[HowTo] Install Skype on Puppy

[anikin]

Run this in the terminal to check to see if sse2 is there:

Code: Select all

grep --color=always -iw sse2 /proc/cpuinfo

[jhecht]

I see two main possibilities:

1) If your processor has no SSE2 then Skyping is off the menu for you. Can you find a model number on your Ideapad?

No SSE2 (or SSE) was listed when I ran the hardinfo proggie. Is there another way to check?

2) From your comments earlier I get the feeling that you may have remnants of multiple skype installs and this may be upsetting things. Do you have access to an ecternal CD drive for this netbook? If so it would make it very easy to load a "live session" of Slacko 5.7..0 which is unadulterated. If you can boot in this manner, then try whichever pet you prefer, the results of that trial should be conclusive one way or the other.

I have an external USB CD drive. That's how I loaded Slacko 5.7.0 in the first place. I'll try that test and let you know the results. Thanks!

But, but - before I do that, is there no way to purge all Skype elements from the computer? Can't I just make hidden folders visible with the magic eye, and flush all Skype-thingies?

[bigpup]

But, but - before I do that, is there no way to purge all Skype elements from the computer? Can't I just make hidden folders visible with the magic eye, and flush all Skype-thingies?

If you installed Skype using a pet of it.
The install should be listed in the uninstall list in PPM (Puppy package manager)
Remove it using PPM should get everything removed.

You can do a search in Pfind for Skype.
That should bring up a list of everything Skype.
In Pfind you can right click on any listed item and get a menu with option to delete.

[greengeek]

No SSE2 (or SSE) was listed when I ran the hardinfo proggie. Is there another way to check?

Try anikins command shown in the post above yours - very nifty - it displays all the flags and highlights the sse2 string if it's there.

I have an external USB CD drive. That's how I loaded Slacko 5.7.0 in the first place. I'll try that test and let you know the results.

Remember to enter the following command at the boot prompt:
puppy pfix=ram
Just to ensure it stays a pristine boot

But, but - before I do that, is there no way to purge all Skype elements from the computer? Can't I just make hidden folders visible with the magic eye, and flush all Skype-thingies?

Got me there - I just don't know. If your install was a frugal one it would be easy to hide the savefile (and all it's internal changes and add-ons) but I just don't know the best way to flush a full install. I'd be concerned that it would be easy to miss just one small file and beggar everything up.

I reckon anikins test is the starting point (or ending point depending on your results...) followed by the CD boot if you think your cpu has the sse2.

[greengeek]

ps: a lot of the files used by skype have names that dont look anything like "skype" so there would still be the risk of missing something...

EDIT : Here is a sprinkling of what Windows users think of the SSE2 requirement:
http://community.skype.com/t5/Windows-d ... -p/3587375

Not just Linux affected by this.

[jhecht]

From the feedback here, I think my best (fastest) option is to simply wipe and reload Puppy Linux. After that, I can install (hopefully) Skype. I've got a USB CD/DVD drive I can plug in to do so. It means reinstalling Team Viewer and re-copying my friend's data, but that's pretty quick.

Then, I can test Skype from a 'live CD' boot, and once I figure out what to do, I'll have a clean Puppy install to work with. I'll post the results once done.

Thanks to everyone here for their help!!

[greengeek]

John - wait up! You don't have to modify or delete your current Puppy installation in order to to try the live CD boot.

When you boot from CD you will see the 'boot:' prompt which will give you a few seconds where you can enter the following parameter:

puppy pfix=ram

This will load the CD code direct into RAM and ignore your hard drive installation. Once Puppy is running in ram you will need to click the 'connect' icon on the desktop to temporarily set up the network connection, then you can mount the hard drive, run whichever skype pet you want to load, then try it and see what happens.

None of this will or modify (or be affected by) your existing puppy installation - as long as when you shut down you select the "DO NOT SAVE" option.

[rufwoof]

@John

Is there any way you can boot another vmlinuz/initrd to your usual one? i.e. do you have grub4dos or a PXE server that you can net boot from?

