The second beta of Skype 2.1 has been released for Linux, bringing with it features that have been present in the Windows and Mac builds for well over a year – as noted by the blog post announcing the release: –

This update not only brings much needed stability fixes, it also unveils a whole new era and brings Linux client much closer to what other desktop clients have to offer.

The announcement ended on an intriguing note too, likely referencing the up-coming open-sourcing of the Linux client.

On behalf of the whole Linux team I thank you for patience and hope you stay with us to discover how much more surprises we have up our sleeve.

“…extra features and better sound and video quality.”

Other new features (that are long overdue) in this version include: –

  • Screen sharing
  • HQ Video & Audio
  • Quote a message in chat
  • Localized time formats
  • Support for UI styles (i.e. Dark themes!)
  • Report abuse

Download
http://www.skype.com/download/skype/linux/choose/

Ignore the fact the .deb’s are named as for Ubuntu 8.04 – they work flawlessly on Karmic.

Dark Themes
To get Skype working correctly with dark GTK styles (so text shows in menus, etc) the following steps are needed: –
  • Open Skype and head to ‘Options’
  • In the ‘General’ tab, set set the style to either “GTK+” or “Desktop Settings” (depending on preference)
  • Click ‘Apply’

Image taken from Skype website
Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk
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