3mo ago

[SOLVED] Teams on Linux on old Thinkpad (Debian Stable, pulseaudio)?

I was just invited to do a job interview through Teams (next week).

I guess it's https://teams.live.com/free ?
And I guess they would invite me so I don't have to worry about having an MS account, afaics?

I opened the site on Ungoogled Chromium, it seems to work fine. The hardware is: Thinkpad T430s (10yo). Of course it has a web cam & microphone.
There's a device test https://devicetest.teams.microsoft.com/ which did not return any issues, but did not show me a working connection either. There is no test call functionality.

I'd prefer to test full functionality beforehand, is there a way to do this?

Or experiences?

TIA

edit: my smartphone runs an even obscurer OS than Debian.

edit2: the "make a test call" functionality seems to be part of the desktop app only. Is there one for Linux?

edit3: now support.microsoft.com is blocking me. WTF

edit4: the inofficial Teams for Linux is not an option either because I still need an MS account.

31 comments

I use Ungoogled Chromium for teams meetings at work without issue (on arch). I also don't have an MS account.
When the other party sets up a meeting they'll send an email with a link to the teams meeting and all you have to do is follow that link to join. It also includes a phone number you can call to join by phone if for some reason you have issues.
- Thank you! The best answer I could've hoped for.
  Just to make 100% sure we're on the same page: this means audio and video, yes? Does Ungoogled Chromium need any tricks to connect seamlessly to pulseaudio and whatever the browser needs to use the webcam?
  
  I probably should have mentioned that I don't have a camrea, so I cannot give you any info on how that would work. My microphone works, I have shared my desktop (on KDE Plasma), and I have shared individual tabs. I can't imagine that the camera would require anything extra to work though.
  I'm using pipewire with wireplumber and didn't have to install anything specific to have this all work, so I don't have any info on if there would be any pulseaudio-specific issues.

The only thing which works is to do it in Chrome/Chromium on Linux, everything else has been broken for years.
- I've been using Teams on Firefox on Linux mint for years. At first I had sound issues but since I've had Pipewire installed, everything works without a hitch.
  
  Even screen sharing?
- Thanks. Any idea about Ungoogled Chromium and/or how I can test audio/video routing on the OS?
  
  is there no mic/video testing functionality?
  
  If you have a smartphone then the easiest thing is to create a meeting and then to share the meeting URL wicht your phone and join the meeting on both devices from different accounts and listen if everything works.
  Otherwise I remember there was a echo call service in teams somewhere too, I'd ask ChatGPT where to find it.
- Firefox worked for me a few months ago

Teams works well as a PWA. You could keep it in a tab or have it as a PWA if your browser supports it. I use Edge on mint and it works semlasly with my wireless headset. But there definitely no support from Microsoft and I feel like they will kill it at any moment.

I use it every day. Works fine in the browser. Not sure about the app.
- There was an official Linux app but it was discontinued a while ago. There was also an unofficial flatpak which packaged the web version as a stand-alone app. I think it's unmaintained now.
  
  That's unfortunate but fortunately it works in the browser, which is my preferred method anyway. I never even bothered to try the app. Zoom tries to make me install the app every time I open a meeting, which is infuriating.
- Thanks, browser for sure. Any idea about Ungoogled Chromium and/or how I can test audio/video routing on the OS?

Test the quality of your recorded audio, one of the few remaining sore points on my similar setup is the microphone driver
- Thanks. recorded through the browser - any idea how I can do that?

Use https://github.com/IsmaelMartinez/teams-for-linux
It's superior to a PWA. Better desktop integration, and when you click on a link it opens in your default browser!
- Needs an MS account
  
  Nope, just Fall it with --URL=
  <URL>

I'd suggest also installing the Teams app on your smartphone (if you have one) just in case something goes tits up. It's (a little bit) less buggy than the web version.
- On SailfishOS with Android support? That's a very last resort.

You can install Teams and call someone else? I had an OK experience, but Webcam quality was an issue.
If its important, maybe try borrowing a MacBook für the Interview or be open with them that you are on Linux - alternativly, you can set it up on your phine, Android or iOS or a tablet to have a fallback.
- I'm pretty sure I want to use the browser (Ungoogled Chromium) on my laptop (my phone OS would be even trickier).
  call someone else
  It might come to that. But I do not know who uses MS (and has an account). Apparently at least one party would have to have that.
  Webcam quality was an issue
  Good point. Does Teams have options to adjust that for low bandwidth?

I use teams for work every day (calls and dm features) via Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with X11/awesomewm/pulse via Firefox and have no issues
That suggests that as long as you're using a reasonably modern version of Debian with a sane config you should be fine
- Thanks! I feel fairly confident now it's going to work.

31 comments