If you are using Skype on Linux, you should by now have realised that the program has been generally ignored on the free and open source platforms as the Microsoft gives more emphasis to its own proprietary Windows operating system.

The last time that any kind of updated landed for the software on machines running any Linux-based operating systems was back in 2014 and for the past two years, Skype for Linux have been slowly withering away, constantly crashing and coughing up all sorts of problems.

In an unexpected turn of events, Microsoft has decided to change its stance about how the company perceive the Skype app for Linux by releasing the first Alpha update that features some interesting new elements including an entirely new architecture as well as an updated user interface.

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At the moment, though, the platform for Linux doesn’t have all the features you find in other operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, or Android but the good thing is that it uses the same calling architecture as those platforms.

The new version for Linux also uses the same WebRTC protocol for video and voice calling as Skype for The Web.

There are still few mishaps that are needed to be addressed if the new Skype for Linux is to be taken seriously because at the moment the software can only make voice as video calls like available on other platforms isn’t supported. Another hurdle is that you can only make calls to people that are using the latest version of the program on Windows, Android, or Mac, meaning you are out of luck if you are looking to call someone using an older version of the software.

But there is reason to rejoice though as the new Skype for Linux uses the code base as the Skype for Web which is mostly under a very active development meaning you won’t wait for years to get updates from Microsoft and since it is in its Alpha stage, new features and improvements will be continuously rolled out by the development team in the near future.

You can download the Skype Alpha build and try it out yourself. Let us know what your thoughts are about the new Skpye for Linux in the comments.