Microsoft supporting Linux

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » November 2, 2006, 7:24 pm

http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=35972

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft is due to make a special announcement later today regarding a partnership with Novell.

"Under the pact, which isn't final, Microsoft will offer sales support of Suse Linux, a version of the operating system sold by Novell. The two companies have also agreed to develop technologies to make it easier for users to run both Suse Linux and Microsoft's Windows on their computers. The two companies are expected to announce details of their plan today at a press conference in San Francisco.

In addition, Microsoft won't assert rights over patents over software technology that may be incorporated into Suse Linux, the people said. Businesses that use Linux have long worried that Microsoft would one day file patent infringement suits against sellers of the rival software.

The pact marks an unusual level of cooperation between two longtime rivals. Microsoft has been battling all versions of Linux, but has faced pressure to assure that customers can run both Windows and Linux without problems. "

Microsoft has issued a media alert confirming that CEO Steve Ballmer will make an announcement today.

I wonder if the bolded part really means Microsoft is going to try and wipe out the other versions of Linux while supporting Suse from Novell. Sneaky!

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » November 2, 2006, 11:46 pm

I guess they can only be talking about Samba, which would be an exceedingly difficult case to make, and probably just get them fined even more in Europe for not allowing interoperability with their operating system.

That and Linux would just stop shipping Samba "in the box" and people would have to download that bit later from sourceforce or something. Hardly very effective at "wiping out the other versions of linux".

Trust MS to get pally with ze Germans though! /heil!

Hoarmurath · Post by **Hoarmurath** » November 3, 2006, 1:42 pm

"Linux" doesn't ship anything.

Novell != Germans

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » November 4, 2006, 2:28 am

By Linux I mean any of the distributions, many of whom ship boxes, but regardless a "release" is notionally the same as "shipping" the product.

And yeah, dunno why I was thinking SuSe...

Hoarmurath · Post by **Hoarmurath** » November 4, 2006, 12:45 pm

True enough, I suppose I have just become a little wary of the term "Linux" being used broadly because the various distros are now so different that knowing one doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be as well versed with another. Especially when each decides on their own (and for each of their own reasons) which specific version of some software they want to package for their distros, meaning you almost never get the bleeding edge stuff unless you build from source. Of course, you want that for a stable server environment, but it just makes knowing the various distriutions a little trickier.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » November 21, 2006, 11:01 am

Ahh yes, that's why I was thinking SuSe .. because that's the distro Novell "supports". And that is German. So I was right all along!

Xatrei · Post by **Xatrei** » November 21, 2006, 3:39 pm

It's not the version that Novell supports, it's the version that Novell owns. They bought SuSe a few years back, and it is now Novell SuSe Enterprise Linux and their primary product focus. While originally a German company, much of the development and virtually all of the decision making is coming out of Utah now from what I understand. As an old CNE/ECNE(MCNE), it's sad to see Netware marginalized so much (but understandable given their decisions over the years). As a former Unix SA (mostly Sun & HP hardware & OSes), I dig on anything Unixish being their future. Most of what's left of Novell's massive support organization, sales infrastructure and development efforts are focused now on their Linux offerings.