Configure Skype to use the PulseAudio microphone

Skype doesn’t require much presentations as it is the top application to make calls between computers and from computers to regular phones; what many probably do not know is that Skype is available also for Linux and it works well … for the most parts.
If you are using a modern version of any major Linux distribution and you have problems using the microphone, you can use the following steps to configure Skype to use the PulseAudio microphone.
Skype Linux logo

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Restore Ubuntu and derivatives to the default settings

Ubuntu, and to some degree its derivatives, is the most popular Linux distribution available for personal computers and laptops and due to its simplicity of use it is often chosen by the new users who decide to migrate from Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX to the Penguin’s world.
Like with any other new tech toy, a Linux novice may be tempted to experiment with the new system by keep installing and uninstalling software and sometime even configure new repositories to the package manager if a particular program isn’t available on the default ones. While generally Linux can better stand the test of time than Windows, this continuous experimentation can still lead the system to sluggishness and software misbehavior.
On the Windows’s world it is a common procedure to fix this kind of problem with a disk format and a clean install, but on Linux it is possible to restore Ubuntu, and derivatives, to the default settings without such drastic measure.

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How to improve font rendering on Linux

In the last few years the Linux ecosystem has made a huge progress in term of quality of its desktop interface (or interfaceS since there are many alternatives) and it is almost at par with its commercial competitors. But it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any tweaks that still need to be implemented from time to time.
Today we deal with the installation of Infinality, a patched version of FontConfig that has been created to improve the visual rendering of any text font.

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