

Skype55 deobfuscated version released - mariuz
http://skype-open-source.blogspot.com/2012/03/skype55-deobfuscated-released.html

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martey
I don't understand this project. According to the creator, the purpose is "to
make Skype open source" [1], but the project relies on binary files
distributed by Skype. As a result, they have repeatedly faced DMCA notices [2]
which regularly causes the source code is become unavailable.

An earlier blog post made it to Hacker News. I found the comment at
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2611728> insightful.

[1]: [http://skype-open-source.blogspot.com/2011/06/skype-
protocol...](http://skype-open-source.blogspot.com/2011/06/skype-protocol-
reverse-engineered.html)

[2]: <https://github.com/skypeopensource/skypeopensource/issues/1>

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beza1e1
For a clean room reverse engineering they could analyse the Skype binaries to
document the protocol.

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kogir
Clean room requires that those creating the implementation don't have access
to the original implementation. Having the same person(s) inspect the binaries
and create an implementation fails this requirement.

See: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_room_design>

~~~
skypeopensource
But how can you test if you protocol/document correct? Yes, Epycs code may
have question about legit and some other stuff. But after it going to a beta
or stable stage. We can use Epycs protocol documentation to write, for
example, epycs.java and make it fully "clean room".

~~~
dredmorbius
Look up the term "Chinese Wall".

What's required (for purposes of courtroom defense) is a clearly documented
procedure in which those who have access to the source being reimplemented
(the spec writers and testers) NOT be the coders, and vice versa.

Another example is the SMB/CIFS reimplementation in the case of Samba. Here,
because the protocol was an over-the-wire system, analyzing network packets (
_not_ covered by source analysis proscriptions) was sufficient to create a
Free Software implementation.

~~~
skypeopensource
Yeah, we will do it. But now project still at first stage.

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drivebyacct2
Why? With that much work and grey legal areas, it's much easier to embrace
WebRTC and just try to evangelize it or applications that use it. I think
Skype will be a thing of the past soon enough. WebRTC is already quite
impressive for a few lines of JavaScript (and optionally C++ if you want to do
server side muxing and reduce the number of connections needed in a multiparty
"call").

In a couple days I wrote a pretty simple, but functional multiparty video chat
web-app. I'm just waiting for Chrome to support multiple PeerConnection
objects.

I guess I don't understand the obsession with trying to interop with Skype.

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forrestthewoods
No way. Skype is hands down the highest quality online voice chat system. I
play online games with friends and we always use Skype for voice chat.

I don't know what sort of audio processing magic Skype is performing but
whatever it is it's incredibly good. My group tried lots of alternatives
(Ventrilo, Mumble, TeamSpeak, Steam, etc) and Skype is easily the best. All
the others have issues with poor quality, speaker feedback, and/or keyboard
sounds. Skype has none of that. Crystal clear voice chat even when the mic is
directly beside a clickety clackety keyboard.

It'll take a hell of a lot more then a simple web client to dethrone Skype.

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drivebyacct2
It's not as if Mozilla and Google chose rinkydink codecs for WebRTC...

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forgotusername
It's not simply about compression, Skype has a decade-long head start on
tweaked echo/feedback suppression, gain control, dejitter, adaptive quality
adjustment and so on. The call quality is marvelous, even with Macbook mic and
lossy hotel wifi (I spend at least an hour every day using it right now).

I'm sure the browser vendors will catch up, but haven't even seen mention of
some of these features yet with regard to WebRTC.

~~~
technomancy
My experience is that Mumble blows Skype out of the water for background noise
suppression. I can't have a call in a windy area without riding the mute
button on Skype, but Mumble lets me adjust the signal/noise threshold to the
point where it only picks up my voice.

The fact that it doesn't crash every other day is a nice bonus too.

