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by rmc 5422 days ago
I see they have a Linux version. Is it Open Source?
2 comments

The biggest problem I have with centralized servers in the first place is that I don't trust my data with them. If it was decentralized and open source, that's an app I could see myself using.

Closed source = no good for privacy.

I think that AeroFS only uses central servers to identify the IP addresses of participating hosts and negotiate a connection. AFAIK, the actual data flows directly peer to peer. So, even a malicious employee or government snoop would only know the IP of swarm participants. Presumably you'd still need to intercept and crack any encryption between nodes.
That's not the problem, the app being closed source and being able to do whatever it wants with my data is the problem.
If the software is open source, it makes it much harder for a malicious company/employee to install a back door into the software.

It's not just the servers I have to trust, but the software. AeroFS gets rid of the servers, butt still need to trust the software.

Probably not. At least it couldn't be a "private beta" then.
I suppose.... but I'd be interested to hear their plans for when it's not a private beta. I would also be interested if the source code is visible to users (which is not the same thing as open source) . This transparency helps users know how safe their data is.