A workable way to install skype 4.3 in puppy

[8-bit]

Is there yet another updated verson of Skype out?
I ask because I recently got two emails from Skype saying that since I was shown as signing up for Sype at one time, I should go to their site and download the latest version of Skype for Linux.

[neerajkolte]

Dear All,

Is there a way to install skype 4.3.0.37 on fatdog, which is 64bit puppy linux?

Sincerely,
Srinivas Nayak

Hi Shrinivas,
See Fatdog'sPost for announcement for updated Skype .sfs file.

Thanks.

- Neeraj.

[jamesbond]

I confirm. I use qt 4.7.1 from expired puppeee repository in my old puppies. It works with recent puppies, too. I shared my download:

http://www.4shared.com/file/Fs1zcssq/qt-471.html

Thanks watchdog for the confirmation. Question: there are two download links that you shared - one in 4shared and one in google-docs. Are they identical? I've gotten the one from google-docs because the 4shared one always ask me to login with facebook, twitter, etc etc id which I don't have.

@8-bit: no, the latest is still 4.3.0.37.

[watchdog]

I confirm. I use qt 4.7.1 from expired puppeee repository in my old puppies. It works with recent puppies, too. I shared my download:

http://www.4shared.com/file/Fs1zcssq/qt-471.html

Thanks watchdog for the confirmation. Question: there are two download links that you shared - one in 4shared and one in google-docs. Are they identical?

Yes, they are identical. I uploaded to google-docs because I have abandoned 4shared. Now using copy.com:

https://copy.com/jPgMxCfDspnE

[watchdog]

I am still having the same problem with garbled voice playback from Skype test calls on Lucid Puppy 5.2.8.

My lucid is well working for skype with OscarTalks pets. Can you try with a different machine? I think it could be a hardware problem or a bad connection. Also try the workaround to use skype 4.2: are there problems with the older version?

[watchdog]

I have found another build of qt4 by pemasu which works in wary and slacko (perhaps precise, too) with the pulseudio-2.0 in testing:

http://smokey01.com/pemasu/QT-4.8.0-dpu ... t-dpup.pet

[OscarTalks]

Try the configure line I gave you (change --prefix=/opt/pa3-32 to the usual ones that you use).

Hello Jamesbond,

I tried pulseaudio-4.0 in Lucid replacing your --prefix with --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --localstatedir=/var (I prefer the conf files to be in /etc rather than /usr/etc)

With this the building of the jack module throws an error, but this happens with all the pulseaudio versions in Lucid so I have to add --disable-jack to configure. When I do that I get to this error:-

Code: Select all

 CC     pulseaudio-dumpmodules.o
daemon/dumpmodules.c: In function 'is_preloaded':
daemon/dumpmodules.c:95: error: 'lt__PROGRAM__LTX_preloaded_symbols' undeclared (first use in this function)
daemon/dumpmodules.c:95: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
daemon/dumpmodules.c:95: error: for each function it appears in.)
daemon/dumpmodules.c: In function 'pa_dump_modules':
daemon/dumpmodules.c:138: error: 'lt__PROGRAM__LTX_preloaded_symbols' undeclared (first use in this function)
make[3]: *** [pulseaudio-dumpmodules.o] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory `/initrd/mnt/dev_save/pulseaudio-4.0/src'
make[2]: *** [all] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/initrd/mnt/dev_save/pulseaudio-4.0/src'
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/initrd/mnt/dev_save/pulseaudio-4.0'
make: *** [all] Error 2

in all versions above 2.1 which I don't know how to fix. I have tried disabling more stuff but the result is the same.

@ everyone
On my old Dell desktop test machine here with 3 soundcards in Lucid the pulseaudio 2.0 (or 2.1) daemon is very unstable and crashes at the drop of a hat. I will leave the packages up for others to test for now though as they seem to be working for some people depending on hardware (?). Folks may wish to try other pulseaudio builds in Lucid to see if they run. You may need to add libspeexdsp1 from PPM or packages.ubuntu.com because pulseaudio depends on it. The pulseaudio packages compiled in Wary throw a symbol error in Lucid so can not be used.

