Ubuntu – installing 32-bit version of Skype on Ubuntu 16.04

skype

I'm having trouble installing Skype. I have Canonical Partners enabled in Synaptic Package Manager, but skype is not showing in the search. If I try to install via:

sudo apt install skype

I get: 

E: Unable to locate package skype

I went to the Skype web site and it offered a .deb file only in 64 bit.

Best Answer

It seems Skype's providing only 64-bit packages now.

As a workaround you may try Rambox, an Electron based

Free, Open Source and Cross Platform messaging and emailing app that combines common web applications into one.

Skype is among the available services along with WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, Telegram, Google Hangouts, Gmail, Twitter etc. There is also an option to add services manually.

To install Rambox, first download the 32-bit deb package of the latest release (v0.5.13) from their official GitHub page. Then run the following command in Terminal

sudo dpkg -i /path/to/the/package/package-name.deb

For example if you have downloaded the 32-bit package linked above to your Downloads folder then run

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/Rambox_0.5.13-ia32.deb

There's a similar application called Franz, but it seems it's recent release(s) offers only 64-bit packages. There is a legacy version of the application with 32-bit packages.

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