Skype on Ubuntu Jaunty

I wanted to get skype up on my box; more and more people from open source forums around the world are on skype, and sometimes it's just easier to talk than IM.

I picked a USB headset from Logitech (ClearChat Comfort USB), and downloaded the newest Skype Beta (2.1 - Sept. 2009) For Ubuntu 8.10+, 32 bit (I'm running a 32 bit Ubunty, a 64 bit Fedora).

I could not seem to get skype to send sound out to the USB headset, so after some stumbling around forums and various suggestions, here's what worked for me.

As per the Troubleshooting Skype section on ubuntu.com/community/skype, I followed the suggestion (for Intrepid/8.10 there) to remove pulseaudio and install esound.

killall pulseaudio
sudo aptitude remove pulseaudio
sudo aptitude install esound
sudo rm /etc/X11/Xsession.d/70pulseaudio

This seemed to work at first - I got menu choices in the skype options->sound devices page, and was able to get sound out of the headset, but getting recording to work (and trying all the device options) was not working.

I'd checked the volume control to make sure the record levels were set and not muted for the Logitech USB headset. I set System->Preferences->Sound to Sound Capture from the Logitech USB Headset (ALSA) - I left the rest of the device settings at Autodetect. I decided to try the gnome-sound-recorder (applications->sound & video->sound recorder), and that pointed me to which of the Logitech listed devices worked. I tried this in skype (no luck). I then tried recording with Audacity, and that gave me the needed hint: First, I had just one device (the same one) set for both playback and record in Audacity, yet it failed to record. Changing the settings from stereo to mono fixed that. The hint being - same device, same channel in skype - and that did the trick.

I made a test call, and then a test call to a "real" phone - report of sound was "better than any other phone in my home". Ok. Skype, here I come.