How get Skype to work between linux and windows machines?
 

I have tried to use Skype on two Linux distros: Suse 10.0 and Mandrakelinux 10.1. In both cases it installs fine from the rpm, but when I call a friend, who is using a computer with windows xp I only hear some noise and occasionally some pieces of phrases while he can hear me perfectly. Did anyone have the same problem? Does it have anything to do with the fact that the other person uses windows? Did anyone actually succeed to talk through skype between a linux (which distro?) and windows machines?

sorry i dont know the answer and have never used skype. but could it be a problem with your hardware? do you have windows dual booting or have you ever tried skype on that specific machine and it worked perfectly?
hope someone can give you a concrete solution

I using skype before, there is not problem talk with windows user. I did test in FC, ubuntu, suse
Do you double check your mic and etc is working well? Try test your mic and speaker with gnome-meeting or ekiga-softphone.

Do you have same problems with other sound output, like music? could be your soundcard drivers.
Are you sure that the problem lies with you, not with your friend?

mARGO

I have no problems in listening to music in linux, my sound card is recognized. Also I don't think it is a hardware problem because on the same machine in windows xp skype works well. I think it is some linux issue because I had this problem of hearing mostly noise, but being heard well both in SUSE and in Mandrakelinux.

can you try using msn or icq see what is the result?

ICQ works as a text chat.

I regularly chat with friends who are windoz users with no probs. Sounds like your friend may have a faulty mic or maybe, if you are using a headset, there could be a problem with your headset particularly if it is a usb headset. I had a little problem with a usb headset because linux recognized it as another soundcard and linux seems to have a problem with multiple soundcards. Have you tried running Skype from cli and see if there are any errors? :twocents:

Finally I solved the problem! I installed Mandriva Free 2007 distro with IceWM (not sure if it will work with GNOME and KDE, haven't checked yet). It works! The sound is of better quality that when I'm talking from Windows XP! Looks like now I can completely change to Linux like I always wanted to!

The newer versions of Skype have moved from OSS to ALSA, and from what I've seen at the Skype forums, you absolutely MUST have Alsa 1.0.13 (which is the latest stable release) in order for the newer versions of Skype to work properly. If you have older versions, you get the kind of weird sound output that silin described in his first post. I'm betting that by moving to the new Mandriva, you got an updated ALSA and that is what solved the problem.