sameersbn / docker-skype

Dockerized skype with voice and video call support

sameersbn/skype:1.0.1-3

• Introduction
  • Contributing
  • Issues
• Getting started
  • Installation
  • How it works
  • Limitations
• Maintenance
  • Upgrading
  • Uninstallation
  • Shell Access

Introduction

Dockerfile to create a Docker container image with Skype for Linux with support for audio/video calls.

The image uses X11 and Pulseaudio unix domain sockets on the host to enable audio/video support in Skype. These components are available out of the box on pretty much any modern linux distribution.

Contributing

If you find this image useful here's how you can help:

• Send a pull request with your awesome features and bug fixes
• Help users resolve their issues.
• Support the development of this image with a donation

Issues

Before reporting your issue please try updating Docker to the latest version and check if it resolves the issue. Refer to the Docker installation guide for instructions.

SELinux users should try disabling SELinux using the command setenforce 0 to see if it resolves the issue.

If the above recommendations do not help then report your issue along with the following information:

• Output of the docker version and docker info commands
• The docker run command or docker-compose.yml used to start the image. Mask out the sensitive bits.
• Please state if you are using Boot2Docker, VirtualBox, etc.

Getting started

Installation

Automated builds of the image are available on Dockerhub and is the recommended method of installation.

Note: Builds are also available on Quay.io

docker pull sameersbn/skype:1.0.1-3

Alternatively you can build the image yourself.

docker build -t sameersbn/skype github.com/sameersbn/docker-skype

With the image locally available, install the wrapper scripts using:

docker run -it --rm \
  --volume /usr/local/bin:/target \
  sameersbn/skype:1.0.1-3 install

This will install a wrapper script to launch skype.

Note

If Skype is installed on the the host then the host binary is launched instead of starting a Docker container. To force the launch of Skype in a container use the skype-wrapper script. For example, skype-wrapper skype will launch Skype inside a Docker container regardless of whether it is installed on the host or not.

How it works

The wrapper scripts volume mount the X11 and pulseaudio sockets in the launcher container. The X11 socket allows for the user interface display on the host, while the pulseaudio socket allows for the audio output to be rendered on the host.

When the image is launched the following directories are mounted as volumes

• ${HOME}/.Skype
• XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR or if it is missing ${HOME}/Downloads

This makes sure that your profile details are stored on the host and files received via Skype are available on your host in the appropriate download directory.

Limitations

• Minimize to system tray does not work.

Maintenance

Upgrading

To upgrade to newer releases:

1. Download the updated Docker image:

docker pull sameersbn/skype:1.0.1-3

2. Run install to make sure the host scripts are updated.

docker run -it --rm \
  --volume /usr/local/bin:/target \
  sameersbn/skype:1.0.1-3 install

Uninstallation

docker run -it --rm \
  --volume /usr/local/bin:/target \
  sameersbn/skype:1.0.1-3 uninstall

Shell Access

For debugging and maintenance purposes you may want access the containers shell. If you are using Docker version 1.3.0 or higher you can access a running containers shell by starting bash using docker exec:

docker exec -it skype bash

docker-skype's Issues

No more working after upgrading to Docker 1.10

While Skype is working fine with Docker 1.9, after upgrading to Docker engine 1.10, Skype is not showing up.

This is surly due to the new security features.

Clicking a link doesn't work.

I think it's self explanatory, what could I do about this?

which: no skype in (/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin)

Skype is not launched here.
Also, issue with usermod (adding skype user to group 91, which does not exists in container machine).
This is a laptop with Arch and plain docker installed.

% docker version
Client:
Version: 1.8.3
API version: 1.20
Go version: go1.5.1
Git commit: f4bf5c7-dirty
Built: Wed Oct 14 11:17:02 UTC 2015
OS/Arch: linux/amd64

Server:
Version: 1.8.3
API version: 1.20
Go version: go1.5.1
Git commit: f4bf5c7-dirty
Built: Wed Oct 14 11:17:02 UTC 2015
OS/Arch: linux/amd64

% docker info
Containers: 1
Images: 12
Storage Driver: btrfs
Build Version: Btrfs v4.2.1
Library Version: 101
Execution Driver: native-0.2
Logging Driver: json-file
Kernel Version: 4.2.3-1-ARCH
Operating System: Arch Linux (containerized)
CPUs: 4
Total Memory: 7.696 GiB
Name: suns
ID: AZ47:NNAJ:YSV3:QE2R:CNHP:BSIQ:WNA4:BWXB:YL3X:3BTJ:WJBG:RPC2

