Skype4Linux - in 'portable' format...

[mikewalsh]

Morning, boys & girls.

I know Skype isn't to everyone's liking, but I suspect more of us than would care to admit (!) still use it .....because Windows-using friends/family won't entertain the idea of anything else. And, to give M$ their due, it is pretty reliable again these days....

I've found for a while now that although the .deb packages will install, they won't always run. A modified .pet package I've been building for the last few releases seems to work OK.

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(Skype4Linux will now ONLY be available in 'portable' format, following my packaging "rationalisation" process.)

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So, I thought I'd share it with y'all. I can't speak for other Puppies, but this runs OK in Bionicpup 64, Xenialpup 64, josesjp2424's DPup Buster 64, and the 64-bit version of jrb's lightweight "take" on BK's Quirky April 7.0.1. I will endeavour to keep these packages up-to-date, but it takes some keeping on top of, since M$ seem to have coding diaorrhea when it comes to Skype. Average updates are between a week to 10 days, but sometimes you'll get 2 or 3 updates every 3-4 days.....like last week.

The older packages will continue to work, but there's an annoying bright red reminder right where it's designed to keep hitting you in the eye..!

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You'll always be able to find a (reasonably!) up-to-date 'portable' package here:-

Skype4Linux

Hope they're useful.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

A 'tidbit' of interesting info for y'all...

For ages, M$ have been promising to add video-calling functionality to the web-app version of Skype. Well, it appears it's finally here..!

https://web.skype.com/

Having built a Puppy 'portable' version of the new Edge for Linux the other night, I thought I'd try it out there.....and wasn't in the least bit surprised to find that 'Audio & Video' now appears in the Settings dialogue at long last. Here, I expected it, TBH...

I then tried it in Chrome. Again, it's there, too; everything functional.....it ALL works.

I then decided to try it in Iron. Here, it was a different story; 'Audio' settings, as always.....but NO 'Video'. Not really surprising, since Iron is privacy-orientated, and blocks a lot of things that normally connect with Google, MyCrudSoft, etc.

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Experimenting with various other clones - Vivaldi, Opera, Yandex, etc, it seems none of them support video functionality under Skype4Web, either. A little disappointing, yes.....but it's a start. At least the Chrome users among you can now make video-calls with the web version of Skype, right there in your browser.....without needing to install the desktop client for the job.

Softly, softly, catchee monkee..... Patience, never forget, IS supposed to be a 'virtue'!


Mike.

[Wiz57]

Having built a Puppy 'portable' version of the new Edge for Linux the other night, I thought I'd try it out there.....and wasn't in the least bit surprised to find that 'Audio & Video' now appears in the Settings dialogue at long last. Here, I expected it, TBH...

Ah hah! I was wondering if any intrepid Puppyists would try the new Edge for Linux!! I use it on my Win7 Ultimate 32 bit notebook, in Windows 7, and find it MUCH more stable and quicker than, dare I say it....Firefox ESR...I have 2 "User accounts" on that notebook in addition to the hidden "admin" and the "guest" user, the other 2 are myself and my wife.
I liked Edge on Win 7 so much I made it my default, but so far I've left my wife's account with Firefox ESR as default.
(Maybe I'll change hers someday when I'm ready to give "Browser use 102" course, if you catch my meaning.
SO...I'm assuming, since I didn't look at the sources myself, that Edge for Linux is probably 64 bit only?
Keep us informed, as I'm interested!
Wiz

[mikewalsh]

@wiz57 :-

Hiya, Wiz.

Yes, I'm afraid I did the unthinkable the other night, and deliberately created a portable version of the M$ 'flagship' browser...

Well, I said a while ago that I probably would when it arrived. They said 'sometime in October', so I've been keeping an eye on the M$ Insiders page for Edge. Not because I'm that excited about it, but as a user of Chromium-based browsers of many years standing I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. As it turns out, it's "so-so"; it's functional, and will get the job done, and it's stable.....though I don't like some of the 'tweaks' they've applied, or some of the things they've done to it.

