Microsoft makes preview of Teams collaboration application available for Linux

Microsoft has released a Linux version of its Teams collaboration application. The program, a competitor to Slack, is the first Microsoft 365 app to cross over to the Linux platform. It is still a public preview version.

Microsoft already confirmed the arrival of Teams for Linux at the beginning of September. The software has been available for download in the .deb and .rpm format since Tuesday. Users can install Teams on Debian and Red Hat-based GNU/Linux distributions. The full version of Microsoft Teams requires a paid Office 365 subscription, but there is also a free version available with limited functionality.

According to Microsoft, the Linux version of Teams contains “all core functionality” of the program. However, because this is a public preview, some features may not be available yet or not fully work. The tech giant is calling on the Linux community to provide as much feedback on the release as possible so that the software can be improved along the way.

Like competitor Slack, Microsoft Teams is a team collaboration tool. Among other things, the software enables members to chat or call each other, exchange files or collaborate on documents – in this case via Office 365. Teams was previously available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Microsoft announced at the end of November that the application is now actively used by more than twenty million people. In July there were 13 million.

Microsoft plans to port even more of its software to the Linux platform in the near future. For example, the Chromium-based browser Microsoft Edge will also be released for Linux in the near future.

Teams for Linux. Image: Microsoft