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Release the future GOG updater client as open source
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shmerl If you plan to create an incremental updates service in the future, please release your client as open source in order to enable collaboration with the community and to build trust with your users. It would set GOG apart from other services which use closed clients, and would be in the same spirit as being DRM free in general.
The corresponding forum topic:
secure.gog.com/forum/general/future_gog_updater_client_as_open_source_and_the_issue_of_turst
Hexchild Making Galaxy open source is pretty much the only way I might actually be convinced to start using it. But there'd have to be no suspicious or obscure stuff in there, and GOG would have to be pretty darn permissive about me making and running modified builds. Not to mention it'd take quite a lot of just the right feature set to convince me that it's not better to develop my own client from scratch, run an open-source client made by someone else, or simply not use one at all. Well, that and completely dropping certain insulting and offensive practices regarding its promotion that just make me want to avoid it altogether. But given all that, if I can be convinced, I'd probably be quite motivated to improve on it and share those improvements. I imagine I'm far from alone in that regard.
Dylldophlo yes, please
blue_legacy I think GOG has nothing to lose in the end. Some marketing as being ACTUALLY pro-ethical practices nowadays will go to the moon.
Adpocalyptic I can get behind this
osix +
awolfcalledbed yes please!
mmatous +1, aside from positive PR, people could help with features, fixes and most importantly porting to different platforms.
PSam95 If you realy do that I'll stop to use steam. I swear.
nopism Still no update? GOG is still completly excluded from all achievement and game library aggregators and trackers like MetaGamerScore, Exophase, Raptr etc. due to the lack of API. Not to mention that nobody is listing GOG games on their web pages due to the complete lack of affiliate program / referral links or even a basic WebService to query what games are available and find their GOG store link... Come on GOG, this is the basics of the basics of web business since the 90's
GodDamnUsername would be nice!
Dennis50300 that's where very nice, because the Linux Version of the Client development with the linux community faster than now in the moment.
The only available Windows Version i look.... "Beta" ... o.O
rosenpin I would really love to be able to help developing GOG Galaxy if it will go open source.
zauberwichtel I'd definitely contribute code to an open source gaming client. With this GOG could become much bigger.
shmerl A reminder. The new request for this is here: www.gog.com/wishlist/galaxy/open_source_the_galaxy_client
This one should remain for historical reasons since GOG support said they can't merge requests from different sections. Please vote in the new one if you didn't yet.
isthatrhetorical Agreed!
shmerl MadJeC: GOG got the point. No need for a separate request for it. The main issue here is not to make it strong copyleft (which is of course good), but to improve trust. I think there is no reason for GOG to make it weak copyleft anyway, so GPL is a reasonable expectation.
Warmdrink If you're not open source, you're openly bullshit.
MadJeC I think this request needs to be reworded to "Release the future GOG updater client as free software". Open source is good and all, but it misses the point of user freedom to study, modify and redistribute software. We need to demand the rights that come with a free software license such as the GNU GPL.
www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html
entux do it and feel the collective power of openness.
zerothis An Open-Source client would get ported. For GOG, this means:
* More potential customers with no initial investment and no additional burden of support required
* An indication of market size and support required for it, so GOG can better decide if expanding into said market is worth the investment.
Note than ports need not be full ports nor will members necessarily be playing GOG games on the platform ported to. Members may only be accessing social features, bonus content, or shopping.
An Open-Source client would get translated into additional languages. same benefits.
Suppose 10 users in a year repeatedly log in with the Android port and download games because someone found a way to somehow make the client function on Android. GOG would probably let Android users support each other. Meanwhile these users are buying games. And GOG knows which games they downloaded using Android. Now suppose rather, that _70%_ of all users had made use of the Android port. GOG would clearly have reason to actively support and improve the customer experience for the Android port on behalf of this segment of their users.
Valoric This would completely blow my mind. This should happen, it needs to happen. C'man GOG, this would be freaking unprecedented!
3th05 I will simply ask please, for platform stability on all platforms!!!
12me91 Yes, please! Open source, let me see the code for the galaxy on windows and linux man that would be awesome!
boxtropica Galaxy should be open-source. I see nothing wrong with that. It'd be one thing that GOG would have against Steam... Steam has Linux support against GOG, though...
roranicus While I will probably stick to downloading my game directly as I'm not a fan of client, having it be open source might just convince me to give it a shot.
Mikehanson21 Please make it open source
psymin Sweet! I'll use the linux client regardless, but FOSS can only help GOG!
MasterionX So it would be like Desura:
github.com/lindenlab/desura-app
That's pretty cool 8)
grantek Well they're doing this presumably partly to save on bandwidth costs (ie updates on the order of megabytes instead of gigabytes for new games), so it's in their best interest to make it as user-friendly as possible - having the updater be open-source allows integration with other programs and potentially even inclusion in Linux distros (eg. the Debian "contrib" section)
shmerl Also, vote for the API and the protocol to be documented:
secure.gog.com/wishlist/site/document_the_protocol_and_api_of_the_galaxy_updater_client_to_enable_community_alternatives
nicereddy Please make Galaxy open source!
shmerl @Staredown: Meanwhile there is an open source community downlaoder already: secure.gog.com/forum/general/lgogdownloader_gogdownloader_for_linux
This request is more about the potential future GOG client which will be more than just a downloader, but also an update manager and so on.
Staredown Honestly, the major reason I haven't downloaded the GoG Downloader program is because I've been burned by too many companies I trusted installing shitware along with their software. Open Sourcing all these accessory programs would go a long long long way to alleviating these kinds of fears.
shmerl Just to clarify, this wishlist can be applied to GOG's installer for Linux as well, not only to a complex updater client.
Peerbreed Releasing an open source client would show that not only does GOG have the intention of providing excellent support to linux users, but also that they understand the spirit of the community.
ssokolow Releasing the client as open-source really makes sense. It's not part of the secret sauce that makes GOG competitive so it's just a "necessary burden" to maintain it. Anything that can allow us to help reduce that burden is a good thing. (And it shouldn't be too difficult. At minimum, a repository somewhere like GitHub, a public issue tracker, and some clear instructions on how to set up a build environment, how to make a build, and what standards must be met for submitted fixes/enhancements.)
shaddim sorry for hijacking... it's for open-source! :) www.gog.com/wishlist/site/obtain_source_code_for_games_where_possible
36 comments about this wish