[kwlug-disc] Microsoft Patches Linux; Linus Responds | Linux Magazine

[Khalid Baheyeldin]

On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 3:00 PM, Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com> wrote:

> John writes:
>
>   It's really for the MS customers who continue to choose immature
>>  products (HyperV) over mature ones (Xen, VMWare).
>>
>
> And by contributing code to Linux, the HyperV product is one step closer to
> maturity.  So that's a good thing.
>
> My biggest fear is that this is the first wedge for Microsoft's famous
> "Embrace and Extend" business model.  They'll create some hook to an MS OS,
> requiring further extensions, a bit of code here, some proprietary data
> there, then, "for the optimal user experience" an add-on, high-priced
> proprietary program, all still within the letter of GPL v2.
>
> Or they'll get the Linux community dependent on these driver extensions,
> and then make HyperV incompatible.  Of course, they'll gladly offer a
> proprietary paid-for product in its place.
>
> While the crowd here is unlikely to fall into such a trap, I hope that
> regular admins who are subject to the whims of their CxO will recognize such
> a thing before it happens.
>
> "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish".
>


Bob

Yes, people have to be careful with "bridge/hybrid" products like that where
half
the solution is free and the other half is controlled by an entity with bad
history.

But as far as the embrace, extend, extinguish thing goes, they can do the
first 2 all they like. The GPL prevents them from doing the 3rd!

The code can be forked by those who have the knowledge and the time to work
on it.

There is no restriction on what can be done with the code provided that it
gets redistributed
with the same terms.

If this was to a BSD licensed project, then perhaps, but the GPL was created
to prohibit
this closing down by an entity.

In the end, Hyper-V will appeal to those who need Windows for other stuff,
not the
general virtualization markets where VMWare is king, and there are free
alternatives
(VirtualBox, KVM, ...)


john at netdirect.ca wrote:
>
>>  kwlug-disc-bounces at kwlug.org wrote on 07/27/2009 08:05:31 AM:
>> > From: Raul Suarez <rarsa at yahoo.com>
>> >
>> > Are there people really advocating not including the drivers
>> > provided?
>> >
>> > Even Richard Stallman has repeatedly said that the GPL is there so
>> >  you cannot prevent anyone from using and expanding the code, even
>> >  people you don't like so I think that Linus cheap shot at the
>> > "Free software" people was unnecessary and misleading.
>> >
>> > For those that think that there is a hidden purpose other than
>> > providing Hyper-v functionality, here is one possible one: Destroy
>> >  the GPLed community by infighting but I guess the community has
>> > been trying to do that for a long time.
>> >
>> > I may be naive but I take this move at face value. There are good
>> > people at MS that just want their products to work well.
>>
>>  We have all grown to suspect MS of misdoings and there actions have
>>  reinforced our suspicions. It has become such a common reaction that
>>  it's easy to jump on MS for doing this. I initially did.
>>
>>  MS developed the drivers to promote it's HyperV platform and, from
>>  reports, initially kept the code private until a kernel developer
>>  pushed to have it released. At best it's MS getting used to the GPL,
>>  at worst it MS trying to pull another fast one.
>>
>>  I'm still sceptical. It will take several more positive actions to
>>  show that this was truly well-intended from the start. Let's see how
>>  MS continues to integrate with open source. Hopefully it will
>>  continue until we have a greater level of interoperability.
>>
>>  I for one will likely never use this kernel module. It's really for
>>  the MS customers who continue to choose immature products (HyperV)
>>  over mature ones (Xen, VMWare).
>>
>>  John Van Ostrand Net Direct Inc.
>>
>>  CTO, co-CEO 564 Weber St. N. Unit 12 map
>>
>>  Waterloo, ON N2L 5C6
>>
>>  john at netdirect.ca Ph: 866-883-1172 ext.5102 Linux Solutions / IBM
>>  Hardware Fx: 519-883-8533
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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Khalid M. Baheyeldin
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