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Looks like the skype client for linux might become open source. Though I could see them keeping a closed-source API library and just having the UI be open sourc

by mcav 17y ago

Looks like the skype client for linux might become open source. Though I could see them keeping a closed-source API library and just having the UI be open source.

blasdel 17y ago
eBay/Skype doesn't even have the source to the communication library -- Joltid does. The value in this would be that we essentially get a published interface to that library.
- notauser 17y ago
  There are a few companies that do a VoIP -> Skype bridge by scripting the Linux client. In line with your comment an open source client would make that kind of hack more reliable.
pyre 17y ago
It would definitely be a step up. One of the most annoying things about Skype for Linux used to be audio problems (especially with pulseaudio when it was new). There still are issues I have with it (sometimes audio will 'die' either audio-in or audio-out requiring a restart of Skype to get it working again) though to a lesser extent. If they could separate out the business logic (communicating with the network, using proprietary protocals, etc) from the interface logic (UI, access to local audio-in/out, access to local video-in/out) it would be a major boon. Though open-sourcing the whole thing might be nice, it could have unexpected consequences (easier to filter Skype with DPI, allow NSA/CIA/etc to tap calls, etc).
- eru 17y ago
  Open-sourcing the whole thing should make it harder for the NSA to tap calls. (Or at least to decrypt what they intercept.)
  - pyre 17y ago
    I don't know how reliable it is, but I've heard that the reason that the NSA can't tap Skype calls is because the protocol/keys/whatever is changed behind the scenes every-so-often.
    - Create 17y ago
      http://www.secdev.org/conf/skype_BHEU06.handout.pdf http://www.secdev.org/conf/skype_BHEU06.handout.pdf
      - bensummers 17y ago
        Good read. Skype is a scary application -- but then, running anyone's code on your computer is making a big leap of faith.
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by mcav 17y ago

Looks like the skype client for linux might become open source. Though I could see them keeping a closed-source API library and just having the UI be open source.

blasdel 17y ago

eBay/Skype doesn't even have the source to the communication library -- Joltid does. The value in this would be that we essentially get a published interface to that library.

notauser 17y ago
There are a few companies that do a VoIP -> Skype bridge by scripting the Linux client. In line with your comment an open source client would make that kind of hack more reliable.

pyre 17y ago

It would definitely be a step up. One of the most annoying things about Skype for Linux used to be audio problems (especially with pulseaudio when it was new). There still are issues I have with it (sometimes audio will 'die' either audio-in or audio-out requiring a restart of Skype to get it working again) though to a lesser extent. If they could separate out the business logic (communicating with the network, using proprietary protocals, etc) from the interface logic (UI, access to local audio-in/out, access to local video-in/out) it would be a major boon. Though open-sourcing the whole thing might be nice, it could have unexpected consequences (easier to filter Skype with DPI, allow NSA/CIA/etc to tap calls, etc).

eru 17y ago
Open-sourcing the whole thing should make it harder for the NSA to tap calls. (Or at least to decrypt what they intercept.)
- pyre 17y ago
  I don't know how reliable it is, but I've heard that the reason that the NSA can't tap Skype calls is because the protocol/keys/whatever is changed behind the scenes every-so-often.
  - Create 17y ago
    http://www.secdev.org/conf/skype_BHEU06.handout.pdf http://www.secdev.org/conf/skype_BHEU06.handout.pdf
    - bensummers 17y ago
      Good read. Skype is a scary application -- but then, running anyone's code on your computer is making a big leap of faith.

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