Skype For Linux To Be Open-Sourced [updated]

By , Published November 2, 2009

Skype is going to be open-sourced!

I won't dwell too long on this as you can check the full post on Slashdot via Olivier Faurax's blog post.
skype

Whilst asking about a Skype package for some alien sounding distro called €œMandriva€ (must be a fork of the Hanna Montana distro or something*) he was told that the Skype client was due to become part of the open-source community.

Not quite believing what he'd read he asked for clarification on this and received: –

Yes, indeed, the Linux Skype version will become open source in the nearest future.

from €œJoerg€ @ Skype Customer Support.

Great news!

If this is true then it's great news and the first sign of proper progress for Skype on Linux since before eBay bought it. (They've since sold it, hence the progress!)

Now this will only apply to the client side of things and not the underlying protocol, but it will give developers the chance to enhance, beautify and hell even give us a native GTK version!

* I'm joking about not knowing of Mandriva. I'm fully aware it's great legacy as Madrake and it's popular modern form as Mandriva. I'm just having a friendly rival-distro dig.



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Update
Skype have issued an official statement: -

Just a quick update, since we seem to have hit slashdot with this news.

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.

Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk

Related posts:

  1. New Version Of Skype Released For Linux
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  • http://twitter.com/leejarratt Lee Jarratt

    Unrelated but when will you be adding a Lucid section to your site? I found your articles on Karmic’s development very interesting and informative, I guess you will add it when the UDS has finished I guess?

    Good job on the site, it’s really fantastic. Also, I don’t think the Facebook Connect functionality works on this site, so I have to use Twitter’s services, is it just my computer??

    Lee

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      I need to buy a Lynx cuddly toy first! =P

      No, you’re right, I’m waiting for UDS and the first Alpha before i can start on Lucid proper.

      Thanks for the compliments and regarding the facebook connect – it seems totally hit and miss. Disqus (who provide the commenting system for the blog) don’t seem to know what the issue is either, but it’s the same on other blogs that use is too.

      • manny

        yay for a LYNX CUDDLY TOY !!

        i just hope he gets along with our karmic kuddly koala !

  • http://sinlugareneltiempo.blogspot.com/ Rubenmv

    “the chance to enhance, beautify and hell even give us a native GTK version! ”

    Or maybe a good QT4 version, one of QT’s interesting sides is that it uses the native UI elements in the platforms that offer it. Look, for instance, at VLC or SMPlayer, both look good whatever the desktop you use.

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      I’m a big fan of QT4 for that very reason! It’s horrible switching DE and being greeted with something resembling Windows 3.1.

  • http://twitter.com/SeifSallam Seif Sallam

    thats the best news of the week

  • Anonymous

    I fear they will give up supporting the binary blob for the protocol and it’ll die a death. Giving up control of the gui part means absolutely nothing.

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      I think it does. A lot of what has been holding Skype on Linux back is integrating everything to work properly against so many different configs, DE’s etc. By open sourcing it it means this kind of development will happen in the click of a mouse (gawd that’s cheesy!) because so many people are DESPERATE for a decent looking, nicely integrated and windows-parity version. Skype for Linux has all the same features (more or less) just in one mother freaking ugly interface.

      I’d also expect that some extendibility will come out of this, too.

      • montini

        I would also point that, looking to the big picture, proprietary software developers seem to accept the fact that open source is _the way_ if you want to make things done effectively. Would love to see that trend evolving.

  • http://pensieriacoriandoli.blogspot.com/ Giorg

    YAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! :D

  • Mohan

    I came from Mandrake way back in 2000 (I liked you joke), and I am very much glad to hear that Skype will be going open source! Very good move on Skype’s part!

  • Manning

    Yay!
    Does this mean that we will be able to access the Skype API for integration with Pidgin and the like?

    P.S. I love your blog, i read it everyday!

  • http://profiles.google.com/paul.radioactive Paul Somebody

    And who said that nothing good is going to come out of Skype because it is bought by Microsoft?

  • Hanynowsky Madany

    I am pissed off Skype was bought by Microsoft. It is just like a needle piercing my heart everyday :(
    Skype is the greatest Voice Messenger and its Linux version is just great and does the job perfectly!
    If there is an open source version of Skype, I guess we have to do the same thing we did with OpenOffice towards LibreOffice.