Skype on openSUSE 13.1

Yes, openSUSE 13.1 isn't out yet, but people who've installed RC1 and upgraded via the repositories are very close... So let's call that 13.1_almost, for now. And 13.1_almost has a bit of an issue if you are a Skype user. When starting up Skype you might very well be greated with a very loud and unpleasant sound coming out of the speakers.

Solve it

This is fortunately not hard to solve: start skype from a commandline with the following command:
PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC=60 skype

See this blog for some background information. I am hoping we can get an update in to fix this, but for now - if you suffer from it, use this as a work-around.

Make it permanent

You can change the menu item for Skype so you don't have to start it from the command line, as follows:
Left-click the menu button and choose  "Edit Applications..."

Then, locate the Skype application and add the "PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC=60" in front of the command.

Save, done. Easy-peasy, yes?

I'm going to be at SUSECon this week, ending in the awesomeness that will be the openSUSE Summit! If you're there, surprise-hug me if you can ;-)


Have a lot of fun!
(and think of the geekos)