Skype has always been one of the most popular services for contacting people over the internet. This service allows you do video chatting, file sharing in an easy manner. Developed and maintained by Microsoft, Skype is also used in enterprise level.
If you’re running Linux, you might find it difficult to install Skype on your system. Don’t worry, as Skype is also available for Linux system. All you have to do is install it in the right method according to your Linux distro.
Prerequisite
For Linux installation, we’ll be using “snapd” feature. It’s a universal method of installing different programs into almost all the major versions of Linux. Depending on your distro, install “snapd” first.
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Debian/Ubuntu
If your distro is Debian, Ubuntu or any other distro based on them, installing “snapd” is quite simple. Just execute the following command in a terminal.
$ sudo apt install snapd
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Arch Linux
It’s a higher grade of Linux distro. However, it’s a bit difficult one. In order to install “snapd” easily, you need to install another tool “Yaourt” first.
Let’s install “Yaourt”. Run the following command:
$ sudo nano /etc/pacman.conf
This will open up the configuration file. At the bottom of the file, add these lines, save and close.
[archlinuxfr] SigLevel = Never Server = http://repo.archlinux.fr/$arch
Update your Arch Linux repository and install “Yaourt” using the following command.
$ sudo pacman -Syy $ sudo pacman -Syu $ sudo pacman -Sy yaourt
Now, install “snapd”.
$ sudo yaourt -S snapd $ sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
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Fedora
It’s quite a nice Linux distro for developers. If you’re running Fedora, you can easily install “snapd” by running the following commands:
sudo dnf install snapd sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snap
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OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE comes up in 2 different variations – Tumbleweed and Leap. Depending on your version, run the following commands in a terminal.
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Tumbleweed
$ sudo zypper addrepo http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/system:/snappy/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/ snappy
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Leap
$ sudo zypper addrepo http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/system:/snappy/openSUSE_Leap_42.3/ snappy
Now, your system is ready to install “snapd”.
$ sudo zypper install snapd $ sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
How to install Skype
If you’ve successfully modified your system according to the instructions before, installing Skype is just simple. Run the following commands to install Skype. Note that the commands are for all editions of Linux distros stated above.
First, let “snapd” to find out Skype from its repository.
$ snap find skype
Now, install Skype via “snapd”.
$ sudo snap install skype --classic
Starting Skype
After the process is complete, you’re free to use Skye client. You can either start it from the “Apps” menu or run this command in a terminal. However, there’s a good chance that Skype won’t be available from “Apps” menu, so using the command will ensure successful startup.
$ skype
The interface will look just like this:
If you’re on Linux, I bet that Firefox is the easiest option for you, as it comes up pre-installed with most of the major Linux distros. However, you’re free to install Opera. Learn how to install Opera browser on Linux.
