Readers' responses to Microsoft-Novell and Red Hat-Oracle soap operas

Linux news of late has readers talking

It’s been a wild past few weeks in Linux news, from Red Hat’s troubles with Oracle, to the Microsoft/Novell deal, and the subsequent rift over intellectual property and patent rights. Newsletter readers had a lot to say about these issues.

On the Microsoft/Novell partnership, where the two companies agreed to share and collaborate on technology, and to not sue each other's customers over software patents, one reader had this to say.

“I believe this could be one of the most significant events in open source,” the reader wrote. “So far, the only thing that anyone is hearing [though] is how wonderful Novell and Microsoft want us to believe it is.”

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It’s been a wild past few weeks in Linux news, from Red Hat’s troubles with Oracle, to the Microsoft/Novell deal, and the subsequent rift over intellectual property and patent rights. Newsletter readers had a lot to say about these issues.

On the Microsoft/Novell partnership, where the two companies agreed to share and collaborate on technology, and to not sue each other's customers over software patents, one reader had this to say.

“I believe this could be one of the most significant events in open source,” the reader wrote. “So far, the only thing that anyone is hearing [though] is how wonderful Novell and Microsoft want us to believe it is.”

This notion of “wonderful” came crashing down for some readers, and Microsoft and Novell PR especially, when Microsoft basically threatened to sue Linux users for violating Microsoft software patents. One reader said he’d planned to take a “wait-and-see” approach to the Microsoft/Novell agreement. But the statements by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about Linux patent violations is making this hard to do.

“What bothers me is the continued FUD coming out of Redmond about Linux violating Microsoft patents. Microsoft's bluff has got to be called on this. If they have enforceable patents on software that Linux has infringed upon, then Microsoft needs to put it on the table for everyone to see,” this reader wrote. “This has been the whole problem with the infamous SCO suit against IBM, etc. The court has not seen any convincing evidence that Linux is infringing on Unix code.”

The other big recent Linux controversy between Oracle and Red Hat also got some readers writing in. Some readers are wondering if any other large IT vendors will follow Oracle’s lead, and begin taking on more Linux support and code maintenance themselves.

“Now that Oracle has shown the way, what's to stop IBM and HP from joining?” said a reader. “Indeed, some might argue (including the companies themselves) that it would be irresponsible not to follow, both strategically and financially. What about Dell? It now has a Red Hat/SuSE Linux customer base, and certainly has the support infrastructure, and the resources to copy Oracle’s move … All it needs is the management will to say ‘make it so.’”

Another reader says the Oracle move is not the end of Red Hat, but possibly something that could help sustain the company.

“Keep in mind, Oracle's decision is still relying on Red Hat” software. It even ties the operating system and application even more tightly together than before. “You can't think of Oracle and Linux anymore without thinking Red Hat.”

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