[jamesbond]

Hi Oscar, try adding

Code: Select all

extern const lt_dlsymlist lt_preloaded_symbols[];

at the top of dumpmodules.c and see if it fares better. You're right about disabling jack (I built that in slacko which didn't have jack so it got disabled automatically) - in fact if you look at the configure summary and see something other than "ALSA" enabled, you should disable it - it reduces the chance of pulling unneeded (but broken) dependencies. It also make this contraptions smaller.

I don't have Lucid and its devx at the moment so I can't try building it for Lucid.

[Fiddlesticks]

On the road to a fix for puppy I noticed Ubantu users are using a program Pavucontrol that allows you to adjust volumes and select sound devices in Pulseaudio.
there is a release of it here
http://freedesktop.org/software/pulseau ... quirements
there are versions for ubantu
http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/pavucontrol
There are versions for Slackware
http://ftp.gwdg.de/linux/slackware/gsb/ ... lications/
here is the link to Ubuntu using Pavucontrol
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SkypeTroubleshooting
My gut feeling is if I could choose the correct device and shut off the switch that allows Skype to adjust volume controls, I could have sound in SKype 4.3

Is there anyone more technically gifted that can see if Pavucontrol could be used with any of the Puppy Linux family?

If so this could be a way to allow all puppy users to use skype because they could select their audio devices. This is the main problem with Skype 4.3 -no ability to control audio devices.
On Skype 2.2 I had that control and had it working by selecting correct devices but 2.2 seems to be shut off now - cannot log in to skype on that.

[OscarTalks]

@ Jamesbond
I added the code to dumpmodules.c and the error became:-

Code: Select all

  CC     pulseaudio-dumpmodules.o
daemon/dumpmodules.c:22: error: expected '=', ',', ';', 'asm' or '__attribute__' before 'lt_preloaded_symbols'
daemon/dumpmodules.c: In function 'is_preloaded':
daemon/dumpmodules.c:96: error: 'lt__PROGRAM__LTX_preloaded_symbols' undeclared (first use in this function)
daemon/dumpmodules.c:96: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
daemon/dumpmodules.c:96: error: for each function it appears in.)
daemon/dumpmodules.c: In function 'pa_dump_modules':
daemon/dumpmodules.c:139: error: 'lt__PROGRAM__LTX_preloaded_symbols' undeclared (first use in this function)
make[3]: *** [pulseaudio-dumpmodules.o] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory `/initrd/mnt/dev_save/pulseaudio-4.0/src'
make[2]: *** [all] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/initrd/mnt/dev_save/pulseaudio-4.0/src'
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/initrd/mnt/dev_save/pulseaudio-4.0'
make: *** [all] Error 2
# 

So thanks for trying but I think I have to give up on it. Maybe some of the libs in Lucid are just too old or something. The official Ubuntu Lucid pulseaudio is version 0.9 something or other (below 1.0).

@ everyone
So I have gone back to pulseaudio 2.1 and tried to build with more stuff disabled. I noticed that the Wary versions do not have the gconf helper but the Lucid one did. I wonder if gconf may be causing conflicts so it is now disabled in the build. My configure options are now:-

Code: Select all

./configure --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --localstatedir=/var --disable-nls --disable-manpages --without-fftw --with-system-user=root --with-system-group=root --with-access-group=root --disable-jack --disable-oss-output --disable-x11 --disable-oss-wrapper --disable-esound --disable-solaris --disable-glib2 --disable-gtk2 --disable-udev --disable-hal-compat --disable-ipv6 --disable-systemd --disable-default-build-tests --disable-legacy-database-entry-format --with-database=simple --disable-gconf --disable-hal --disable-openssl

Also I am trying a different approach with the /etc/pulse/default.pa config file.
At the bottom there are 2 lines to set your default sink (output) and source (input).

