Mobile VoIP: Client side call quality | Hacker News Reader

Mobile VoIP: Client side call quality

whispersystems.org

37 pointsmoxie10 comments

Impressive! Low-level/low-latency audio on Android has been extra hassle for a long time: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=3434

I understand and respect the reasons for using GPLv3 but it's still a bit of a bummer every time I see it locking functionality like this away from wide-spread use. My very limited perception is that it comes down to protecting the secret sauce; I can't immediately think of any compelling reason to segment reusable parts of this particular app for 'closer-to-free-as-in-beer' status.

The FSF has a page documenting their recommendations for choice of license here: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-recommendations.html

Do you mean they should use another license so someone else can re-use the entire code in another open source app, or use another license so others can use it in paid apps? What license would you recommend?

They should pick whichever license they are comfortable with, that is their right as the copyright holders. The fact that this is all open source at all is amazing!

If my understanding is correct, the software is licensed under the GPLv3 which means that someone else can already re-use any portion of the code in another (GPLv3-compatible) open source app.

My personal preference is the LGPL, which attempts to protect the openness of the code while allowing commercial use. The FSF covers their position on this briefly in their discussion on choosing the right license for a project:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-recommendations.html

  > allowing proprietary software developers to use the covered library,
  > but providing a weak copyleft that benefits users when they do

but they also explain how they prefer to leverage useful functionality to help the spread of free software:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-not-lgpl.html

  > By releasing libraries that are limited to free software only, 
  > we can help each other's free software packages outdo the
  > proprietary alternatives

It's simple to me: anyone who wishes to take our work and also openly contribute their work are free to do so. Those that don't wish to also openly contribute their work need to contact the copyright holder.

I agree that the license accomplishes your intended purpose in a very straightforward manner, and I do not pretend to have even the slightest footing from which to suggest otherwise (or that you should change it).

I was only sharing my selfish desire to see the utility classes you've created to make Android’s AudioMixer API usable for your app become more widely available - some of the functionality you've implemented should have always been supported at the operating system level. As I'm sure you're well aware, licenses like the LGPL attempt to push the balance slightly towards more widespread usability while ensuring any additional contributions return upstream.

Great stuff, thanks Moxie. Any chance you could release WhisperCore/WhisperMonitor (even as a paid app) so non-Apple devices would also have the option of a usable firewall?

Thanks. WhisperMonitor is on the roadmap!

This is awesome. If anyone from whisper sees this, please get ahold of me off site. I've been trying to say hello but haven't found much in the way of contact info :/.

Hey, I'm moxie at whispersystems.org

Nice website design.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com