On 22/04/16 12:51, Joel Roth wrote:

> Skype for Linux, OTOH, *is* stale (and last time I checked was
> tricky to install) AIUI intentionally so due to Microsoft's
> special love for Linux.
>

It's certainly behind the other os clients (windows/osx/iOS) but
installing it on a several year old Mint/DE (so a very old Debian
Jessie/testing base) was as hard as dpkg -i skype.deb.

I got sound/video with no futzing about. I can conference call my
colleagues without resorting to a Windows VM or iPad, and show my inlaws
their grandkids. Does the job. It's also more bandwidth friendly and
tolerant of grungy links than facetime.

brad@bkmac:~$ apt-cache search apluse
brad@bkmac:~$ dpkg -S apulse
dpkg-query: no path found matching pattern *apulse*
brad@bkmac:~$ dpkg -l skype
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
|

Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name                              Version               Architecture 
          Description
+++-=================================-=====================-=====================-=======================================================================
ii  skype                             4.3.0.37-1            i386 
           Wherever you are, wherever they are
brad@bkmac:~$

Yes, I don't use it for confidential stuff, nor client sensitive comms,
but it serves its purpose admirably, and until a decent open alternative
becomes available it'll continue to do the job.