Using the commands "pacmd list-sinks" and "pacmd list-sources" as provided by jamesbond I grabbed the names and inserted them in the 2 lines (which I also uncommented) in default.pa like this:-

Code: Select all

### Make some devices default
set-default-sink alsa_output.0.analog-stereo
set-default-source alsa_input.0.analog-stereo

Just changing the number in those lines (eg from 0 to 1) and restarting skype enables me to switch soundcards.
Users can still experiment with uncommenting and editing the other 2 "load module" lines as well, but I have now left those commented out.

This is now working nicely for me in Lucid in my test machine. I have uploaded this package pulseaudio-2.1-lucid.pet to http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks for other Lucid users to test.

EDIT:-
OK, a bit more testing and it looks like these sink and source names may vary depending on hardware BUT whatever your sinks and sources may be on your system they are always allocated an index number and you can use those index numbers to define default sink and source. This is much better than using the names and should mean that it will work and be more easily adaptable for more users. I have now re-uploaded with those 2 lines changed to:-

Code: Select all

### Make some devices default
set-default-sink 0
set-default-source 0

You can try just changing this number (eg from 0 to 1) to switch soundcards or mic inputs. You should find that 2 files are created in /root/.pulse which will contain the names of the default sink and source devices. If you change the index number in /etc/pulse/default.pa you should see the names in those files will change accordingly when you restart pulseaudio.

[CGP]

@OscarTalks and watchdog

My garbled-voice problem when running Skype-4.3.0.37 on Lucid Puppy 5.2.8 must not be a connection or hardware problem as described below:

I'm still getting garbled voice playback from skype test calls using skype-4.3.0.37-lucid.sfs on Lucid Puppy 5.2.8. I downloaded it and pulseaudio-2.0-lucid.pet from http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks/. I checked the md5sum for the .sfs file. It is correct. At times the voice is garbled, at times not.

Also, I installed Slacko Puppy 5.7 on the same computer as is running Lucid Puppy 5.2.8. Exactly the same hardware, speakers, wires, ... . On Slacko I installed pulseaudio-2.0-test.pet and skype-4.3.0.37-experiment.pet downloaded from the same website. On Slacko, skype runs fine. No garbled voice at all from skype test calls. And I have made a few calls on it to actual people with no problems.

So, my problem on Lucid Puppy is not a connection problem and must not be entirely a hardware-related problem.

@watchdog: No, I have not tried your workaround yet. I will try to test pulseaudio-2.0-test.pet with libspeexdsp.so first. If that doesn't work, I'll try the workaround.

@OscarTalks: what is PPM?

Thanks for your many efforts.

[CGP]

@watchdog

My lucid is well working for skype with OscarTalks pets.

I should have asked this before: Are they the pulseaudio-2.0-lucid.pet and the skype-4.3.0.37-lucid.pet?

Thanks.

[OscarTalks]

@ CGP
PPM is Puppy Package Manager. Please try uninstalling pulseaudio-2.0-lucid.pet and replace it with pulseaudio-2.1-lucid.pet though I have to say that a sometimes garbled voice problem is a bit of a mystery.

@ Fiddlesticks
Yes, pavucontrol is supposed to be the GUI for pulseaudio but I believe it has quite a few dependencies if you want to compile it. Let us know if you are able to get one working from Slackware or Debian or something. I used it briefly in Xubuntu a few years ago, but found that it was not very user-friendly in terms of device selection and other controls. We are just trying to get a very simple form of pulseaudio going out of necessity for those people who want to use Skype in Puppy. Usually once people have got their device configuration correctly set they don't need to change it, so if we can come up with a simple method of editing a couple of numbers in a file it is almost easier than having to use a drop-down menu for device selection which often can be very confusing for inexperienced users in fact.

[Fiddlesticks]

Thank you Oscartalks for all your efforts. I downloaded the 2.1 pulseaudio and skype 4.3 from the link you posted and installed pulse audio then skype.

I tried the second fix you mentioned with editing default.pa
the first time I edited etc/pulse/default.pa
### Make some devices default
set-default-sink 0
set-default-source 0

Then started skype and got sound in the speakers which was exiting.
Echo test however I could hear but it did not pickup mic. So I unchecked let Skype adjust your settings in skype options audio. I could still hear Echo test but mic did not work.
I signed out and quit skype.

the second time I edited etc/pulse/default.pa
### Make some devices default
set-default-sink 0
set-default-source 1

Then started skype and got sound in the speakers and
Echo test AND I could hear mic test playback. So I unchecked let Skype adjust your settings in skype options audio. I could still hear Echo test AND mic still did work. It seems for me that box does not make any difference but that editing of default.pa really made a difference.

