Notes on changing Skype package for newer releases

[teknowledgist]

I'm not versed in Ketarin to make PRs for the Skype package, but I've poked at the newer version. I thought I would jot my notes here for whomever eventually updates/takes over the package...

• Download link for new versions: https://go.skype.com/windows.desktop.download
• The download is of the regex form Skype-([0-9][0-9.]+)\.exe with the version as \1. It is v8.18.0.6 at this moment.
• The installer must be run in compatibility mode in Windows 10 because otherwise it will stop and insist the install must come from the "Store" as a "modern app" (UWP). Compatibility can be set via: REG ADD "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers" /V <local path to SkypeInstaller.exe> /T REG_SZ /D WIN7RTM /F or the PowerShell equivalent. I am pretty sure the Win8 compatibility (WIN8RTM) works here too.
• Once installed, the new (non-UWP) version runs fine in Win10.
• The installer is silent with switches: /sp- /verysilent /norestart but I have not been able to disable:
  • the desktop icon
  • Skype starting after install
    I have (blindly) tried: /nodesktopicon, /noicons, /MERGETASKS="removedesktopicon", /MERGETASKS="!desktopicon", /MERGETASKS="!startskype" all to no effect. Someone smarter than I probably knows how to discover the tasks to include in the /MERGETASKS= command. (I'm sure that is where the magic is.)

Hope this helps.

[gep13]

@jberezanski am I right in saying that this can be closed?

[jberezanski]

Yes, I believe so. I'd like the skype package to remain on 7.x for as long as possible, because Skype 8.x is... inferior, in my opinion (it is virtually a new application, lacking many features of the earlier versions). I think releasing 8.x on chocolatey.org would warrant a new package id (and if someone would want to do it, these notes would probably help).

[jberezanski]

releasing 8.x on chocolatey.org would warrant a new package id

On second thought, perhaps not, because 8.x would replace 7.x, so from packaging standpoint it should be the same package. However, I would not publish 8.x at all until choco.exe learns how to pin a package to a version range (so that all interested users would be able to pin skype to 7.x).

[gep13]

This package is now being maintained here:

https://github.com/chocolatey/chocolatey-coreteampackages

So going to close this out.