I think this is a pretty serious problem, software or not, though I can concede that this is not a cert concern thinking on it further. But given that essentially video recording doesn't work out of the box on Ubuntu on every laptop I've tried, that's a pretty significant problem and effects a very common use case on portable systems... not everyone uses skype :( That being said: bladernr@klaatu:~/offline$ sudo apt-get install skype [sudo] password for bladernr: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done Package skype is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source E: Package 'skype' has no installation candidate Then I found this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype But the average user may not think to do this, it's not exactly obvious to the new user. And at that, it still didn't work :( bladernr@klaatu:~/offline$ sudo apt-add-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ $(lsb_release -sc) partner" bladernr@klaatu:~/offline$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skype Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease Get:1 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B] Get:2 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B] Get:3 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B] Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric InRelease Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric InRelease Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease Get:4 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B] Ign http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security InRelease Get:5 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,347 B] Get:6 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,338 B] Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric Release.gpg Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release.gpg Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates InRelease Get:7 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,349 B] Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease Get:8 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,347 B] Get:9 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security Release.gpg [198 B] Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric Release Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric Release.gpg Get:10 http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release.gpg [198 B] Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg Get:11 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security Release [40.8 kB] Get:12 http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages [1,192 B] Get:13 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates Release.gpg [198 B] Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Sources Get:14 http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages [1,203 B] Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex Get:15 http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages [469 B] Get:16 http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages [464 B] Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex Get:17 http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release [5,922 B] Get:18 http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages [642 B] Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric Release Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted Sources Get:19 http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages [641 B] Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex Get:20 http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages [748 B] Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources Get:21 http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages [765 B] Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex Get:22 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates Release [40.8 kB] Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main amd64 Packages Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Sources Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner amd64 Packages Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner i386 Packages Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner TranslationIndex Get:23 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted Sources [14 B] Get:24 http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Sources [2,255 B] Get:25 http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner amd64 Packages [3,081 B] Get:26 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main Sources [23.0 kB] Get:27 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse Sources [653 B] Get:28 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe Sources [8,189 B] Get:29 http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner i386 Packages [3,943 B] Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner TranslationIndex Get:30 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main amd64 Packages [64.9 kB] Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted Sources Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Sources Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse Sources Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe Sources Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main amd64 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted amd64 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe amd64 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse amd64 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main i386 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted i386 Packages Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe i386 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse i386 Packages Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main TranslationIndex Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse TranslationIndex Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted TranslationIndex Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe TranslationIndex Get:31 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted Sources [1,337 B] Get:32 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main Sources [110 kB] Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en Get:33 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted amd64 Packages [14 B] Get:34 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe amd64 Packages [22.3 kB] Get:35 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse amd64 Packages [919 B] Get:36 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main i386 Packages [65.2 kB] Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en Get:37 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse Sources [2,916 B] Get:38 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe Sources [35.4 kB] Get:39 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted i386 Packages [14 B] Get:40 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe i386 Packages [22.2 kB] Get:41 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main amd64 Packages [251 kB] Get:42 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse i386 Packages [1,653 B] Get:43 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main TranslationIndex [73 B] Get:44 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse TranslationIndex [71 B] Get:45 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted TranslationIndex [70 B] Get:46 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe TranslationIndex [73 B] Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US Get:47 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main Translation-en [34.5 kB] Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse Translation-en Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted Translation-en Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en Get:48 http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe Translation-en [16.0 kB] Get:49 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted amd64 Packages [2,982 B] Get:50 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe amd64 Packages [83.0 kB] Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en_US Get:51 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages [4,342 B] Get:52 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main i386 Packages [251 kB] Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en_US Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en Get:53 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted i386 Packages [2,968 B] Get:54 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe i386 Packages [83.3 kB] Get:55 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse i386 Packages [4,976 B] Get:56 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main TranslationIndex [74 B] Get:57 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex [72 B] Get:58 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted TranslationIndex [71 B] Get:59 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe TranslationIndex [73 B] Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Translation-en Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse Translation-en Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted Translation-en Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe Translation-en Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main Translation-en Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse Translation-en Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted Translation-en Get:60 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe Translation-en [50.7 kB] Fetched 1,254 kB in 3s (326 kB/s) Reading package lists... Done Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done Package skype is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source E: Package 'skype' has no installation candidate Finally managed to install the package manually from Skype, but that's a lot to have to do to get non-choppy video. Also, how is one supposed to record a video/audio stream using skype when not on a call?