The Skype team recently released a 1.4 Beta for Linux. I downloaded and installed the Ubuntu .deb, but when I tried to install and run it, got the following error:

algebraist@orogeny:$ sudo dpkg --force-architecture -i skype-1.4.0.74.deb
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
 package architecture (i386) does not match system (amd64)
(Reading database ... 191043 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace skype 1.3.0.53-1 (using skype-1.4.0.74.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement skype ...
Setting up skype (1.4.0.74-1) ...
Installing new version of config file /etc/dbus-1/system.d/skype.conf ...
algebraist@orogeny:$ skype
skype: error while loading shared libraries: libQtDBus.so.4: cannot open shared
object file: No such file or directory

After looking around, I found an excellent solution: getlibs. It’s a shell script for Debian-based distros that finds and installs shared dependencies for 32-bit binaries running on 64-bit systems. I downloaded and installed the script, and for the new Skype binary, I did the following:

algebraist@orogeny:$ getlibs /usr/bin/skype
Matched library libQtDBus.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-core
Matched library libQtGui.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-gui
Matched library libQtNetwork.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-core
Matched library libQtCore.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-core
Matched library libsigc-2.0.so.0 to /feisty/libs/libsigc++-2.0-0c2a
The following i386 libraries will be installed:
libQtAssistantClient.so.4 libQtAssistantClient.so.4.2
libQtAssistantClient.so.4.2.3 libQtCore.so.4 libQtCore.so.4.2
libQtCore.so.4.2.3 libQtDBus.so.4 libQtDBus.so.4.2
libQtDBus.so.4.2.3 libQtDesignerComponents.so.4
libQtDesignerComponents.so.4.2 libQtDesignerComponents.so.4.2.3
libQtDesigner.so.4 libQtDesigner.so.4.2 libQtDesigner.so.4.2.3
libQtGui.so.4 libQtGui.so.4.2 libQtGui.so.4.2.3 libQtNetwork.so.4
libQtNetwork.so.4.2 libQtNetwork.so.4.2.3 libQtOpenGL.so.4
libQtOpenGL.so.4.2 libQtOpenGL.so.4.2.3 libQtSvg.so.4
libQtSvg.so.4.2 libQtSvg.so.4.2.3 libQtTest.so.4 libQtTest.so.4.2
libQtTest.so.4.2.3 libQtXml.so.4 libQtXml.so.4.2 libQtXml.so.4.2.3
libsigc-2.0.so.0 libsigc-2.0.so.0.0.0 qt4
Continue? (y/n)
y
Libraries have been installed.
algebraist@orogeny:$ skype
skype: error while loading shared libraries: libdbus-1.so.3: cannot open
shared object file: No such file or directory
algebraist@orogeny:$ getlibs /usr/bin/skype
Matched library libdbus-1.so.3 to /feisty/libs/libdbus-1-3
The following i386 libraries will be installed:
libdbus-1.so.3 libdbus-1.so.3.2.0
Continue? (y/n)
y
Libraries have been installed.
algebraist@orogeny:$ skype

It runs. (Sound, however, is a separate issue. Skype has started to offer some help on sound for Linux users, here.)

getlibs could be a boon for 64-bit Linuxers. Good job ‘Cappy’, and thanks for the script!