Assuming you can then download the vmlinuz and initrd.lzo from here http://tinyurl.com/ngf6snn and boot using those i.e. grub menu entry something like

title Puppy 533t
root (hd0,2)
kernel /Puppy_533t/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd pfix=ram
initrd /Puppy_533t//initrd.lzo

you may (probably) have to change the (hd0,2) to something else - typically the first number is the drive number and the second is the partition in that drive, counting from zero i.e. mine is /mnt/sda3 so sda = first hard drive so number = 0, and third partition so second number is 2.

The initrd.lzo is similar to initrd.gz that are more commonly used, but it used LZO compression instead of gzip compression. The initrd.lzo is also big (around 180MB) as it also contains puppy sfs internally to that.

If you can boot that - just select the VESA option during the boot process, then connect to the net by clicking the network tray icon and then open /root/my-applications and in that directory there's a get-latest-firefox script that will ... surprise surprise download the latest firefox. Once that's downloaded open something like /root/my-applications/Firefoxnnnn/opt/program/firefox sub directory and click on firefox to run the browser and revisit the URL again and grab the biggy (500MB) officelzop1.sfs file. Once that's downloaded right click and sfs load it and that will include skype4.3 (together with Libre office, Audacity, Open Shot, Blender, xvidcap, flash Qt and full blown inkscape. Python is also wrapped up into that lot as well).

I find that running vesa is fine as that puppy also includes mesa so the graphics speed/quality is generally acceptable enough not to need having to install a specific graphics card driver, excepting if you're doing some high power graphics stuff.

That Slacko 533t based puppy has the Slacko 5.7 kernel, so it supports recent hardware. The normal puppy menu has been relegated to a right click of the desktop. Avoid the main menu as it takes some other installation activity to get that working correctly i.e. use the right click desktop menu to start up skype etc, not the normal main menu button.

All this assumes you have 1GB+ ram and 1.2GB of disk space+

[jhecht]

Run this in the terminal to check to see if sse2 is there:

Code: Select all

grep --color=always -iw sse2 /proc/cpuinfo

Opened terminal and typed code >exactly< as shown above, like this:
grep(space)--color=always(space)-iw(space)sse2(space)/proc/cpuinfo

Code worked, and gave me a list of flags with sse2 listed twice, and highlighted with red colored text. So that much works.

This is in a brand-new install of Puppy 5.70 on a Lenovo Ideapad netbook. No modifications to the Puppy install, and (hardwired) Internet works. I'll deal with the wireless later.

[jhecht]

If you installed Skype using a pet of it.
The install should be listed in the uninstall list in PPM (Puppy package manager)
Remove it using PPM should get everything removed.

For some arcane reason Skype didn't show up in PPM, even though I did use a pet for the install. I gave up, wiped the computer, and reinstalled Puppy 5.7.0. Puppy works fine (so dog-gone fast!) And I put TeamViewer back fairly painlessly. I used TV 9 this time, not TV 10, and it was OK. There >may< be a problem with TV 10, as it was giving me a hard time, but I can't remember the details - sorry.

Now if I can just get Skype working... I looked at some of the Skype alternatives, and will go that route if I must, but Skype is the most common chat program in Windows, and the computer's owner has some Skype-friends outside the US...

[jhecht]

Is there any way you can boot another vmlinuz/initrd to your usual one? i.e. do you have grub4dos or a PXE server that you can net boot from?

Wow, rufwoof - what a precise, detailed, lengthy reply! Thank you!

Some of your ideas are a little advanced for me, so I'll break my reply up into several discrete posts.

I know (after research) that vmlinuz is a compressed Linux kernel, and initrd is the startup ramdisk thingy, but have no idea how to change them, and have never worked with either one. Grub4dos >is< included in my new Puppy loadup,

Thanks again rufwoof - Puppy users are the >best< support group I've ever found! And I'm a pro desktop computer tech working on both Window$ and Macinto$h for $$$, so I talk to a lot of user groups...

More in my next post.

[anikin]

...Opened terminal and typed code >exactly< as shown above,...

You can just copy the text and insert/paste it into the terminal by simultaneously pressing the left shift and insert keys on the keyboard.

- Puppy users are the >best< support group I've ever found!

