Comments about Microsoft and the GPL

[Paul W. Frields]

On Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 12:25:14PM +0300, Nicu Buculei wrote:
> On 07/21/2009 12:04 PM, Keiran Smith wrote:
>> Well looks like us linux users can look forward to some of the
>> instabilities of windows in our Own Operating Systems. What are
>> microsoft thinking
>
> I don't think you will be affected by this code unless you run a  
> virtualized Linux guest on a Windows host and if you do that... well,  
> probably you already have bigger problems :p
>
> I am quite pleased by the Microsoft announcement, from now on when an MS  
> astroturfer will try to throw FUD at me about Linux being inferior  
> security and quality wise compared with Microsoft solutions I can smile  
> and point Microsoft *is* a contributor to the Linux kernel.
>
> The same about GPL: after releasing code under GPL, it would be really  
> embarrassing for Microsoft to call again it as being "communist",  
> "cancer" or "Pac-Man".

I think it's quite simple for Microsoft to say, "We still don't like
the GPL, but because these drivers will help our customers, and
because this license is required to get them in the kernel, we've done
it."  Certainly there are places in Microsoft that are open to
thinking constructively about open source and how it fits into their
business and customer engagements.  But I think trying to cast it as a
philosophical sea change is wishful thinking.

-- 
Paul W. Frields                                http://paul.frields.org/
  gpg fingerprint: 3DA6 A0AC 6D58 FEC4 0233  5906 ACDB C937 BD11 3717
  http://redhat.com/   -  -  -  -   http://pfrields.fedorapeople.org/
  irc.freenode.net: stickster @ #fedora-docs, #fedora-devel, #fredlug