But that's just me. (*shrug*)

It was only last night that it occurred to me that if Skype4Web would function fully anywhere, it was going to be in MyCrudSoft's own browser. So I had a look, and yes; it functioned, 100%.....there it was, in the Settings; 'Audio & Video'. They've been promising it for ages now, and they have - eventually! - made good on that promise. And confirms that Skype4Web and the Electron-based desktop client are in fact one and the same item.

I then tried Chrome out of curiosity, since it's where I spend most of my time these days. Damn me if it wasn't there, too. Which got me thinking.....and was why I tried it in Iron. If it was there in 64-bit Iron, there was an outside chance it might perhaps function in the 32-bit version, and perhaps give us a way of getting Skype back into 32-bit Pups!

But your assumption is right. MS Edge for Linux IS 64-bit only, as is the Skype desktop client. Between you and me, I think the only reason the video functionality shows up and behaves itself in Chrome is because M$ know darn well that Chrome has the lion's share of the browser market.....and is one of the first things many people install when they fire up Windoze for the 1st time. It's going to take Windoze users a good long while to get their heads around the fact that Windows actually has a halfway-decent default browser for the first time in living memory. It's going to be quite a novelty, I think, for some time to come..!

So; that gives us three options for Skype video-calling currently; as the web-app in either Edge for Linux OR Chrome, or as the desktop client. If you're curious about the Linux port of Edge, you can find the portable here:-

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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As with all my portables; d/l; unzip; put it wherever you want.....preferably outside the 'save'. Click to enter; click 'LAUNCH' to fire it up. Easy-peasy.

Remember; this is the very first Linux build. It's going to be rough round the edges for a while, but I'm hoping improvements will follow.


Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Evening, all.

As from the current version - Skype for Linux 8.68.76.35, released today - these Puppy packages will be available in traditional SFS format in addition to .pets. Many of you prefer these, I know, so.....here ya go.

Available from the link in post #1, above.

Enjoy!

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

New release of Skype4Linux - 8.68.76.91.

Available as either .pet or SFS, from the link in post #1.

Enjoy

Mike.

[rockedge]

@mikewalsh

Thanks for the PET! I still rely on Skype to communicate with my family spread across Europe and the United States. I am involved in some projects that distracted me from continuously updating Skype AND overcoming each update's new challenges getting Skype to start.

I went to the repo https://repo.skype.com/deb/pool/main/s/skypeforlinux/ for the usual versions I'll use and this time it was too long in between and hundreds of other programming problems to overcome that I just couldn't get Skype to start again and remember how I did it before. I was upset of course because the previous version which had worked, I no longer seem to have and I now wrecked the working version.

This PET rescued the day.

[rockedge]

can someone explain to me why Micro$$$$ finds the need to have continuous updates of their software that breaks completely the previous version.

I would not mind a couple of updates here and there to add new features or improve performance substantially, but this is just disturbing.

I have a web server running right now based on Puppy Linux Tahr-6.0.5 , Hiawatha and with the usual partners, that has been online almost continuously for 8 years. Other than tweak the hiawatha.conf file and change the virtual host sub net IP's and I've updated nothing. Systems runs and runs........all day all night not a single OS update. I haven't turned on the monitor in months...no need to.

[mikewalsh]

@rockedge :-

Ah..! If any of us knew the answer to THAT one, you would have there the answer to one of life's great mysteries, mate. MyCrudSoft sure as hell don't do anything because it needs doing.....in my view, they do so just because they CAN. They cannot leave well alone; they can't RESIST 'tweaking', even when it works perfectly OK.

I don't like using it anymore than the rest of us do. I keep it around because some family members won't use anything else.....although I have persuaded my sister to start using Google's "Duo" web-calling app; even she admits it's easier to use. And we both have GMail a/cs anyway, so I guess that helps 'lubricate' the process to some extent.....!

Mike

[mikewalsh]

Evening, boys & girls.

I'm really pleased to have finally sussed this one out, at long last.

Here, finally, is a truly 'portable' version of Skype.....which can be run from a location outside the save, shared between multiple Puppies, and can - if so desired - even be run from a flash drive!

Another one I've been working on for a while, and am now happy to be able to release for general use...