(I have removed -d and /dev/null redirect from "docker run" command)

% skype
which: no skype in (/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin)
Cleaning up stopped skype instances...
cat: /etc/timezone: No such file or directory
Starting skype...
usermod: group '91' does not exist

Skype won't sign in

I tried to sign in using skype name. After I entered my credentials, the sign in animation was displayed for some time, but nothing happened. Then it returned back to login.

Ubuntu 19.10

singing issues

when i launched the app and after login it automatically closes and container also stopped automatically.

Use skypeforlinux

Self explanatory, there's a new version of skype for linux that's a wrapper around the web version with electron. Allows for more features. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/skype#Skype_for_Linux_Alpha

Audio group calls

Since Feb22 '16 it does not work - no one (not even me) can join audio group call. One can host such group call.
All of this with "fresh" new skype from m$... version 4.3 since 2014 (older?).

Probably this should be converted to support skype4windows@linux?
https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=31461

I can't get IE8 to work in windows8 mode (winecfg -> Windows 8). Skype probably uses IE to show images, and it needs windows8 (or above) to support sound.

Consider Alpine as base image

It seems that Docker teem moves towards Alpine linux as it's base image. Following the trend it would be cool to port the docker-skype image too in case it's not too hard. This should make skype-launcher much leaner. Here is a litte info about the subject.

Open browser at host system on click link at skype

I would like click to link in skype and see page at my host system browser
Any ideas how to solve it?

Indicator / System tray support

To fully replace a native skype instance tray-icon (indicator) support is desirable.

This topic needs more research. maybe it is enougth to allow dbus connections from within the docker container.

Start call from command line

On regular Skype installations you can start a call on the command line with

skype --callto contact-name

I'm not able to achieve this with Skype running in a Docker container.
I tried running the command from a shell from the host system, from a shell within the container and with the docker exec command but the only thing that happens is an empty 'Terms of Use' window appearing.

Is it somehow possible to make this work?

docker-skype for Fedora 25

It works for me if 'setenforce 0' only. Tell me, what should I do? Thanks for you answer.
E.g:
SELinux is preventing skype from create access on the file dc.lock, SELinux is preventing chown from setattr access on the file main.lock, etc...

How to launch two skypes

How to launch two skypes simultaneously?

time zone on RHEL/CentOS 7

Time zone doesn't sets correctly inside container. Wrong timing for messages as result.

Skype Refuses To Connect / Sign In

This is more of a note for other users as I solved the problem.

My docker-skype instance was working fine, after I resumed from a suspend skype would not reconnect. I logged out of skype and tried to log back in and skype would fail with a "could not connect" message. I deleted the container and then the image and it still would not connect.

I then remembered I disabled my local firewall (firehol) for other work. It turns out that I had to restart the docker service after firewall changes were made to get docker-skype to connect again.

Add support for call recording (or just host dbus forwarding to container)

Hi, i have tried this image and all works fine, even systray icon, but if start skype-call-recorder (https://github.com/jlherren/skype-call-recorder) it doesn't see Skype running. I have tried to launch this image with --net=host and it doesn't help, so i considered that it connects via dbus.

May be you know any solution how to forward host dbus to container so Skype can use it?
I have tried all this modifications:

...
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=${XAUTH}:${XAUTH}"
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=/run/dbus:/run/dbus"
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=/etc/machine-id:/etc/machine-id"
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=/etc/machine-id:/var/lib/dbus/machine-id"
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=/home/myuser/.dbus:/home/skype/.dbus"
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=/run/user/${USER_UID}/bus:/run/user/1000/bus"
  VOLUMES+=" --volume=/run/user/${USER_UID}/pulse:/run/pulse"
...

but all of them didn't helps( I have too little experience with dbus.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26159491/share-d-bus-message-bus-on-linux-when-launching-applications-remotely
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1059023
http://serverfault.com/questions/405518/how-to-configure-d-bus-and-ssh-x-forwarding-to-prevent-ssh-from-hanging-on-exit

Is there any better way how to achieve this?

