Want to make free phone calls using Skype? Running Ubuntu 9.04? Want to make sure that Skype stays up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates once you install it? Here’s how:
On the Skype Download for Linux page Skype lists Ubuntu 7.04-8.04 as the only supported versions of Ubuntu. You can install Skype on Ubuntu 9.04, but when new updates or security fixes come out you won’t get an automatic update. If you want to make sure that your Skype installation stays up-to-date you should add skype.com as a valid software repository and install Skype from that. If you do this you’ll automatically get updates when they’re available.
To add skype.com as a repository:
- Start up Synaptic Package Manager. (On Gnome go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager)
- Select Settings > Repositories
- Click the Third-Party Software tab
- Click Add
- Enter “deb http://download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian/ stable non-free” as the APT line
- Click the Reload button in the upper left-hand corner to download the list of available files from download.skype.com
- Type “skype” in the Quick Search box and you should see Skype listed as an installable package
- Mark it for installation and install
Skype should now appear on your Applications > Internet menu.
Update: At the time that I wrote this the instructions worked. However, it looks as if Skype has removed their apt repositories for 9.04. If you attempt to connect to http://download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian/ you’ll get a “Hi, this page is off limits” error message.
If you are running Ubuntu 10.04 or later you can get Skype directly from Canonical. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype for more info.