[Tfug] Microsoft releases 20K LOC for Linux kernel

[Claude Rubinson]

Glen> For those that haven't heard, Microsoft has released 20,000
Glen> lines of device driver code that they hope will be included in
Glen> the Linux kernel.

<snipped a short discussion where Paul links to conflicting media
reports regarding whether this is a good or bad thing.>

There really isn't much news here.  Microsoft's been releasing
software under the GPL for at least a decade--certainly the entire
time that they were attacking it as "cancerous," "virus-like," etc.

This is why we like the GPL--it forces companies who wouldn't
otherwise play fair, to do so.  This may be the first time that
they've contributed directly to the kernel, but it doesn't signal a
shift of strategy for them in any way.  It's just that virtualization
is become more and more important and Microsoft needs to ensure that
Windows is virtualizable under a Linux host.

If it does signal anything, it indicates that Microsoft is well-aware
that the GPL is not the legal tar-pit that they've painted it.  But we
already knew that that was FUD anyway.

For a little bit of background on the release of the drivers, see
http://linux-network-plumber.blogspot.com/2009/07/congratulations-microsoft.html

Claude