How to install Skype 4.3? [duplicate]

Note: The legacy Skype for Linux application (v4.*) is now discontinued and was removed from Canonical’s partner repositories, so this question and its answers are obsolete. Please refer to a newer answer of our canonical Skype installation question.

Skype 4.3 is just released with considerable improvements. As a regular Skype user I want to use the latest Skype on my Ubuntu 14.04, but there is no updates from Update Manager. Even in Skype website only Skype 4.3 is available only for Ubuntu 12.04. Is there anyway to use this latest Skype on Ubuntu 14.04 or how much we have to wait for the update?

Step 1: Remove previous version.

sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin:i386 skype:i386
sudo apt-get install sni-qt:i386

It is Important if you installed older version of Skype on your Ubuntu, Clear the old Skype folder before installing latest version. Then clear that by using:

rm -rf ~/.Skype

Step 2: Preparing to Installing Skype.

• Users of 64-bit Ubuntu, should enable MultiArch if it isn't already enabled by running the command

  sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
  

• Update repositories and "updates" list:

  sudo apt-get update
  

• Optional, install GDebi (see below):

  sudo apt-get install gdebi #(read Why you need to install gdebi...)
  

Step 3: Installing Skype

Method 1: Download and install from file

wget download.skype.com/linux/skype-ubuntu-precise_4.3.0.37-1_i386.deb
sudo gdebi skype-ubuntu-precise_4.3.0.37-1_i386.deb

Method 2: Install Skype from Canonical Partner Repository

So add the Canonical Partner Repository to "updates" list by following the command:

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ $(lsb_release -sc) partner"

Then install Skype via the Software-Center or via the Terminal.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skype

source

Why you need to install gdebi instead of using dpkg or Ubuntu software center.

dpkg (for Debian package) is a software tool from the command line is responsible for installing, creating, deleting, and managing Debian (packets deb), the type of packets processed by Ubuntu. It also allows the Debian package management from sources outside the apt repositories.

To install packages, dpkg has a graphical interface, gdebi , you can use if you prefer to avoid the command line.

gdebi is an application installation and management of Debian (.deb) packages. This is a utility that works both in graphic mode console and allow the installation of packages outside of APT deposits : from a website, CD-ROM, portable media, etc. It has the same functionality as apt-get or Ubuntu Software Center : it ensures that the package to be installed is compatible with the version and architecture of the Ubuntu system in which you try to install it, and also ensures that all dependencies required by the package are satisfied. Otherwise, the dependencies are downloaded from the Internet. Using tabs, gdebi also provides access to important information such as folder paths in which to install the various files from .deb package.

Finally gdebi is a lightweight deb packages installer which was the default in Ubuntu Desktop. Now Ubuntu uses Ubuntu Software Center which is slow and sometimes you get The package is of bad quality error.

Read more about GDebi:

To install a package you have downloaded from a website, rather than from a software repository. These packages are called .deb files. Because they may have been created for a different Linux distribution, you might find that there's dependency issues with Ubuntu, meaning that they may be uninstallable.

gdebi is a simple tool to install .deb files. It has a graphical user interface but can also be used in your terminal. It lets you install local deb packages resolving and installing its dependencies.. It automatically checks packages for their dependencies and will try to download them from the Ubuntu software repositories if possible. You may first need to install gdebi - simply install the gdebi package using one of the package managers like dkpg, Synaptic or open a Terminal and type sudo apt-get install gdebi. Once you have installed gdebi, use the File Browser to find the package you want to install.

Double-click the package to open it with gdebi. If all dependencies have been met for the selected package, simply click the Install package button to install it. gdebi will warn you if there are unmet dependencies, which means that there's dependencies that aren't resolved in the repositories that you're using.

Install From Ubuntu Software Center

As of August 2, 2014, you can now install Skype 4.3 directly from the Ubuntu Software Center.

To do this, you must first enable the Canonical Partner Repository, using the following steps (based on steps provided by OMG! Ubuntu; see source):

• Search for and open ‘Software Sources’ or 'Software & Updates' in the Unity Dash
• Select the ‘Other Software’ tab
• Check/tick the boxes next to the two entries headed ‘Canonical Partners’
• Exit, and hit ‘Ok’ on the software reload prompt

Then search for Skype in the Ubuntu Software Center and install it as you would any other software.

(Source)

Install From Skype's Website

You can download the latest version of Skype as a .deb package directly from its website. Choose the 12.04 (multiarch) version if you're running Ubuntu 12.04 LTS or newer; it'll still work if you're on i.e. 14.04 LTS, because that's just what Microsoft lists as the minimum Ubuntu version.

Once you have it, run the following commands to ensure your system is clear of any previous installations:

sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin:i386 skype:i386

Then double-click on the downloaded .deb file to open it in the Ubuntu Software Center and install it like any other software.

Afterwards, also run the following command in the terminal to ensure that support for the indicator menu is available:

sudo apt-get install sni-qt:i386

Now you can find Skype in the dash, run it and enjoy it!

(Source: WebUpd8)