Can't install Skype through Software Center 12.04

Question

New install of Ubuntu 12.04.1. Start Ubuntu Software Center. Edit menu > Software Sources > Other > tick the Canonical Partners sources. Click close.

Search for Skype. Skype app is not listed.

Following the suggestion I have reinstalled software center (surely there's a bug if the software center needs reinstalling after adding a source!), but still it does not show.

FYI: At a terminal apt-cache search skype lists skype and skype-bin.

I am comfortable at the command line, but people I am installing Ubuntu for are not. This is a real paper-cut - the first time I show them the software center, it doesn't work and I have to jump to command line.

So the question is: how to get it to show up in an easy-to-do user-friendly way?

PS. Please do not mark this as a duplicate of how do I install skype unless that page is updated to actually answer this question (and presumably this and this).

If it's not a dupe of the one that you link to, then isn't this a bug report to be filed against the Skype packages in the USC? — Tom Brossman, Jan 07 '13 at 07:10
Please see the updated instructions in the Skype thread for installing in 12.04 and above. Yes there is a problem with software center for some reason. You can in install via command line, but software center is not working. — fabricator4, Jan 07 '13 at 19:21

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 20 '12 at 13:00

2

Heres the better solution:

Download deb file here. Open terminal, cd to directory of downloaded skype and then run sudo dpkg --install --force-all TheSkypeFileName.deb. After installation, do not run skype, run this command instead sudo apt-get install -f, this will install all the dependencies. And your up.

answered Dec 20 '12 at 13:00

nickanor

924

Thanks for your answer, but please see para 5 of the question: I'm comfortable with getting skype installed, the point is that it's supposed to be easy (no terminal!). I think it's a bug in software center, and as this is the official channel for asking about these things, I'm asking it here. – artfulrobot Dec 20 '12 at 13:04
Did sudo apt-get update return no errors? – nickanor Dec 20 '12 at 13:15
Correct: no errors. – artfulrobot Dec 20 '12 at 13:23
Now try again restarting software center and look if skype is listed. – nickanor Dec 20 '12 at 13:25
yep, done that. even reinstalled it. still not listed. – artfulrobot Dec 20 '12 at 15:17

chaskes · Answer 2 · 2012-12-31T00:15:05.833

0

I'm not sure why you don't see it if you have the Partner repository enabled, but the community help page at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype says the skype website points to the wrong package for 64-bit 11.10 and above, which is why you're seeing 386 libraries. If you look at some of the third-party instructions out there, you'll see instructions for 64-bit Precise/Quantal that point to Lucid 32-bit packages.

edited Dec 31 '12 at 00:15

answered Dec 31 '12 at 00:08

chaskes

15,246

Thank you. But again, I want to be able to install through the software centre. It's not much of an Ubuntu "partner" if this that is supposed to work...doesn't. Think I'll try a bug report – artfulrobot Dec 31 '12 at 15:41
1

Also, that community wiki just tells me to do the thing that is not working " It is highly recommended to use the package provided in the Canonical partner repository, not the one distributed from the skype website" – artfulrobot Dec 31 '12 at 15:44

ubuntu_geek · Answer 3 · 2013-01-09T04:14:37.813

-1

Use these:

sudo apt-add-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ $(lsb_release -sc) partner"
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skype

first command will add the reepository for skype . then just update and install skype.

edited Jan 09 '13 at 04:14

answered Jan 07 '13 at 05:49

ubuntu_geek

47

Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! This answer would benefit substantially, if you were to edit it to add some explanation (or at least to tell the user exactly what to do with these lines). – Eliah Kagan Jan 07 '13 at 07:08

Can't install Skype through Software Center 12.04

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