On 2014 Sept. 02, Microsoft was no longer permitting older versions of Skype to log in to the Skype service.

For Linux, this apparently meant that only the very newest version of the Skype client was still able to log into Skype. Unfortunately, as of mid-day the repositories for Linux Mint 13 were still not updated to provide that version of Skype.

So the below is what was needed – on a 64bit version of Linux Mint 13 Xfce – to get Skype download directly from skype.com installed and working.

Related: Skype on LTS Linux is Broken … why I would use Google Hangouts instead of Skype w/ Linux

To do a complete removal of a previous version of Skype requires using Terminal Commands. Below is what was used on the Linux Mint 13 Xfce system I was updating:

• This 1st command will uninstall the Skype Program Files
  → From the Terminal (“Menu” icon » Terminal Emulator) run (copy & paste) the following command:

  sudo apt-get remove skype skype-bin:i386 skype:i386

  • now type in the system user's password to for sudo, answer y for Yes to removing the packages, etc..

• Since Skype for Linux supports a different configuration for each logged in user, it is now necessary to delete any configuration files in the User Home Directory
  →In the still open Terminal window run (copy & paste) the following command

  rm -rf ~/.Skype

  • Note: if there is no hidden .Skype folder in the user's Home Directory, then the above command should produce some error message that indicates there was nothing to delete.

• Go to http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/
• On the “Skype for Linux” page, in the drop-down Box, Select “Ubuntu 12.04 (multiarch)”

As of when these notes were written, the Install File from Skype was:
skype-ubuntu-precise_4.3.0.37-1_i386.deb
In the future, this file will have a newer version in the file name, but otherwise the name for the downloaded file should be similar

On a 64bit system, before the downloaded Skype .deb file can be installed, the necessary 32bit support libraries must be installed.

• Using the Mint Software Manager (“Menu” icon » Software Manager) do the following:
  • Install ia32-libs-multiarch ← Search for “ia32”
  • Install sni-qt:i386 ← Search for “sni-qt”

Now the downloaded Skype .deb file can be installed using gdebi

• In the user Downloads folder:
  • double-click on the Skype i386 .deb file – to install that using gdebi
  • In the Package Installer window that opens, select the ”Install“ button
    • Close the windows once installing Skype has completed.