Mysterous Mail: Will Skype Become Open Source?

Nov 02, 2009

French Mandriva user Olivier Faurax registered a support case at Skype complaining about a missing Mandriva package. Instead of the package he received a reply of some amazement.

The response from Skype to Olivier Faurax's blog was that Skype regretted that no Mandriva package had been included. However, Skype also asserted in the same reply that it will "from now on be part of the open source community." This bit of news was quite welcome in that it allows future Linux developers to influence the Skype client software "which will most certainly result in specific versions for the different distributions."

When astonished Faurax further inquired about when this was to happen, the response was, "Yes, indeed, the Linux Skype version will become open source in the nearest future," signed by Joerg in Skype customer support.

If this is to be taken seriously may be determined fairly soon. Commentators on the blog already doubt whether Skype will open up the important components. One commentator suspects that the graphical interface might be the first candidate.

Meanwhile the first Skype plugin for Asterisk has become available.

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