Unable to install Skype on 12.10 64bit

Question

I am receiving the following message while I am trying to install Skype:

nidhin@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get update
nidhin@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install skype
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 skype : Depends: skype-bin but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages

How can I fix this?

Answer 1

I'd the same issue and what helps me was to enable the 32-bit architecture by:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt-get update

then I was able to install skype via the Canonical Partner Repository:

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ $(lsb_release -sc) partner"
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skype

and also via direct skype download:

wget http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-ubuntu-64/skype-ubuntu-quantal_4.1.0.20-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu*.deb

I hope that help someone.

Answer 2

Try this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype ! It fixed the problem for me.

Answer 3

Heres how I did it with no issues, skype is working great.

sudo apt-get install skype-bin skype

Answer 4

I suggest to remove skype-bin first completely and install Skype as follows.

Run following commands in Terminal

sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin

sudo apt-get install libxss1  

wget http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-ubuntu-64/skype-ubuntu-precise_4.1.0.20-1_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu*.deb

Answer 5

I found the solution to this problem from a different post.

First a downgrade is required and done with the following:

create the preferences file:

sudo vi /etc/apt/preferences

and insert the following lines:

Package: *       
Pin: release a=quantal*
Pin-Priority: 2012

enter :wq to write the file. Pin-Priority must be greater than 1000.

Then you may downgrade the offending applications with:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

That's it.

Now use

sudo apt-get install Skype

And it works!

Answer 6

Try these commands:

sudo apt-get install libxss1 
cd /tmp 
wget http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-ubuntu-64/skype-ubuntu-precise_4.1.0.20-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i skype-ubuntu*.deb

Source: http://www.tecmint.com/install-skype-4-1-in-ubuntu-xubuntu-linux-mint/

Answer 7

Install Synaptic if you don't have it, Open it, then go to Edit > Fix Broken Packages. After that try to install Skype.