Tech giant Microsoft has announced it is rolling out a new version of Skype for Linux, although the new version drops direct support for Alsa.
Key features of Skype version 4.3.0.37 include an update to the service’s user interface, a new cloud-based group chat service and more reliable file transfer support when using multiple devices at once.
The cloud-based Group Chat system allows users to send messages to an offline contact, receive messages while not actively using Skype, automatically queue messages, and sync message history across devices.
However, while the new version supports PulseAudio 3.0 and 4.0, it drops direct support for the Alsa sound API. The tech giant recommends upgrading to PulseAudio 4.0 for the best call experience.
The software is available for a range of Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 10.04 32-bit, Ubuntu 12.04, Debian 7, Fedora 16 in 32-bit and OpenSuSE 12.1 in 32-bit.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
