Is there an alternative Skype client?
I love Ubuntu, but one thing I think is a pain is skype for it. It's outdated, buggy and generally just not as smooth as a lot of the other Ubuntu software.
Is there an alternative for it? I'm not speaking about another IM like AIM or Live Messenger. Put another piece of software like the native app that comes with Ubuntu, that allows me to sign into Skype as well? Or is there perhaps a plugin for the native Ubuntu chat app that allows Skype contacts, calling etc. etc.
Solution 1:
If you mean alternative Skype client, no such tool exists because protocol used in the Skype is closed and they didn't published the source code of Skype. So you can't access Skype through another client.
You can use empathy for most of the other services though.
Note:
You can use Skype under pidgin using Skype plug-in. But even then, you are actually using Skype in the background using Skype API.
Links
- http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2536410
- https://superuser.com/questions/5774/do-any-multi-client-im-clients-support-skype-chat
- http://community.skype.com/t5/Mac/Skype-Client-Alternative/td-p/159100
Solution 2:
Well, recently, I just embedded the beta Skype client within node webkit and I'm using it as an alternative client, on Linux. Repository here.
Solution 3:
You can install the pidgin-skype Install pidgin-skype package from the Software Centre (or using apt-get)
This protocol plug-in allows libpurple to communicate with Skype. Applications using libpurple (Pidgin, Finch, Empathy/Telepathy, etc.) can thus show your Skype contacts alongside those from other protocols, and you can communicate with them using that application instead of the Skype user interface.
This plug-in communicates with the Skype application in the background to perform its work, so it's necessary to have Skype installed and running. This product uses the Skype API but is not endorsed, certified or otherwise approved in any way by Skype.
This answer is from How to integrate Skype into Pidgin? (user fluteflute )