i hate m$

[terry1966]

ok now i got that out of the way, my problem is with skype.

 

seems this new version 4.3.0.37 won't use alsa and needs pulseaudio. (stopped support of alsa)

 

clean install suse 13.1 64bit.

 

when going into sound options it just shows virtual server and not any of my sound devices.

 

ok really i'd prefer not to install pulseaudio (unless someone knows better and it is now recommended.)

 

so need to know if anyone has a work around or at least has an older version that still works and uses alsa.

 

i'd really love to bin skype altogether but don't know of a good alternative and it would mean hassle for all my contacts too.

 

m$ Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[terry1966]

well i bit the bullet and installed pulseaudio, what a piece of S#!# software this is.

 

volume controls only show up in kmix when the sound is actually playing, so took me ages to figure out how to set the correct volumes for skype and mic, and that was after ages trying to figure out the profile to use for digital output and analog input so my headphone mic would actually work even tho it was there in kmix.

 

still can't figure out how to separate incoming ring to go to my speakers while conversation then goes to headphones.

 

Edited August 23, 2014 by terry1966

[terry1966]

 

got everything working perfect again..

 

 

pulseaudio wasn't so hard to manage after all, didn't need to learn anything like where all the files that might need editing are or anything.

 

 

 

just go into yast and uninstall it then blacklist it, uninstall skype 4.3 and delete all skype folders, then have a good yank mate (john44) who happens to have the skype 4.2 and install that to use with alsa.

 

[terry1966]

well that's the end of skype for me, as from today it won't let me log in.

 

m$ are deliberately blocking all older versions of skype so users have to update to the newest 4.3 version.

 

updating to newest software is fair enough, and usually a good idea but the way m$ are forcing the issue goes against my grain.

 

i suppose i wouldn't mind so much if i thought it was for security reasons and they still supported alsa with the newer version but it isn't and they don't so bye bye skype.

 

 

anyone using other software besides skype they'd recommend? not keen on using anything google related unless that's the best/only option and don't use facebook so that's out.

 

anyone tried this :- https://tox.im/

Edited August 23, 2014 by terry1966

[nigsy]

Must confess I only use Google Hangouts these days; but I'd be interested to know how you get on with Tox.

[terry1966]

haven't decided to try tox yet, it's still in alpha stage so probably to unstable at moment for me to try and get the few contacts i have to use it too.

 

must admit it looks promising but i think i'll wait at least until it gets to a beta stage of development.

 

i guess with google hangouts you don't even need to install any software and just run it from within a browser window?

 

got a google account because of phone so might look more into that, even tho on phone i have nearly everything google related disabled.

 

guess i need to do a lot more research to see what's out there and what other peoples experiences are.

 

pity m$ bought skype, was good simple software that just worked, and did the job i required, not any more tho.

 

[terry1966]

ok skype gets to live another day on my system.

 

found a work around so i can still use skype at the moment, just needed to edit version number in skype to the 4.3 version number with a hex editor and then it works and allows me to log in and use it as usual.

 

can provide step by step instructions if anyone needs them.

 

[nigsy]

[Bruce]

Terry I have had the 4.3 version installed and working since it was released.

 

I have allowed pulse audio on my system for a long time and have had no problems with it all.

[terry1966]

the only problem i had with it, is i can't specify ring sound to come out of a separate speaker device than the call sound when using skype apart from that i have installed pulseaudio on every other pc i've setup this year except my own daily machine without finding any problems with it just like you.

 

in fact i believe pulseaudio actually works better for some things than using alsa, main instance i can think of is being able to mute browser games which don't have a sound option without having to mute all sound so losing sound to my mythtv setup.

at minute for me the highest priority is have those separate sound outputs, if i could have gotten that to work in the first place (can't say i tried really hard tho.) i'd probably be running 4.3 too.

 

still goes against the grain M$ forcing their will on people to upgrade tho especially when the older software still works just fine, and the mac people are truly up in arms about it, seems a lot may need to upgrade their whole os or hardware to even run newer os versions before they can get skype to run without any workarounds.

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by terry1966