Skype is a voice and video call instant messaging and file-sharing platform. Further, it can be used for group calls and screen sharing, the most liked features among corporate and student communities. Skype does not offer support for Debian but still, it can be installed on Debian using third-party package installers. In the past, Skype provided a deb file for their application, but now it is discontinued. This guide will elaborate all the ways to install Skype on Debian 12.
3 Ways to Install Skype on Debian 12
The official method to install Skype on Debian is using the Snap app manager, however, there are still two other ways for installing Skype on Debian 12. This guide will discuss all the three ways to install Skype:
1: Through Skype Deb File
Though Skype has discontinued the support of DEB packages still you can get its deb file by executing the command below. However, keep in mind that due to the unavailability of support, you won’t be able to receive any updates.
wget https://go.skype.com/skypeforlinux-64.deb
Now install Skype through its deb file using apt app manager:
sudo apt install ./skypeforlinux-64.deb
To launch Skype on Debian 12 execute the skypeforlinux command in the terminal:
skypeforlinux
2: Through Snap App Installer
Skype on Debian can be installed using the Snap app installer, which is a third-party package manager and is officially recommended by Skype. To install Skype via Snap use:
sudo snap install skype
Next, validate the Skype installation on Debian via Snap by listing Snap-installed apps:
sudo snap list
Next, reboot the Debian system and then run the Skype command in the terminal:
skype
3: Through Flatpak App Installer
Another way to install Skype on Debian is by using the Flathub repository, which works as repository bank for Flatpak. To install Skype on Debian using Flatpak execute:
flatpak install flathub com.skype.Client
Once Skype is installed via Flathub you can launch it on Debian either using its applications menu or by executing the below command:
flatpak run com.skype.Client
Note: Since Skype has discontinued its support for DEB packages its repository is no longer active even if the repository is added you will see the following error when updating the apt packages list in Debian as in the image below:
Conclusion
Skype on Debian can be installed in 3 three ways, which this guide has discussed. These methods include using Skype deb file, Snap, and Flatpak package installer. Among these three approaches, using the Snap app installer is the most effective. This is because Skype officially instructs installing it on Debian using Snap. However, keep in mind that Skype has discontinued its support for DEB and RPM packages.