it a try. But never that I'd place it under any non free (as in speech) license. Skype/Ebay has done nothing, that I know of, to help the open community. It leaves them with a choice to either use the lib and open their source or write their own.

The development via v4l or v4l2 could maybe consider in their reflexion that :
ekiga, amsn, kopete .... have webcam support even if it wasnt easy 1-2 years ago,
let s remind us this too

So just wondering, this was first asked about 4 months ago, has anyone heard anything else on when this is going to happen? This is the only thing holding me back from switching over my media center PC from Windows to Linux.

I wonder why Skype is not going Java? Qnext runs on java and runs on almost every platform (with video support!). It would save skype a lot of proprietary development and would only need one codebase....

We are working mostly in Linux, and before we advised Skype to many, because we have a well attended forum, and the people wanted also to speak each other. Since the Skype Video for Linux is not developing (maybe cannot hire a single Linux programmer?), and concurrent solutions (WengoPhone, Gizmo, QNext, AMSN, Kopete, etc) all becoming better we don't advise it anymore. In Kopete we are signing up width 7 different accounts in the same time created for different purposes (helpdesks or private) or different messenger systems, while in skype we can use only one... Me and my wife have to use a common account...

Hi guys.

I feel your pain.

I just posted an article lightly poking at skype, specially for this poor support for linux.

Any word from Skype, itself, on this issue?

hahahahaha

i am still awaiting a real response for a support request that i put in a couple of months ago.

DJ

This is the last official word on Skype for Linux:
http://share.skype.com/sites/linux/

I guess.

Sadly it appears wengophone is the only cross platform program I know that does video chat, phone calls, and SMS. It also has cheaper phone rates than Skype. As the Skype user base is so large and I can't get language exchange partners and friends off of it so I hope Skype gets video support soon as well as skypecast support.

not quite, Ekigasoftphone has full video chat support. It was formerly known as Gnomemeeting.
It will connect to every client but Skype, because of Skype's proprietary protocols.

further, with current distros, plug a usb web cam in and the distro will symlink ekiga on the desktop, with full video chat configuration already done.
[ tested with 4 different webcams, Logitech, two off brands I can't remember the names of and a Creative [ yes, the same as the "Sound Blaster" audio cards ] all worked as soon as plugged in. Oddly, only the logitech would work with WinXP media center. ]

so use your yahoo / msn account through ekiga and have the features Skype refuses to support on Linux, and do it without having to pay for full features that Skype will charge you for and not deliver.

[ I just have to poke the Skype dev team for a lack of effort when there are free, open source, packages that offer what Skype won't. ]

How do I use my msn account through ekiga?

Skype video for Linux! PLEASE.....

It will come. REALLY!

Just hang on
Philipp

I second the request for video - It was the only reason to try skype to see my newborn from work.

Flo

and when will that be? we've been waiting forever already... the lack of webcam support is the only reason why i still have to use silly msn...
please get us hooked up with video as soon as it is somehow possible

We are always working hard on making Skype better for all users and adding new features to it.

We are working based on it on all three platforms. We have not forgotten Linux and as you see we have released 1.4 lately which has many improvements in comparison with 1.3.

We are continuing to work hard on Skype for Linux to make it better and include more features there.

We will keep you updated when we have something new for you through our blogs and this forum.

hmm, now that's funny. In my recollection there were 2 posts from Berkus earlier this morning telling us that video would be available for us in 2007 and that working prototypes are already there, but he was not allowed to post screenshots.

Why was that being deleted ?! Or is it just the endless waiting that is now resulting in cerebral degeneration and it was all an illusion?

It was a dream. Only a dream.

That also jumped out at me and here is what i could dig up...haven't tried it yet....its not MSN messenger rather Windows messenger ...
http://wiki.ekiga.org/index.php/Connecting....1_to_ekiga.net

and some more general info:
http://wiki.ekiga.org/index.php/Which_prog..._with_Ekiga_%3F

--
JB
http://howtoforums.net

I'm so sad skype for linux doesn't have video support. Please add it. I use Mac OSX, but I may be getting another computer with linux and I'd like to be able to communicate with my friends and family with video chat from my linux machine.

And my dream is a little more information from you about video in skype for linux.

Things, that we don't know...

Such like a roadmap

One thing that would be nice is that since the linux dev team will have to test the service with a few webcams, they ask the skype shop to sell the best ones with a mention that it works with skype for linux, restricting to the distros they tried if commercially necessary...

It's so complicate to link information about webcam working with linux with the descriptions available on the web shops....

And some sort of indicative roadmap would be fantastic.

This is my dream, too.

I've tried ekiga and wengo as you previously mentioned and I think that they weren't even worth mentioning. I can't even make one good call on ekiga - because there are audio problems (video is quite ok- not excellent but ok)- after 1 minute 30 sek program hangs up. In wengo my camera doesn't work at all, and video quality is very bad ( I can't see clearly the face of person I'm calling with) but audio quality is ok (not excellent). In windows' version of skype audio and video quality is excellent. For linux users there's only one solution now- install windows and skype ! but it's not satisfactory for them I suppose. For me it's no problem. But for person I want to talk with, it is. how to convince him to turn on windows? (he has it installed, but doesn't use)

no news is good news .. am i wrong? .. probably ... possibly ... or simply not?

No offense but nobody's seems to be working hard on the linux version. The last version included microphone audio leveling which is important, animated emoticons, which aren't (unless you're 14), and bug fixes. It'll soon be two years since the windows version introduced video.

So I take it you tried Ekiga for windows. The Windows port is still a beta, but if you experience problems, please report them to the Ekiga bugzilla.

I really want Skype with video-support as soon as possible. I've converted to linux since spring, and I'm using it everyday. My brother will come home soon and the only way to communicate with him when he is at home is via videotalk. Please make it hurry!

Anyway, which cameras is recommended for Linux? Anyone knows?

My favourite camera for Linux at the moment is the Philips SPC 900NC.

Stable drivers included in the kernel (thus works out of the box), very good quality, great filters. Manual focus for super-close objects, but infinity focus for objects beyond 15cm.

Andypoo.

Thanks Andypoo!

Anyone else knows of other candidates with Linux-support? I like to compare and check prices and quality of hardware before I choose which to have.
This could be a good thread for checking different compatible cameras with Skype on Linux.

http://mxhaard.free.fr/spca5xx.html
http://alpha.dyndns.org/ov511/cameras.html

Here you can find most of the supported camera (v4l/v4l2) with the image quality on linux! Best results are with UVC camera (most recent ones, at the bottom of the list).
Personally I tried the Hercules Webcam Deluxe and it works fine but ONLY with v4l support, and I guess(hope?) skype (such as the most of the new video-software) will work on v4l2 standard (this is also a question for skype4linux team ).
Now I'm also testing a funny 'Sweety Cam' (dog) by LDLC and I have to admit that -even if is not the best webcam I have seen- it works so fine under linux, for really a little price!

Have fun
nick

Skype will support both v4l and v4l2 devices. My recommendation at the moment is on pwc and gspca based cameras based on personal experiences.

Andy.

And what about Logitech Quickcam Messenger?

I own logitech quickcam communicate STX which worked out of the box on my ubuntu feisty fawn computer.
Logitech Quickcam series are in general well supported.