Very much true! ... provided, of course, you don't exclude Semme from the list.

[rufwoof]

I know (after research) that vmlinuz is a compressed Linux kernel, and initrd is the startup ramdisk thingy, but have no idea how to change them, and have never worked with either one. Grub4dos >is< included in my new Puppy loadup,

vmlinuz is the kernel, initrd is initialise ramdisk into which a cut down linux is loaded and then that small linux has disk drivers loaded and it scans for puppy sfs which is a squashed file system containing the main full (well large) linux, drivers etc. Grub4dos needs pointers to where those vmlinuz and initrd files are located and you can list more than one set so that when you boot the menu can be scrolled through to pick which one you want to load/boot.

To try another puppy for instance you can download perhaps the ISO and click on that to open it and copy the vmlinuz, initrd.xx and usually puppyxxx.sfs files to a directory somewhere say called puppy_lighthouse and then edit grub4dos menu.lst to add that choice i.e. point kernel to /puppy_lighthouse/vmlinuz and initrd to /puppy_lighthouse/initrd.gz. So you don't have to burn CD after CD trying different puppy's.

BTW I've changed and uploaded a new version of the files I outlined earlier,. all you now require is the initrd.lzo and vmlinuz from that http://tinyurl.com/ngf6snn link. initrd.lzo is the big one of the two at around 180MB.

If/once you get that booting via grub4dos and assuming you have a modest PC with >1.5GB of ram - and your bandwidth isn't limited/restricted, then in the HOME directory (/root) there's a file called wgetoffice. SINGLE click that and it will pull down the 500MB office file and install that, Once that finishes downloading you'll have Skype, Libre Office, Openshot video editor, Blender 3D animation, Audacity sound editing, XvidCap screen video recorder as well as PXE server etc. The main menu (bottom left) will run as intended in that new version with no further adjustments being required.

That puppy isn't intended to use a save file i.e. it boots the exact same each and every time. If you make changes they'll be lost (no persistence). One choice however is to remaster i.e. menu, config, remaster which will create new version of initrd.lzo and vmlinuz in the /root directory that you can use to replace the original ones that you booted from (actually vmlinuz remains unchanged so its only initrd.lzo that needs to be swapped out). Depending upon your PC it takes typically 30 seconds to 1 minute for the remaster process to run through. Best to always keep copies of original initrd.lzo to hand just in case you foul things up. As you add more stuff however remastering takes longer (and the amount of time to boot increases). i.e. if you remastered with all those Skype, Libre ...etc apps installed the initrd.lzo would grow to be very big and take a while to boot. What many do therefore is keep the sfs's separate i.e. that wgetoffice script downloads officelzop1.sfs into the /OFFICE directory and if you copied that to hard disk then next time you boot you don't have to download it but can just navigate to where you stored it on the hard disk and right-click it and select the load sfs option.

Others use savefiles that record changes so that the changes remain persistent across reboots. Yet others do full installs. I don't particularly like either of those choices myself as I like to play around with the system/programs and prefer the option of a reboot resetting back to a working system by default, and remastering if I want to make any changes persistent.

[jhecht]

- Puppy users are the >best< support group I've ever found!

Very much true! ... provided, of course, you don't exclude Semme from the list.

I don't exclude anybody - even folks I have a (hopefully) temporary disjunction with. Everybody has bad days...

All I ask is that other Puppyians show civility in their replies. I try to offer courtesy to all - even if I disagree with them - and expect it in return. I think that's an appropriate viewpoint...

[jhecht]

vmlinuz is the kernel, initrd is initialise ramdisk into which a cut down linux is loaded and then that small linux has disk drivers loaded and it scans for puppy sfs which is a squashed file system containing the main full (well large) linux, drivers etc...

Thanks for your detailed and erudite post - I'll reply in more depth asap.

Have you ever considered writing an e-book on Linux? You know Linux well, and write in a clear, understandable style. My techy book on wiring earned me a few thousand bucks - maybe a Linux e-book could net you a few dineros. FWIW, I'm a good editor (grin).

