Skype 4.2.0.13

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mcewanw
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JACK versus PulseAudio

#61 Post by mcewanw »

jamesbond wrote: If they do want to use a "middleware" layer to hide platform-dependence code, then there are many better libraries. They can use portaudio, or use SDL, etc. that does force the end-user to install craptastic crash-prone "audio server". Heck, if they need "low-latency" audio then use JACK, for example. But pulseaudio?
Well, there are too many partial solutions in the Linux audio world, but the problem is partly finding a solution that fills all the needs on a modern system. I'm not sure about portaudio, whether it is now able to work with JACK (apparently that was problematic). JACK is designed to provide low-latency with apps designed to use JACK but other apps need to use the likes of ALSA loopback devices with JACK and lose any low-latency advantages in doing so. Jack is certainly the musicians choice, it seems, for these apps designed to use it. However, Skype is not a specialised music app; rather it needs designed to work as smoothly and easily as possible on a standard desktop system. JACK webpage compares the two and points to their uses as follows:

http://jackaudio.org/faq/pulseaudio_and_jack.html
PulseAudio and JACK can appear to have similar goals to many people, and they wonder why its not possible to replace one with the other. However, beyond a very superficial similarity, they really do not have much in common:

PulseAudio is focused on desktop and mobile audio needs. It doesn't try to address low latency usage, but does provide seamless device switching, network routing, global per-application volume control and lots more great stuff.
JACK is focused on the needs of pro-audio and music creation users. It offers the lowest possible latency, complete routing flexibility between applications and audio hardware, and all audio is always sample synchronized - apps don't run ahead or behind of others. It doesn't provide the smooth desktop experience that PulseAudio is aiming at.
I can myself therefore understand Microsoft choosing to go with PulseAudio. Kind of... :-) I think it is more to do with so many major distributions providing pulseaudio on their default installations though. In that regard, I believe many Linux users (on Ubuntu and Fedora and the like) were reporting problems getting old Skypes to work with their system's pulseaudio setup. The easiest way round that for Skype was to redesign their app to drive pulseaudio rather than direct to alsa, and leave it up to the individual distribution administrators to setup their pulseaudio installations such that they worked properly out of the box (with the underlying alsa). In that case, any complaint should maybe be pointed towards Ubuntu and Fedora and so on, for adopting pulseaudio rather than say JACK (and maybe JACK would have been able to address any shortcomings it has compared to pulseaudio as a desktop audio middlelayer solution). However, things are as they are.

I certainly agree that the best would be if Skype would leave previous code for direct Alsa use as at least an option, which is particularly useful for systems like Puppy. It worked for most of it, and presumably provided lowest latency (even Jack needs to go through the likes of ALSA) so why throw it away? Maybe we need some sort of 'fake' or dummy pulseaudio layer, which isn't a server per se but just re-routes calls to pulseaudio API through to ALSA somehow? I don't know if that is possible or not.

EDIT: Here is a link to an interesting, albeit somewhat old, article that might to some extent still explain why Skype want to use pulseaudio and not JACK:

http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/when-p ... n-not.html

Note that pulseaudio does include mechanisms for the voip app to request latency settings, though it seems that the latency requested cannot generally be guaranteed:

http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Softwar ... cyControl/

In any case, low latency generally means higher power consumption, which is not what mobile devices want, and pulseaudio attempts to provide dynamic configuration, which JACK apparently doesn't and Alsa alone can't.

Cheers,

William
github mcewanw

fobq
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Joined: Mon 19 Aug 2013, 11:41
Location: Hungary

#62 Post by fobq »

I'm afraid there isn't yet a "one size fits all" package of the latest Skype that will work for everybody. For Precise Puppy I suggest you go to http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks and install pulseaudio-2.0-i486-w5.pet and then either the .pet or the .sfs of skype-4.3.0.37-experiment
I installed them, but I still can not sign in. I tried out Skype 2.2, 4.2.0.11, 4.2.0.13, 4.3.037-experiment, but the same problem.
What could I do else?

