FC6 Skype Howto?

[Gianfranco Durin]

Joe Desbonnet wrote:
> I just cannot get Skype to pickup audio from the mic with FC6. I see
> others have had the same problem, but I can't find any definitive
> HOWTO on the matter.
> 
> Let just say I've just installed FC6 fresh from dist, applied updates
> and got the latest (version 1.3.0_53) Skype RPM for FC5 and installed
> that. I know that my sound hardware and mic work (because it works
> perfectly with Windows).
> 
> So what do I do/check next?
> 
> 
> As an aside: Is there *any* easy way to verify that the mic is working
> and enabled with FC6? A simple audio recorder or sound level meter? I
> would have expected this in system-config-soundcard and/or the volume
> control applet. Predictably the Gnome help yields nothing on this.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Joe.
> 

Hi Joe,
I spent much time trying to figure out the problem, but even if I do not 
understand everything in detail, 'sometime' I am able to work with it.
Skype does not work with ALSA system but with OSS.
So open your volume control (in gnome, for instance) and switch to the 
OSS mixer (file -> change device -> OSS mixer). Be sure to have your 
microphone there, click to unmute if needed, and the skype 'should' work.
There is another problem in general: if there is another program using 
the sound system very often skype does not work. A workaround can be to 
open first skype (even if this solution does now work 100%).

This is to say that the present version of skype is a nightmare. The 
skype's team is working on a new version (with video support), but it 
has been promised to be released soon so many times I do not believe 
them anymore.

Hope this helps.

Gianfranco