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The problem facing me here was the exact same one that faced me with the Opera-portable browser. Unlike the other 'portable' browsers, which look for their WidevineCDM directories within the portable directory itself, Opera insists on looking in the system's /opt/google/ directory for Widevine....and if it doesn't find it there, pouts, throws a wobbly, and point-blank refuses to play ball. So; to get around that issue, I built it so that the 'LAUNCH' script temporarily created /opt/google, & sym-linked the Widevine directory into it. At shutdown, the symlink & extra directory are deleted again. And it works beautifully.

Skype wants to play the same game. Since it has to be run-as-spot, it will ONLY look in /root/spot/.config for its profile directory & associated items.....and if it doesn't find them there, gets in a strop & won't come out to play! So; rinse & repeat.....the 'LAUNCH' script sym-links the expected items from the portable's in-built 'spot' directory across to /root/spot/.config, prior to firing-it up. At shut down, the sym-links are then removed again. The portable sets its own 'spot' permissions as it goes.

Which all seems to work rather well.

I've also included an additional script to transfer across your existing Skype settings. This transfers the appropriate items across to the correct locations in the portable's 'mini'-spot directory, followed by removal of any leftovers in root/spot/.config. If you want to do this, you should do so before trying to run the portable; you should also back your settings up somewhere safe at the same time, if you want to continue running Skype in the conventional way from .pet or SFS. If you don't, you will LOSE them.......because at launch, the portable has to delete any existing Skype config files in order for the sym-linking trick to work, since a sym-link cannot take precedence over a regular file.

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If interested, you can find the current 'portable' Skype build here:-

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

I haven't definitely decided yet, but I may end up only releasing the 'portable' Skype pretty soon. As with all my 'portables', not only is it more convenient to use, it's also a lot easier for yours truly to rebuild when it comes to upgrade time..... Same as always; d/l; unzip; put it anywhere you like (outside the 'save', naturally). Click to enter, click 'LAUNCH' to fire it up.

Enjoy.

Mike.

[rockedge]

@mikewalsh This version is working well for me and I am really glad I have it!

Good work Mike and I appreciate the efforts. It is vital for me to continue to use Skype and this portable is the ticket for the front row.

[mikewalsh]

@mikewalsh This version is working well for me and I am really glad I have it!

Good work Mike and I appreciate the efforts. It is vital for me to continue to use Skype and this portable is the ticket for the front row.

Ah, glad you 'approve', rockedge. Hell, if only Fred knew, all those many moons ago, just what he'd be kick-starting when he put that first 'portable-Firefox' together, eh?

The fact remains that many apps will respond well to conversion to 'portable' format.....far more, I suspect, than many people would realise. Some take a wee bit more 'head-scratching' than others, it's true, but they can mostly be sorted in the long run. And to my way of thinking, it's a more flexible format for Puppy, and suits her down to the ground.....especially since many of us run multiple Pups anyway. I won't deny the SFS format is definitely here to stay - and is certainly one of her strong 'selling-points' - but it's not so easy to share one of those between Puppies, is it?

Anyways; enjoy.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

New release - 8.69.76.21

Available from the link in post #1 - .pet/SFS/'portable'.

Enjoy!

Mike.

[rockedge]

@mikewalsh Great stuff, using it a lot still. One question though, is there a way to maintain persistence between shutdowns of Skype? So when I start it up I am already logged in? I never could get that to work in Puppy Linux. If I sort of remember it looks for the profile file somewhere different in Ubuntu or it can't write to the location so there is no profile configuration file to find and load. Hence the no remaining logged in.

Do you have any tips to getting the capability available?

[mikewalsh]

@rockedge :-

As far as I'm aware, Erik, there's no way to do this with the client....and I've tried, believe me. You CAN, however, do this in the webapp in Chrome, if you use a password manager. I use LastPass - have done for years - and as soon as I click on the bookmark, I'm logged-in and it's up-and-running..... As with Edge, the Skype webapp under Chrome now finally supports video-calling at long last (roughly since mid-November, I'd estimate).

Skype WebApp

Fortunately, I have a very hard-to-crack, yet easy to remember password, so I don't mind logging-in each time with the client. Horses for courses; there's precious little to choose between the two, though the client has perhaps the edge for overall smoothness of operation. The client is simply the web-app running under Electron anyway - Electron being basically a stripped-back Chromium using node.js and a few other odds-and-ends...

