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Microsoft Teams is now available on Linux

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Available in public preview, Microsoft just added Linux support for their unified communication and collaboration platform Microsoft Teams.

Starting today, Microsoft Teams is available for Linux users in public preview, enabling high quality collaboration experiences for the open source community at work and in educational institutions. Users can download the native Linux packages in .deb and .rpm formats here. We are constantly improving based on community feedback, so please download and submit feedback based on your experience.

The Microsoft Teams client is the first Office app that is coming to Linux desktops, and will support all of Teams’ core capabilities. Teams is the hub for teamwork that brings together chat, video meetings, calling, and collaboration on Office 365 documents and business processes within a single, integrated experience.

Marissa Salazar, Microsoft

This isn't just appearing out of nowhere though, Microsoft has been working with select companies (like Volvo Cars) over the course of a few months with the Linux client of Teams. It seems there was enough interest to bring it over to Linux. Sounds like a similar story with Unity, when they officially announced the Linux Editor being in Preview a few months ago due to increasing demand. You can find the official announcement here.

Not gaming news of course but we do often cover lots of Linux-related cool stuff. It's good to see Microsoft begin to slowly change and accept Linux, even using it themselves and integrating it into Windows with the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Heck, even their new web browser Edge is going to be coming to Linux. Every step like this, brings down another barrier for developers of all kinds using Linux, don't underestimate the importance of it.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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eldaking Dec 10, 2019
QuoteThe Microsoft Teams client is the first Office app that is coming to Linux desktops, and will support all of Teams’ core capabilities.

This is the part that interested me. I didn't even know about this "Teams" software. But Microsoft Office is still a big limiting factor for Linux. Word, Power Point and Excel on Linux would be huge.

Of course, what I really want is for Office to stop shitting all over standards and making their files incompatible with every other software.
Shmerl Dec 10, 2019
Quoting: KimyrielleIn the Steve Ballmer era, I'd have suggested someone to go check the temperature in hell, but these days, I am not even surprised anymore. The new management's strategy is a lot less Windows-centric.

Looks like Phil Spencer is still stuck in Ballmer's times though. He is your regular old nasty MS type, who sees lock-in as a glorified goal. Likely because of him, MS didn't support Vulkan initiative.


Last edited by Shmerl on 10 December 2019 at 6:23 pm UTC
WorMzy Dec 10, 2019
Meh, uses gtk3. I'll keep running teams at work on a Windows client.
Botonoski Dec 10, 2019
I have friends who ask me for tech help from time to time and one very common thing I've been requested to do is assist in the removal of Microsoft Teams from their PC. It comes with the MS Office Install that the local college provides, it seems to be a bit bloated and tends to slow down older laptops a tad, and for some reason is made to be more annoying to uninstall than the typical program.

It never really occurred to me that Microsoft Teams was anything besides bloatware.


Last edited by Botonoski on 10 December 2019 at 6:39 pm UTC
Blurps Dec 10, 2019
I hope we can open issues on github now :D
It's not a bad thing but I prefer FOSS.
haspadar Dec 10, 2019
So i drive a right car, hehe) which makes Microsoft come to Linux.
Cyril Dec 10, 2019
Quoting: WorMzyMeh, uses gtk3. I'll keep running teams at work on a Windows client.

Why you don't like GTK3? What would you prefer instead?
Salvatos Dec 10, 2019
Quoting: eldakingOf course, what I really want is for Office to stop shitting all over standards and making their files incompatible with every other software.
Same, I’m a lot more interested in Microsoft opening up their standards or switching to open standards than in installing their software on Linux. I like LibreOffice just fine but it still shits the bed when I receive MS Office files with frames and absolute-positioned content.
gojul Dec 10, 2019
Seems like they might port MS Office to Linux, if I refer to "the first Office app".
BielFPs Dec 10, 2019
Quoting: ShmerlLooks like Phil Spencer is still stuck in Ballmer's times though. He is your regular old nasty MS type, who sees lock-in as a glorified goal. Likely because of him, MS didn't support Vulkan initiative.

DirectX, Microsoft Office (and maybe a shady contract with Adobe) are still a great source of revenue for then. Opening any of this would be a great shoot in the foot for Windows and big loss of money from "gamers"/companies/designers, so don't expect then to support a multi platform project like Vulkan until DirectX (or Windows as we know today) become financially "irrelevant".
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