Skype To Provide Open-Source Linux Client

[Ranguvar]

It's the protocol that matters, yes. Especially when there's a competing open protocol, and the closed protocol in question is extremely vulnerable to "tapping" (in analog phone lingo) and such.

No thanks, Skype, I'll stick with SIP.

@d2kx: Nope, and that's the point... they may be open-sourcing their client, but that doesn't do anything to the protocol, it'll likely stay as obfuscated, undocumented, and nasty as ever.

[Apopas]

...The Chinese government, for example, was found to have been spying on Skype conversations already, and they are probably not the only ones...

http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priorit...ypereplacement

[V!NCENT]

Heeeeeeeeeeeell yes!!!

I got a family member who's offshore for a year and Skype is the only way to get in contact. But... Skype sucks under any OS and especially under Linux today up to the point that only text communication is possible but I can do that with MSN protocol clients anyway. That sucks.

I know it's:
a) Evil;
b) Proprietary;
c) Closed standard and;
d) Not GPL'ed....

But at least I can now make some freaking video calls in the near future

Thank you Skype for this crappy half-baked desicion xD

[Setlec]

i use daily Skype on windows as their linux version is so... not working! I never get the mic to work on skype. Opening the client is a start tbh, more native support on alsa and memory consumption. I do understand that the protocol isn't going to be FOSS, it's understandable as they get money from the skype credit (phone call to physical phones) i never called someone from my skype to a physical phone, most of my contacts use skype on their PC/Iphone/whatever.

[misiu_mp]

I like the linux UI much more than the windows one. Its just way to confusing in windows.
When it comes to sound, I remember skype only suported OSS (the old, deprecated version) for a long time. Then they added support for alsa and you could start skype without blocking the soundcard and it was great. Then pulseaudio came... and with it the mess.
I don't know if it is skype's fault or pulse's but pulse, being the new general sound platform is definitely expected to be more fool-proof than skype.
That being said, independently of whether the main burden of skype sound issues lies in pulseaudio or not, an open-source client would most likely quickly find a way around the problems.
But why oh why cant the very open pulse be fixed once and for all?

[panda84]

Originally Posted by misiu_mp

But why oh why cant the very open pulse be fixed once and for all?

That's easy: because most of the times it's the audio driver that fails. And why don't they fix the drivers? And why is the world so cruel? And ... so on!

[droidhacker]

Originally Posted by L33F3R

On the flipside, people like you who chargeback, also make paypal dirty ground for sellers.

Don't make me out to be the bad guy. As a buyer, if the seller commits FRAUD, I expect a refund and will do whatever it takes to get it.

[droidhacker]

Something wrong with SIP?
If you can skype, you can SIP.

Originally Posted by V!NCENT

Heeeeeeeeeeeell yes!!!

I got a family member who's offshore for a year and Skype is the only way to get in contact. But... Skype sucks under any OS and especially under Linux today up to the point that only text communication is possible but I can do that with MSN protocol clients anyway. That sucks.

I know it's:
a) Evil;
b) Proprietary;
c) Closed standard and;
d) Not GPL'ed....

But at least I can now make some freaking video calls in the near future

Thank you Skype for this crappy half-baked desicion xD

[V!NCENT]

Originally Posted by droidhacker

Something wrong with SIP?
If you can skype, you can SIP.

Yes: my entire family and friends group isn't going to change their learned app for something else just because I demand it... Yes: it's the classic bang-your-own-head-hard-against-the-wall problem, but at the same time anti-social from my part: the entire world does something one way (Windows + Skype) and I have to ignore everyone by doing it my (as usual better) different way.

[benmoran]

Yeah, what he said. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before something better and probably open source takes it's place, and people will switch to that. Most people switched to Firefox didn't they? The voip ap of the future could be some free software project we have now, or something completely different. Who knows.

For now though, Vincent said it.