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Morning, all.

New version of Skype out now - 8.69.76.49. Available as .pet, SFS or 'portable', from the usual link in post #1.

Enjoy.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Afternoon, kiddiwinks.

New version of Skype out now - 8.69.76.76. Available as .pet, SFS or 'portable', from the usual link in post #1.

Enjoy..!

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Morning, all.

New version of Skype now available - 8.69.0.77 (no, the version numbering system makes no sense to me, either; does anything from M$..? ). Available as .pet, SFS or 'portable', from the usual link in post #1.

Working as well as ever.....though how the hell an older version number can be a more up-to-date release beats me.....

Enjoy..!

Mike.

[rockedge]

@mikewalsh Good stuff ! It's working well for me. Wish it would remain logged in persistently, but otherwise all systems are a Go and ready for lift off.

[mikewalsh]

@mikewalsh Good stuff ! It's working well for me. Wish it would remain logged in persistently, but otherwise all systems are a Go and ready for lift off.

@rockedge :-

Glad to be of service, young man...

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Well, now. M$ have rather caught me on the hop this time.

Standard procedure for Skype always used to be an update, regular as clockwork, every 10 days or so. The they went through a prolonged spell of sometimes intense activity, sometimes no activity at all.... The last update was over 2 months ago; I was beginning to think they'd abandoned our port of the beast..!

I was diligently checking every few days at one stage, but when weeks stretched into months I kinda let things slide, and I've been busy with a lot of other stuff recently anyway. Imagine my surprise when, upon checking this morning, I find there's been at least 4 new releases over the last 5 days.....2 in the same 24-hr period!

The size has also "ballooned", too. It's gone from around the 80 MB mark to approx 115MB or so; I have to assume they've been re-building their version of Electron to match the Edge browser, 'cos I honestly can't see what's to account for the additional 35 MB...

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Anyway; here's the Skype-portable version of v8.72.76.13. The numbering system seems to have become completely arbitrary as well; we went through 8.72 something like a year ago.....but according to the repos, this was released just 3 days ago, and it reads as "up-to-date".

(*shrug*)

You can find it at the usual location in post #1. D/l, unzip, put it anywhere you like, preferably outside the 'save'. Click to enter, click 'LAUNCH' to fire it up. Config stuff remains within the portable directory at all times, and is just sym-linked out to the expected locations at 'run-time'.

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I'm rationalising my packaging system, so from this release on I will only be providing Skype AS a 'portable'. I can't imagine, with the huge increase in size, that anyone will want to have this permanently in the 'save' any longer.....so the 'portable' is, IMHO, the ideal solution.

Hope it's useful.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Afternoon, all.

We're back to new versions every few days after a 2-month long hiatus..!

The new release of Skype came out less than 48hrs ago, so.....here's the new 'portable' version of v8.72.76.29.

Available from the usual location in post #1. D/l; unzip; locate where you like (outside the 'save', of course). Click to enter, click 'LAUNCH' to fire it up.

Enjoy.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Afternoon, gang.

.....aaand another new release. Skype is now sitting at v8.72.76.44, for those of you who want/need/like the "latest & greatest". Link at the usual location, in post #1.

Enjoy.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Afternoon, all.

v8.72.76.72 has just been released. Find the 'portable' version at the usual location in post #1.

Enjoy.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Evening, gang.

Skype v8.73.76.16 has just been released, so here's the 'portable'. Find it at the usual link in post #1.

Have fun.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

....annnd now v8.73.76.33 has come down the tubes. Find it at the usual link in post #1.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

.....and here's the 'portable' package of v8.73.76.49. The download link is in post #1, as always.

Enjoy.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

Day or two late, but.....what the hell. Life won't suddenly come to a crashing halt..!

v8.73.76.83 was released Friday, so here's the 'portable' version for y'all. Get it from the link in post #1, as usual.

Enjoy!

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

....annnd the next update. Gawd knows what they keep fixing; MyCrudSoft will never tell you, but at least it does work!

v8.74.76.15

Find it at the usual link in post #1. Have fun.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

New version:-

v8.74.76.113

Find it at the usual link in post #1. Enjoy!

Mike.