Open source the server components of Keybase

[kallisti5]

There's an uproar in keybase chat about the purchase of Keybase by Zoom.

Statements like this "Ultimately Keybase's future is in Zoom's hands, and we'll see where that takes us." scare the keybase community and will drive away the more technically minded user-base.

Please open source the server components to keybase.

While the Keybase client is open source, and handles all of the encryption + decryption, the server component that streams chats, file transfers, etc between users is not. Keybase will not function if Zoom shuts down the (currently closed source) server component.

This act will help ensure the long term stability of the keybase platform in-case keybase's future is bleak at Zoom.

[virtadpt]

Please! Very much please!

[NewAlexandria]

This seems like an important step in Zoom retaining the value that they paid for in the Keybase acquisition. (admittedly, only Zoom know's what is best for Zoom's value)

[Laphatize]

facts bro

[aaronky]

2020 strikes again, I’m really bummed because I have integrated keybase into my workflow heavily over the years.

Back to rolling my own again. This one hurts.

[Southclaws]

There should be "nothing to hide" regarding the server(s) implementation. I'd imagine the worry is that once technical users (probably the majority of the userbase) can self-host their own infrastructure, there's no need for a company to exist.

That being said, I'd still happily pay a small monthly fee for a hosted server even under the circumstances of the acquisition. I'm still preparing to move my documents to another place though. And have been since Keybase became a day to day tool for me, since their business model, and thus any promise of sustainability, was always nonexistent.

[kfogel]

There would still be a demand for one central company that is the go-to place for those who don't want to set up their own server. Typically, one of the biggest drivers of demand for a "we host it for you" company like that is when organizations set it up themselves and then decide, after a period of time, that self-hosting isn't worth the trouble anymore. They become more likely to become customers when they know that they could, in principle, go to another vendor or host it themselves if absolutely necessary -- but if they're getting good service, they won't ever leave.

So, +1. I hope Zoom makes the decision to open source the server code. I'm not privy to all the factors that went into their Keybase decision, but from what I can see from the outside, it would make a lot of business sense.

[kallisti5]

A "feeling" in the keybase community is Zoom purchased keybase for all the smart crypto-nerds who wrote the platform to help them improve the security of the Zoom application + platform. This is all pure speculation though. (and somewhat based on the language at the end of the keybase blog post)

Lets keep +1'ing this issue to show there is a lot of support in the keybase community for open sourcing the server components. If Zoom has good intentions, and are only interested in the skilled developers who wrote it... there is a chance they might agree to opening the server components.

[clord]

Zoom could achieve a big win here.

[alexparker]

There should be "nothing to hide" regarding the server(s) implementation. I'd imagine the worry is that once technical users (probably the majority of the userbase) can self-host their own infrastructure, there's no need for a company to exist.

That being said, I'd still happily pay a small monthly fee for a hosted server even under the circumstances of the acquisition. I'm still preparing to move my documents to another place though. And have been since Keybase became a day to day tool for me, since their business model, and thus any promise of sustainability, was always nonexistent.

ghost.org exists keybase server could exist too while still open sourcing the code

[Southclaws]

ghost.org exists keybase server could exist too while still open sourcing the code

I agree, many other open source businesses exist too. But I can imagine the angle would be that Keybase is a tech product for technical users. Still, I don't like the hassle of self-hosting and I'm sure many share the same sentiment and would prefer to pay for sustainability.

[Southclaws]

A thought occurs: are there any unknowns that would prevent one from implementing their own backend by reverse engineering the API calls from the client? Seems doable, if Keybase itself don't disclose the source.

[programmarchy]

A thought occurs: are there any unknowns that would prevent one from implementing their own backend by reverse engineering the API calls from the client? Seems doable, if Keybase itself don't disclose the source.

@Southclaws Possibly, but why not just contribute to Matrix / Riot instead at that point?

[Southclaws]

Possibly, but why not just contribute to Matrix / Riot instead at that point?

You're probably right there. I didn't consider that because I never used the chat features of Keybase, just the encrypted Git and filesystem integration.

[rscmbbng]

@Southclaws Possibly, but why not just contribute to Matrix / Riot instead at that point?

Because it is your next VC funded disappointment waiting to happen?

[manuelvsousa]

Possibly, but why not just contribute to Matrix / Riot instead at that point?

You're probably right there. I didn't consider that because I never used the chat features of Keybase, just the encrypted Git and filesystem integration.

This. I believe this is the most difficult thing to replicate, and I think it's what most people want to be open-sourced. The chat is a sad loss, but there are a lot of good alternatives out there for that.