Skype To Become Open Source‽

[Skofo]

http://ofaurax.free.fr/blog/index.php5/2009-10-31-00h31-0100.xml

I WANT TO BELIEVE

 

[danielliu88888]

oh god this would be awesome

 

[zhasha]

One of the comments suggests that only the GUI would be open sourced, and the library would remain closed (very likely). The library DOES WORK ON ARM, however the question is whether it will even be possible for us to get a hold of it and in such a fashion that we could port a GUI.

 

[marshal]

I would also be surprised if they open-source all of it... also have to look at what licence they will use. Skype wanting to open up the protocol could make sense but it hasn't been their strategy for now.

If it's true it's definitely good news

 

[Tor]

Whatever happens with Skype, I hope a change doesn't result in stopping their business setup with all those telecoms everywhere. What interests me with Skype isn't so much that I can call Skype-to-Skype (which could be done by maybe a dozen other tools), it's that I can call any landline number almost everywhere in the world, at a very low price. Some of the other voip apps can call landlines too, but they seem to have a much much smaller pool of telecom deals set up.

 

[renwils]

I'm skeptical(but hopeful) that they would open up skype for mobile devices. But maybe this would somehow facilitate hacking in skype support from maemo.

Edit: http://share.skype.com/sites/linux/2009/11/skype_open_source.html

Yes, there's an open source version of Linux client being developed. This will be a part of larger offering, but we can't tell you much more about that right now. Having an open source UI will help us get adopted in the "multicultural" land of Linux distributions, as well as on other platforms and will speed up further development. We will update you once more details are available.

 

[Wheels]

I'm skeptical(but hopeful) that they would open up skype for mobile devices. But maybe this would somehow facilitate hacking in skype support from maemo.

Edit: http://share.skype.com/sites/linux/2009/11/skype_open_source.html

Yes, there's an open source version of Linux client being developed. This will be a part of larger offering, but we can't tell you much more about that right now. Having an open source UI will help us get adopted in the "multicultural" land of Linux distributions, as well as on other platforms and will speed up further development. We will update you once more details are available.

Uh-oh...
Berkus doesn't sound very helpful with his dismissal of "free" as in libre software there. He should know full well what people mean by "free" in the context of open source announcements but he chooses to use the gratis meaning instead.
Open sourcing the UI is good, it's a step in the right direction. It's probably not where Skype needs to be in terms of Free Software, though.

 

[second exodous]

Everyone that I did skype-to-skype calls I now talked them into switching to gtalk, the voice chat through google, because lately skype hasn't been that clear. I would be more interested in getting Pidgin to work on the Pandora with the gtalk voice plugins than I would skype. I would give it a try again if the client was open sourced, maybe the static was just from the Linux client.

 

[Gary13579]

SIP client + Gizmo + Google Voice allows me to call any Skype person *and* gives me free nationwide calling to mobile phones/land lines.

Skype is big, but it's not as useful imho.

 

[second exodous]

Well, for people without computers overseas you need to use skype, or can you call oversea phones with gtalk? I still use skype, just not as much as I used to with gtalk around.

 

[Gary13579]

Well, for people without computers overseas you need to use skype, or can you call oversea phones with gtalk? I still use skype, just not as much as I used to with gtalk around.

Google Voice is considerably cheaper for any place I call often, compared to Skype. Canada is free, vs $0.02/min on Skype, which by itself would be $5-6 a month savings for me.

Edit: Gtalk != Google Voice, not directed at anyone just saying in general.