The skype website offers downloads for linux in 2 versions DEB and RPM. I don't know which one is right for my computer.
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Perhaps unix.stackexchange.com/questions/6345/… or unix.stackexchange.com/questions/519773/…?Jeff Schaller– Jeff Schaller ♦2021-08-23 18:07:06 +00:00Commented Aug 23, 2021 at 18:07
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Who installed your system? Do you manage it?Jeff Schaller– Jeff Schaller ♦2021-08-23 19:53:29 +00:00Commented Aug 23, 2021 at 19:53
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3 Answers
If dpkg -l produces a long list of packages, your system uses .deb packages.
If rpm -qa produces a long list of packages, your system uses RPMs.
If neither of these produce a long list of packages, your system uses another packaging format.
Note that in many cases you’ll need to know your actual distribution, not just what package format it uses. Executing cat /etc/os-release will tell you in most current Linux systems.
If your system uses RPM, you will have a program called rpm installed; if it uses Deb, you will have a program called dpkg installed. Whether a particular program is installed can be found out using the which command.
If you are new to Linux systems, I assume that you do not have a complex set-up, and since you are interested in getting Skype, I further assume that you are running a graphical desktop environment on your system. In that case, simply open a terminal window (the Terminal application if you are using GNOME, Konsole if you are using KDE, or something similar if you are using another desktop environment - usually, opening the main menu and typing/searching for terminal will show you the relevant application(s)), then type one or both of the following commands in the newly opened window:-
which rpm
and/or
which dpkg
If the output shows nothing or no dpkg in ... or no rpm in ... it indicates the one that your system does not use. If the output shows just one path name and/or an alias name on one or more lines without the pattern no xxx ... (e.g., just /usr/bin/rpm), it indicates the one that your system uses.
If both show single-line path name and/or alias name outputs (unlikely but possible), or if both commands show nothing or give a negative response, then your system may be using something different, and you will have to provide more information, such as the output of cat /etc/os-release | grep -E '^NAME=|PRETTY_NAME=' as mentioned in another answer here.
There are other possibilities in general, but going by my assumptions, I don't want to confuse you more than is necessary!
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1There are systems with both
dpkgandrpminstalled, so simply checking for their existence isn’t sufficient.Stephen Kitt– Stephen Kitt2021-08-23 20:31:42 +00:00Commented Aug 23, 2021 at 20:31 -
@StephenKitt: That is why I added a link to your answer. However, I would like to point out (again) my assumptions, based on the simplicity of the question.Saurav Sengupta– Saurav Sengupta2021-08-23 20:34:08 +00:00Commented Aug 23, 2021 at 20:34
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An answer to one of the questions linked to by Jeff Schaller in a comment above (unix.stackexchange.com/questions/519773/…) uses a similar technique.Saurav Sengupta– Saurav Sengupta2021-08-23 20:42:35 +00:00Commented Aug 23, 2021 at 20:42
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which rpm: /usr/bin/rpm; which dpkg: /usr/bin/dpkg; Debian. The answer which said if dpkg -l or rpm -qa return long list of packages, that is what runs your system was a better answer because it's correct, non ambiguous, and easy to understand. It also covers cases where neither is running the system, for example pacman, in which case both are likely to return command not found errors. The original question was actually not right, since it's not rpm or deb, it's simply which package manager is running the os.Lizardx– Lizardx2021-08-23 22:15:34 +00:00Commented Aug 23, 2021 at 22:15
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@Lizardx: It creates similar ambiguity in case both or none are installed. You need to know what to use, then.Saurav Sengupta– Saurav Sengupta2021-08-24 08:00:41 +00:00Commented Aug 24, 2021 at 8:00
There is another possibility - use a Snap package. It works on most common distributions, and you don't have to worry about rpm, deb, or whatever, but you may have to install Snap support first. Instructions are here (you may have to scroll down to select your distribution). If you use Ubuntu, snap is already installed, so you just need to install the Skype Snap package. If you have questions, you can ask here. Also, it would make it easier to answer if you provided the output of cat /etc/os-release | grep -E '^NAME=|^PRETTY_NAME='.