Skype For Linux To Be Open-Sourced "In the Nearest Future"

rysiek writes "Seems like there might be a revolution in the works, as far as VoIP software for Linux is concerned. After mailing Skype support about Skype providing Mandriva RPM packages, Olivier Faurax got an answer which suggests that the Linux Skype client will be open-sourced. After asking for verification of whether that was the case, the tech support answer claimed it is going to happen, and that it's supposed to happen 'in the nearest future.' Now, this probably only means the client (the underlying protocol will probably be handled by a binary-only library), but even if that's the case, it seems like there is still reason to celebrate."

IOW

[pedestrian crossing]

Not OSS. Nothing to see here, move along...

Re:IOW

[daid303]

Yes it is OSS. It's not GPL, but an open source frontend with the right license would still be OSS.

Re:Yay

[BitZtream]

You can do that without Skype's source code. There are plenty of SIP clients out there and in fact an entire PBX system for Linux that includes the ability to war dial and use text to speech scripts on calls already.

I'd almost wager someone has already written an asterisk script to order for them.

Re:Good riddance, crappy ugly Skype client

[neiras]

The problem with transitioning of course is when they ask "how do I call my Skype buddies with SIP?"

It works for the calling-landlines case. For everyone else, there are SIP->Skype gateways like Gizmo5's OpenSky.

Re:IOW

[daid303]

The open source parts are open source (shocking!), just like an open source frontend on top of closed source libraries still is an open source frontend.

Is the full driver then open source, no. Is full Skype open source, no. But is the driver glue open source, yes. Is the frontend open source, yes.

Re:Nope

[Anonymous Coward]

Story has been confirmed at the Skype Linux blog:
http://share.skype.com/sites/linux/2009/11/skype_open_source.html

They are making an open source UI to allow better integration with distros.

Re:IOW

[2muchcoffeeman]

Yes it is OSS. It's not GPL, but an open source frontend with the right license would still be OSS.

If the underlying driver isn't also GPL'd, then it's not open-source.
 
And as long as we don't have access to that underlying driver, we have no way to guarantee that there's no backdoor into our communications.
 
Of course, we already know that the Austrian interior ministry has confirmed it has no problem [h-online.com] listening to Skype conversations [theregister.co.uk].
 
If Austria can do it, it seems likely that other governments have that capability (even if they claim otherwise despite documentation to the contrary [wikileaks.org]).

Re:Nope

[ofaurax]

First, I'm not an employee of Mandriva. I didn't ask for anything other than an official skype RPM for Mandriva, on the skype download page or on the Mandriva repositories (in "non-free"). There's nothing to do with icons or trademark. As english is not my native language, I asked for clarification when reading "part of the opensource community". The answer is "will become open source in the nearest future." If you don't trust my language skills, just read the "blockquote tag" answers from the tech support. I only copy/pasted.

update from linuxcrunch

[itwadi]

After contacting Skype's representative,Linuxcrunch.com [linuxcrunch.com] got an update for this issue: "We appreciate our user community's enthusiasm and realize this is something they have been wanting for a while. We realize the potential of the open source community and believe that making Skype for Linux an open source application will help to speed up its development and enhance its compatibility with different versions of Linux. While it is our goal to make Skype for Linux source code available to the community in the nearest future, we are not at a point to disclose an exact release date yet."

Official statement from Skype

[Keyper7]

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

Re:Yay

[GameboyRMH]

I met a guy in an Asterisk training course who was using it for telemarketing, and he told us it's commonly used in the industry :( It just seems so wrong...