Microsoft versus open source
Microsoft contributes GPL'd code to old enemy Samba project
On October 10, a group of developers contributed a patch to the Samba Technical Mailing List. That would be an unexceptional event except that these developers worked for Microsoft, Samba is covered by the GPLv2 and there's a long and not-very-friendly history between Microsoft and the project.
NOT TOTALLY FRIENDS: Barnes & Noble subpoenas Nokia over Microsoft Android lawsuit Read more
Chocolate In My Peanut Butter: Open Source Single Sign On Meets Open Source Two-Factor Authentication
Back in November I wrote about WiKID Systems and how they were bringing open source two-factor authentication to the market since 2001. I used the WiKID story to explain what two-factor authentication works and why it is a far superior method for security access then passwords alone. Read more
CodePlex's Walli: No need to overhaul open source definition, licenses
As long as Microsoft exists, there will be those who believe it's the KGB of the open source world, secretly doing everything it can to destroy the free software movement in general and Linux in particular. Microsoft has made so many missteps in regards to open source that you can't blame people for thinking that. Read more
Is Microsoft an open source company?
When thinking about open source, most people immediately think Linux, Apache, Mozilla to name a few of the many projects currently being developed. Of course, there are thousands of open source projects and I wanted to see what platform these projects were running on. To my surprise, I found a great deal of Windows open source projects and was even shocked by my search of the most popular open source projects on SourceForge. Here are the top 10 applications (all time) on SourceForge: Read more
After three years effort, Microsoft's open source IronRuby stable and available
Microsoft developers today released v 1.0 of IronRuby, an open-source project that integrates .Net code and the .Net framework with the popular open source programming language Ruby. Read more
Microsoft publishes Outlook PST files, but uses funky patent language
Microsoft today published the technical specifications for its Outlook 2010PST files. Microsoft had promised in October that it would do so.
Added 02/23 per comment below: The document can be found here. Read more
Microsoft legally promises not to sue open source developers
As part of the agreement Microsoft has struck with the European Commission to offer a ballet screen for browsers, Microsoft has issued what it calls the "Patent Pledge for Open Source Developers." The pledge tells open source developers that Microsoft won't sue them for developing open source software for its flagship products as long as they are not selling their software. Read more
Microsoft's Teamprise acquisition means nothing for open development
Despite a misleading press release, Microsoft's purchase of the Teamprise toolset means almost nothing for Visual Studio and doesn't make Visual Studio a tool for cross-platform support. Microsoft is taking over the previous add-on product Teamprise which works with Team Foundation Server. Read more
Microsoft Linux: Why one free software advocate wants it
A lot of open source advocates like to rage against the machine at Microsoft, but when a former Microsoft Research employee says that Windows 7 won't stop Linux from market domination, that's an opinion to note. Keith Curtis, author of the book After the Software Wars, says just that. But he goes further. He thinks Microsoft and its customers would be better off if the company ditched Windows and instead built its own version of the Linux operating system. Read more
Open source dude, Sam Ramji, departs Microsoft (sort of)
Last week, Sam Ramji announced that he would be heading up the CodePlex Foundation, a new foundation intended to help proprietary software makers work in the brave new open source world. He will officially be leaving Microsoft to concentrate on the new foundation, named after the Microsoft site that hosts open source software for Microsoft products, CodePlex.com. Those projects are typically covered by Microsoft's own open source licenses. Read more
Microsoft accused of being in violation of GPL on Hyper-V code
Microsoft was reportedly in violation of the GPL license on on the Linux kernal Hyper-V code it released to the open source community this week. The drivers Microsoft created used both open-source and closed source components which is a clear no-no under the GPL. Read more
Open Source vendors band together against Microsoft
Google is one of the more than 50 companies that have banded together to pressure the U.S. government to buy more open source software. The coalition calls itself Open Source for America and its motives are seen as specifically targeting government no-bid renewals of Microsoft products. Read more
Microsoft releases collaboration plug-in under GPLv2
The release of Linux hypervisor drivers by Microsoft on Monday was as interesting for paving the way for Microsoft to use the GPLv2 as it was for supporting more Linux distros on Hyper-V. The question was, would Microsoft now feel free to create more GPLv2 open source code? Today we have the answer. Yes. Read more
Microsoft releases Linux Hyper-V drivers but still wants to crush Linux
With today's announcement that Microsoft will release a set of three Hyper-V drivers for the Linux kernel, Microsoft is treating its Windows Server 2008 customers right, but not, by any account, giving up the fight to wipe Linux out -- or for that matter crush VMware. Yes, the drivers are fully open source. But they mostly benefit Microsoft. They don't, for instance, contribute to the improvement of the Linux kernel. Read more
Microsoft covers C#, CLI programs with its home-grown, open source license
In a move that actually brought positive comments about Microsoft from the open source community, Microsoft today announced that it is extending its legally binding "Community Promise" licensing to cover C# programs and Common Language Infrastructure (CLI). Developers and users can use and modify implementations without fear of any reprisals. Read more
Microsoft yanks 10 old patches down
With nearly no explanation, Microsoft sent out an alert notifying customers that it was removing download information for 10 security patches "because Microsoft Java Virtual Machine is no longer available for distribution from Microsoft." The revised bulletins are rated as critical and affect patches from the years 1999 through 2003.
The affected patches are: MS03-011, MS02-069, MS02-052, MS02-013, MS00-081, MS00-075, MS00-059, MS00-011, MS99-045, MS99-031. Read more
TomTom caves, will pay Microsoft license fees; may force more open source patents
Submitted by Microsoft Subnet on Mon, 03/30/09 - 5:15pm.GPS navigation device vendor TomTom has agreed to settle its lawsuit with Microsoft by paying Microsoft license fees. Although TomTom filed a countersuit, Microsoft will not be paying license fees to TomTom in return. Specific financial terms were not disclosed but we don't need to know the financial terms to understand how important this case was. The patents at the center of Microsoft's infringement claims involved technologies found in a version of the Linux OS that TomTom's portable devices run on. Read more
U.S. government may explore standardizing on open source
Submitted by Microsoft Subnet on Wed, 01/28/09 - 11:12am.Scott McNealy has been asked to prepare a paper on the subject of secure and cost-effective government through open source, reports BBC News. The paper will aim to convince the Obama administration to free itself from licensing fees to the likes of Microsoft, IBM and Oracle and any other software vendor that still operates on the software licensing model.
According to the story, McNealy told BBC News: Read more
Microsoft sends an open source message by joining the AMQP working group
Submitted by Microsoft Subnet on Fri, 10/24/08 - 6:43pm.UPDATE: 10/27 (from Microsoft Subnet editor Julie Bort): Microsoft has today answered my e-mail asking how MSMQ might be affected by AMQP. According to Greg Thomas, Sr. Manager, Platform Strategy for Microsoft, "Today our customers have diverse and complex messaging needs that no single IT company alone can address. Read more
Samba developer declares Microsoft to be officially open-source friendly
Submitted by Microsoft Subnet on Fri, 10/24/08 - 10:43am.It's been a year since Microsoft's failed attempt to shrug off the EU's demands over interoperability. Read more
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