I tried to reach someone for an actual call but everyone is busy or offline. But this seems like it should work fine.

One more thing that is different when I go into Skype 4.3 Options SOUND the VIRTUAL DEVICE is not on the mic, speakers or ring - instead it says Pulse Audio Server. I don't know how this happened but when I did Slacko 5.7 and Skype 4.3 it alway said VIRTUAL DEVICE under sound options.

Thank you very much Oscartalks for so quickly finding this solution to the Skype 4.3 audio problem. I hope this works for many more people.

[CGP]

Sorry, pulseaudio-2.1-lucid.pet does no better than pulseaudio-2.0-lucid.pet. I still get garbled voice played back from the skype test calls or, more often, no sound played back at all. I tried setting 'set-default-source 0' and 'set-default-source 1' in /etc/pulse/default.pa. It did not help. I used pacmd list-sources and pacmd list-sinks to find that I had only 1 sink index (=0), and 2 source indexes (0 and 1). So, I have tried all the possiblities. I changed the settings in alsamixer a few times, too. By the way, the 2 files in ~/.pulse did not change after changing 'set-default-sources' from 0 to 1 or 1 to 0 and killing and restarting pulseaudio.

Also, I tried pulseaudio-2.0-test.pet on lucid puppy 5.2.8 after copying libspeexdsp.so.1.5.0 from slacko puppy 5.7 into the same directory in lucid puppy 5.2.8. (I also had to create 2 symlinks to that file in order to match what was in slacko). After doing that I got the following error message when starting pulseaudio:

pulseaudio: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/libpulsecore-2.0.so: undefined symbol: orc_program_append_2

so, that did not work.

I am ready to give up on Lucid Puppy 5.2.8 and migrate to Slacko 5.7. But first I will try saintless' workaround.

[CGP]

I tried saintless' workaround, copying the 29 MB executable from skype 4.2 into skype 4.3 on Lucid puppy 5.2.8. When I started the executable, I got this error message:

skype42: error while loading shared libraries: libQtDBus.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I don't know what to do to fix that.

[saintless]

skype42: error while loading shared libraries: libQtDBus.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Is skype 4.2 working from separate sfs or pet for you? I guess something is missing in your system needed for skype4.2 to work (maybe only symlink libQtDBus.so.4). Find working on your system sfs or pet and start skype 4.2 from there or copy the executable from there.
Also try not to replace the executable. Rename it to skype-old and start it from terminal typing skype-old.
All you need to do with Skype 4.3 is to setup autologin and no update for your account in /root/.Skype. Then backup /root/.Skype and you can remove Skype 4.3 and install working Skype 4.2. It will autologin now. If something goes wrong in time replace /root/.Skype with your backup copy.

[watchdog]

@watchdog

My lucid is well working for skype with OscarTalks pets.

I should have asked this before: Are they the pulseaudio-2.0-lucid.pet and the skype-4.3.0.37-lucid.pet?

Thanks.

Yes. In lucid pulseaudio-2.0-lucid.pet and skype-4.3.0.37-lucid.pet are working well with my hardware. I use these settings in default.pa:

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-sink device=dmix
load-module module-alsa-source device=dsnoop

[baszek]

All in all could you tell me how to make skype work in precise 5.7.1 ?
I should install pulseaudio 2.0 and then skype 4.3 from Oscars Pets ?
did anybody make it in precise ?

Skype is like number one app which I use in precise puppy, that is why I am considering going back to windows

[saintless]

Skype is like number one app which I use in precise puppy, that is why I am considering going back to windows

Better do not choose XP then. It took me 5 hours yesterday to make it work with SP3 preinstalled on my brother's computer. And it was official Skype update for XP users. Do not think it is just update and run process.