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saintless
Posts: 3862
Joined: Sat 11 Jun 2011, 13:43
Location: Bulgaria

#63 Post by saintless »

fobq wrote:What could I do else?
Delete /root/.Skype directory, start Skype 4.3.0.37 and try to login.

If you still can't login uninstall and unload any Skype pet and sfs files you have. Remove any manually pasted Skype executable (if there is one).
Delete /root/.Skype directory.
Install only Skype 4.3.0.37 (no need to install pulseaudio for testing login).
Start Skype and try to login. If you can't login with 4.3.0.37 there is a problem with your firewall settings most probably. Try to create new account to see if you can connect to Skype servers. Test with deactivated firewall.
No need to try old version if you can't login with 4.3.0.37.

fobq
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon 19 Aug 2013, 11:41
Location: Hungary

#64 Post by fobq »

Thanks, I followed your instructions and Skype now works.
There is just a little problem with the microphone - it is chruching.
I wanted to run pulseaudio to modify settings, but I got this:

Code: Select all

# pulseaudio
W: [pulseaudio] main.c: This program is not intended to be run as root (unless --system is specified).
W: [pulseaudio] sink.c: Default and alternate sample rates are the same.
W: [pulseaudio] source.c: Default and alternate sample rates are the same.
How to modify mic settings?

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saintless
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Location: Bulgaria

#65 Post by saintless »

Sorry, fobq, I use Skype 4.3.0.37 only to setup autologin account for older Skype to work. I do not have pulseaudio installed.
You will find suggestions about pulseaudio settings and more help here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=94807
Or use Skype 4.2 or 2.2 as it is explained here (they will work now since you can login with Skype 4.3.0.37):
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=95202

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ninotix
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Joined: Wed 18 Dec 2013, 19:14
Location: Croatia Zagreb

#66 Post by ninotix »

edit: never mind http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks/skype-4. ... recise.pet works like a charm on precise pups
Last edited by ninotix on Fri 06 Feb 2015, 18:24, edited 1 time in total.

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sunburnt
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Joined: Wed 08 Jun 2005, 23:11
Location: Arizona, U.S.A.

#67 Post by sunburnt »

nitotix; SFS files please. SFS files don`t fill up Puppy`s Save file...
And perhaps just combine the QT SFS you link to and your Skype into 1 SFS.

A run script to detect if PulseAudio is running, and run it if it`s not would be nice.

Note: Use the URL button to make your links work.
.

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sunburnt
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#68 Post by sunburnt »

I merged the Skype + PulseAudio .pet pkg. and the QT sfs pkg. into: skype-4.3.37_pulseaudio_qt.4.8.5_Precise.sfs

It`s 56 MB in size, not too bad. I don`t have a Skype account, so I can`t test it.
And I have no download box to offer it up to you guys.

Too bad Skype can`t be compiled to work with GTK instead... :?
.

slenkar
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat 11 Jul 2009, 01:26

#69 Post by slenkar »

when I run pulseaudio --start
I dont get sound,
looking at pulseaudio volume control it says I dont have any hardware devices or cards

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

#70 Post by watchdog »

slenkar wrote:when I run pulseaudio --start
I dont get sound,
looking at pulseaudio volume control it says I dont have any hardware devices or cards
You are in the wrong place: this thread is not about skype 4.3. Read:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 291#800291

and the following posts. If you have problem using apulse (instead of pulseaudio) than post there.

slenkar
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat 11 Jul 2009, 01:26

#71 Post by slenkar »

ok thanks

skelnet
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon 19 Jan 2015, 15:15

#72 Post by skelnet »

Thank you OscarTalks, it works like a charm under Puppy Lucid 528 with XFCE4!

Pelo

I have never used Skype

#73 Post by Pelo »

I have never used Skype. But as Skype is installed in my new Puppy PRER (Racy 5.5.) I check further in your topic how this (famous) Skype works . (Boomarked)
I hope i will not l :P ose my time
hum... yet Racy runs a Qt version....
Ah just above i understand i am in the wrong place "You are in the wrong place: this thread is not about skype 4.3. Read: "
In fact search tool skype category internet lead me here. Soory.

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