Microsoft has rolled out its latest update for Skype for Linux Alpha. The company launched the service last month, but it is still only in preview form. Since then updates have continued to push the software closer to end release. The latest upgrade brings Skype for Linux Alpha to build 1.5.
Updates for the Skype service on Linux have revolved around bolstering functionality. The service is still limited in features since its launch as a preview last month. In the new update, Microsoft has introduced a number of new features.
Skype for Linux Alpha 1.5 focuses on solving problems and making the service more useable. For example, voice messaging is not functional and Mojis work with audio. Microsoft has issued a full changelog for the update, check it out below:
- Voice messaging audio now works.
- Mojis now work with audio.
- You can now silence notification sounds and turn off messaging notifications completely in ‘Settings'.
- We've disabled the ability to drag & drop a URL into Skype which opens the browser in the application.
- Presence status icon sizes in the Tray have been improved on some distributions.
Recent Updates
The new Skype for Linux service was long awaited. Microsoft had largely ignored the open source platform for several years.
Linux users were left using a Skype version that was out of date by several years. Worse was the fact that the service simply didn't work in most cases and had limited functionality when it did.
Since the launch, Microsoft has released a performance focused update in July. That same month the company rolled out Skype for Alpha version 1.3. That update introduced several fixes, including a problem where the log out from menu would not function properly. If you are running Skype for Linux, you can check out version 1.5 of Alpha now.