But for now, I'd like to focus on my immediate need, which is to get Skype installed on my friend's Netbook (if possible) or get a Skype alternative working, and get it back to her, so she can use it. My friend is smart, but non-technical - doesn't want to experiment, just wants things to work, once she's learned how to use them.

In my ignorance, I did a full install of Slacko Puppy 5.7.0, thinking it would be more robust, and even went so far as to create a swap partition. I also installed TeamViewer 9, as the install seemed to go better than the TV 10 install, but I'm hazy on the details.

That's all working well, so my next issue is Skype or a Skype alternative. Given that the computer is going to a smart but not techy person, what do you think my best option is for Skype-like functions? The Skype is mainly for my remote support, and a few friends she has, so if another program or a website is easier to work with, I'm happy to switch. Your advice? Thanks!

[OscarTalks]

so my next issue is Skype or a Skype alternative.

There is no alternative that I know of if the person needs to be able to talk to other people who are using Skype.

I would have expected my apulse version (as mentioned earlier in this thread) to work. If you have previously installed one of those workaround packages for an older Skype in a full install it may be that something left over from that is causing the connection problem.

If you know what Skype package it was you could download it and unpack it to reveal all the file structure and then just go through and delete everything manually from your system. It shouldn't be too complicated as a lot of it will just all be in one directory. Make sure to also delete directory and contents /root/.Skype as well as others have mentioned (not sure if you have done that).

[jhecht]

so my next issue is Skype or a Skype alternative.

There is no alternative that I know of if the person needs to be able to talk to other people who are using Skype.

Sorry, I was not being clear. It is possible for both me, and any person I need to talk with, to >switch< from Skype to any other (free) program, or use a website to enable two-way speech. Video is nice, but not essential.

I would have expected my apulse version (as mentioned earlier in this thread) to work. If you have previously installed one of those workaround packages for an older Skype in a full install it may be that something left over from that is causing the connection problem.

Your version may well work, I'll try it.

If you know what Skype package it was you could download it and unpack it to reveal all the file structure and then just go through and delete everything manually from your system. It shouldn't be too complicated as a lot of it will just all be in one directory. Make sure to also delete directory and contents /root/.Skype as well as others have mentioned (not sure if you have done that).

(sigh) I should flog myself to make work notes as I go along - but I didn't. I currently have a new Puppy install on the Netbook, with no Skype packages. Could you give me a link to your apulse version, so I can get it quickly for a test? That way I don't to search lots of pages for your download link. Many thanks!

[OscarTalks]

You can use a SIP softphone for calls to (theoretically) any other SIP softphone. I really like Linphone which has video if you want it. We also have PSIP Puppy Phone which works very well for audio but does not do video.
My Skype and Linphone packages are all in my Smokey01 repo here:-
http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks
You have the Skype with apulse (try first) or the Skype with pulseaudio for Slacko (14.0) and the Linphone for Slacko 5.6 will work in 5.7 but you should experiment to see if the original build or the xv build gives you video (enable self view to see if you get an image).

[jhecht]

My Skype and Linphone packages are all in my Smokey01 repo here:-
http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks
You have the Skype with apulse (try first) or the Skype with pulseaudio for Slacko (14.0) and the Linphone for Slacko 5.6 will work in 5.7 but you should experiment to see if the original build or the xv build gives you video (enable self view to see if you get an image).

I d/l the skype-4.3.0.37pulseaudioslacko 4.0.pet package, and it >installed< and runs Skype. Yay! Very >many< thanks! Now I need to test it. Stay tuned for late-breaking news. Is that the second package you meant? I may not have gone down the list far enough to see the first package.

UPDATE: Skype installed and runs. Can even do text both ways, so not too shabby. BUT - on the Linux side, can't hear, mic doesn't work, can't use the built in webcam either. I >was able to hear< music I d/l or played from a CD, so I think hearing problem is Skype, not system. Now I have the same problems as everybody else. Your advice, please?

[greengeek]

To see if your webcam is functional in Slacko open a terminal and enter the following:

mplayer tv:///dev/video0

or this:

mplayer tv:// -tv driver=v4l2:width=640:height=480:device=/dev/video0

It is just a basic test, but you should see the webcam output.
.