Load video devices dynamically.

I don't usually have my camera driver uvcvideo loaded all the time, especially on start. When I load the driver I'd expect the video module to be mounted into the container, could that be done?

Thank you good man!

This issue is for +1 for those who finally solve skype-32bit-under-ubuntu-64bit issue as m$ft are lazy and can't provide adequate support for all platforms.

You are just saved our asses from stupid "sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386".

 _____ _                 _     __   __            __  __             
|_   _| |__   __ _ _ __ | | __ \ \ / /__  _   _  |  \/  | __ _ _ __  
  | | | '_ \ / _` | '_ \| |/ /  \ V / _ \| | | | | |\/| |/ _` | '_ \ 
  | | | | | | (_| | | | |   <    | | (_) | |_| | | |  | | (_| | | | |
  |_| |_| |_|\__,_|_| |_|_|\_\   |_|\___/ \__,_| |_|  |_|\__,_|_| |_|

Image doesn't build

Sending build context to Docker daemon  145.9kB
Step 1/7 : FROM sameersbn/ubuntu:14.04.20170123
 ---> 52d10f93c571
Step 2/7 : ENV SKYPE_USER skype
 ---> Using cache
 ---> 8aa76705e177
Step 3/7 : RUN apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 7212620B  && echo "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ trusty partner" >> /etc/apt/sources.list  && dpkg --add-architecture i386  && apt-get update  && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y pulseaudio:i386 skype:i386  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 ---> Running in c5310e9d8874
Executing: gpg --ignore-time-conflict --no-options --no-default-keyring --homedir /tmp/tmp.F2He1U6cTj --no-auto-check-trustdb --trust-model always --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --primary-keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 7212620B
gpg: requesting key 7212620B from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: key 7212620B: public key "Tony Rowe <[email protected]>" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1  (RSA: 1)
Ign http://archive.canonical.com trusty InRelease
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty InRelease
Get:1 http://archive.canonical.com trusty Release.gpg [933 B]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates InRelease [65.9 kB]
Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com trusty Release [9359 B]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security InRelease [65.9 kB]
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty Release.gpg [933 B]
Get:6 http://archive.canonical.com trusty/partner amd64 Packages [5482 B]
Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty Release [58.5 kB]
Get:8 http://archive.canonical.com trusty/partner i386 Packages [5904 B]
Get:9 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main Sources [500 kB]
Get:10 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted Sources [6470 B]
Get:11 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe Sources [240 kB]
Get:12 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main amd64 Packages [1270 kB]
Get:13 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted amd64 Packages [21.2 kB]
Get:14 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe amd64 Packages [550 kB]
Get:15 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main i386 Packages [1207 kB]
Get:16 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted i386 Packages [20.9 kB]
Get:17 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe i386 Packages [552 kB]
Get:18 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main Sources [180 kB]
Get:19 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted Sources [5068 B]
Get:20 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe Sources [75.6 kB]
Get:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main amd64 Packages [823 kB]
Get:22 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted amd64 Packages [17.9 kB]
Get:23 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe amd64 Packages [236 kB]
Get:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main i386 Packages [762 kB]
Get:25 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted i386 Packages [17.6 kB]
Get:26 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe i386 Packages [237 kB]
Get:27 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main Sources [1335 kB]
Get:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted Sources [5335 B]
Get:29 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe Sources [7926 kB]
Get:30 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main amd64 Packages [1743 kB]
Get:31 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted amd64 Packages [16.0 kB]
Get:32 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe amd64 Packages [7589 kB]
Get:33 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main i386 Packages [1739 kB]
Get:34 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted i386 Packages [16.4 kB]
Get:35 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe i386 Packages [7597 kB]
Fetched 34.9 MB in 4s (8346 kB/s)
Reading package lists...
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
E: Unable to locate package skype
The command '/bin/sh -c apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 7212620B  && echo "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ trusty partner" >> /etc/apt/sources.list  && dpkg --add-architecture i386  && apt-get update  && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y pulseaudio:i386 skype:i386  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*' returned a non-zero code: 100

minimize to system train does work for me

Hi,

First of all a big thank you for this, it works beautifully and out-of-the-box, great job you did there!

Despite what your README says, "minimize to system tray" does work, at least under Mate desktop

Cheers