Skype Claims "Exciting" Linux News Next Week

[kalin]

I put untrusty software in virtual machine... skype is next

[SaucyJack]

Michael hasn't covered this, but phone calls in Skype Web client now work in Google Chrome and Chome OS. This happened yesterday. Video calls don't yet work, but I guess they will given the fact that Edge allows this.

So the big news is that Microsoft deprecates the Linux client and invites everyone to switch to their cloud based web Skype client.

Good bye complete conversation history (Skype for web allows to dig through the last 30 days only). Hello, complete surveillance. Not only they can now access your conversation history, but your sent/received files as well.

They could do this all already. They use a MITM SSL style server, everything is safely encrypted... until it reaches microsoft's servers where they decrypt it and record/listen to everything.

[ssokolow]

I'd actually like this... you need to be online to use Skype anyways so why even have a local app. I'm all for local apps in general, but if it means one version that has all the features and works everywhere, it would be a lot easier to maintain and improve

edit: I should mention the only reason i care about skype at all is I need it at work and it doesn't work on my linux or chromebook machines. I have to use android to go to my vendor's meetings.

I'd like a full-function web offering too. Ever since appear.in got good enough, I removed Skype from my grandfathered-in list of exceptions to my "only games may be closed-source" policy. (I'm currently preparing to axe Dropbox)

I never used Skype for anything but prearranged calls anyway because of how poorly the remote-control plugin integrated it into Pidgin. (ie. It doesn't get along well with my anti-spam plugins, it doesn't work with an end-to-end encryption plugin like OffTheRecord, it's an extra tray icon when LXPanel doesn't have a "hide tray icons" feature, etc.)

[Alliancemd]

Why do you guys speculate?
Didn't you hear? You will be able to do Audio calls in the web client(web.skype.com), these are the news...
Although there will be no video support yet.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/30916...e-for-web.html

[Aisyk]

mmm... Skype for Windows 10's bash ?

[DrYak]

Michael hasn't covered this, but phone calls in Skype Web client now work in Google Chrome and Chome OS.

Which also means support in gstreamer using their WebRTC implementation.

Goodbye complete conversation history (Skype for web allows to dig through the last 30 days only). Hello, complete surveillance. Not only they can now access your conversation history, but your sent/received files as well.

The good news regarding history is that the usual suspect for everything Pidgin related - Eion Robb - has already implemented a pidgin plugin called SkypeWeb that uses the same JSON API as web.skype.com
So you get full history support and possible OTR if both end points implement it (pidgin or whatever is the current OTR equivalent of Mailvelope)

Last time i looked, he was also playing with trying to get microsoft's ORTC to work (their variant of webrtc used in edge and web.skype.com)

[DrYak]

Michael hasn't covered this, but phone calls in Skype Web client now work in Google Chrome and Chome OS.

Which also means support in gstreamer using their WebRTC implementation.

Goodbye complete conversation history (Skype for web allows to dig through the last 30 days only). Hello, complete surveillance. Not only they can now access your conversation history, but your sent/received files as well.

The good news regarding history is that the usual suspect for everything Pidgin related - Eion Robb - has already implemented a pidgin plugin called SkypeWeb that uses the same JSON API as web.skype.com
So you get full history support and possible OTR if both end points implement it (pidgin or whatever is the current OTR equivalent of Mailvelope)

Last time i looked, he was also playing with trying to get microsoft's ORTC to work (their variant of webrtc used in edge and web.skype.com)

[higuita]

Yes, this is a move to push all people to the webclient and finally drop the old linux client (that is limited, heavy and with some annoying bug)
Of course, all old features are not supported in the webclient, so many channels, bots and integrations will disapear

At my work, they are too late, we are happy switching to slack (not perfect, specially the UI, but the all the integrations and bots are a HUGE win over skype) and appear.in (that is awesome!)

There are many IM out there, skype is being annihilated as a work tool (except in the high MS centric companies, with the exchange lynx, but not everyone use it) , already lost the home user race and as phone alternative is being replaced by several other tools that can also do that and the WebRTC standard in modern browsers opens the way to a lot more people use it instead of having to install skype.

So goodby MS skype, die well

[Nobu]

I stopped caring when I could no longer log in with my linked account and they started insisting I create a password for my account instead, and then I still couldn't log in because I needed the unsupported prefix to designate my linked account. Or something like that, anyway--it's been a while since I've even tried.

[AppTeF]

For me, Skype didn't exist since there's is toon of bugs on Linux and there's no way to fix wrong code.
The only good think MS can do is to release the source code of skype but that will never append, MS is a closed source only :/

The skype web app… hm I don't think I'll use that while I'm playing (btw, did that even work when connected ingame ? Or do we have to stick on the web app / brower to talk ?)