Skype does not work with kernel 3.4

[Erik]

Today I got an update to kernel 3.4. With this kernel Skype's webcam image froze. When I went back to kernel 3.3.8, everything was back to normal. I tried another graphics driver: nvidia's firmware instead of Nouveau. This did not help, on the contrary. I tried to get back to Nouveau. This worked but something was changed: I do not know what. I did not like this and since I do not know how to restore the graphics configuration files to their original state, I did a full and clean installation. So now I am back on nouveau without interference of the proprietary driver. (I suppose I could have done things better, but I don't know how to do this.)

With kernel 3.4 no version of Skype, neither 2.2 nor 4 works. The webcam image freezes, although the quality of the image is now good. Skype does not connect to the internet either. On quitting the program stays in memory and must be killed via systemmonitor. So I installed kernel 3.3.8 and now everything works again: Skype, the webcam and all other programs. the quality of the webcam image is much worse than with the newer kernel however: the image is "washed out" again, too light and not enough contrast. I cannot change the settings with cheese. I conclude that this is a problem in the kernel 3.3.8.

I do not know if there is a solution for this with the newer kernel. If so, please enlighten me.

Greetings,

Erik.

[Erik]

I experimented a bit more today. Kernels 3.3.6 and 3.3.8 give "washed out" images both under nVidia's driver for nVidia 6100 to 360 and Nouveau with a webcam; the latest kernel 3.4 gives a better image of the webcam, but the image freezes after about a second both under nVidia's firmware (295.71) and Nouveau. NVidia's firmware is at version 315 (I believe), so it might be that the driver Mageia uses ought to be updated. It is certain that the current combination of kernel 3.4. and nVidia 295.71 is defective.

Greetings,

Erik.