Skype Now Easier To Install On Linux Desktop

Canonical and Microsoft co-operation lets users install Skype in a Snap.

At last! Skype is now available as a snap on Linux desktop. The news means that it’s now easier than ever to install the popular video calling tools in most popular versions of Linux such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

And as Skype can be installed using Snap, it also means that it will automatically patch and update itself to the latest version.

Skype is now easier than ever to get on Linux and is as simple as just clicking on the download button

Skype, Spotify, and Slack in a Snap

The announcement is just the latest in a growing list of popular software that has recieved the Snap treatment. Both Spotify and Slack were also recently released in the Snap package format. 

“Skype has been enabling the world’s conversations for over ten years. We want to be able to deliver the same high quality experience on Linux as we do on other platforms.

Snaps allow us to do just that, by giving us the ability to push the latest features straight to our users, no matter what device or distribution they happen to use,” said Jonáš Tajrych, a Senior Software Engineer at the Microsoft-owned Skype.

Canonical Canon

For its part, Canonical, the company behind the popular Linux Distribution, Ubuntu, said that “Skype is used by millions of users globally to make free video and voice calls, send files, video and instant messages and to share both special occasions and everyday moments with the people who matter most.

“Skype has turned to snaps to ensure its users on Linux are automatically delivered to its latest versionupon release. And with snaps’ roll-back feature, whereby applications can revert back to the previous working version in the event of a bug, Skype’s developers can ensure a seamless user experience”.

What is a Snap?

Put simply, a Snap is a device for installing a self contained software package, specifically designed for Linux users that allows them to quickly and securely install software, in much the same way as an installer works in Windows, or when you install an app on your phone. (Kind of; it’s the same principle anyway)

One of the key strengths of using Snaps is that the automatic updating system looks for updates and security fixes four times a day, and installs them automatically.

Going forward, as long as users are using a version of Linux that natively snaps, such as Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Arch Linux, OpenSuse, Solus, Manjaro, or Arch Linux, Skype will be compatible.

Looking for Skype for Windows or Mac? Just click here.