In a move that's going to raise a lot of eyebrows, Microsoft has joined the Open Invention Network to 'protect Linux and other important open source workloads from patent assertions'.
For those who haven't heard of the OIN, their mission statement is quite a simple and honourable one "The Open Invention Network is a shared defensive patent pool with the mission to protect Linux.". To find out more about the OIN see here.
Hold the phone, this isn't gaming news?
Correct. However, this is still very interesting and extremely surprising from a company that has been pretty hostile to Linux in the past. It's the kind of move that could result in some big shifts in the entire industry.
We know Microsoft’s decision to join OIN may be viewed as surprising to some; it is no secret that there has been friction in the past between Microsoft and the open source community over the issue of patents. For others who have followed our evolution, we hope this announcement will be viewed as the next logical step for a company that is listening to customers and developers and is firmly committed to Linux and other open source programs.
Surprising is one word for it! Honestly, I'm in shock at this news. Does this mean we can firmly put the "Embrace, extend, and extinguish" phrase to rest and replace it with Embrace, extend, and protect? With Microsoft joining, they're bringing with them around 60,000 patents.
Moves like that, makes me seriously think about how Microsoft have changed, especially since their previous CEO Steve Ballmer called Linux "a cancer".
I think it also shows how far Linux has come as a platform for all things too, especially with Microsoft having a "Windows Subsystem for Linux" along with their support for running Linux on their Azure cloud computing platform.
What do you think to this?
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: ShmerlWhat I wonder about, is whether exFAT and ActiveSync implementations can be used in Linux distros without patent threats from MS now.
No: http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2018/10/10/microsoft-oin-exfat.html
QuoteMost importantly, the non-aggression pact only applies to the upstream versions of software, including Linux itself. [...] While we at Conservancy were successful in getting the code that implements exfat for Linux released under GPL (by Samsung), that code has not been upstreamed into Linux. So, Microsoft has not included any patents they might hold on exfat into the patent non-aggression pact.
QuoteWe did not exclude any patents from our OIN commitment to license our portfolio to the Linux System. We signed the standard OIN License Agreement, and didn’t negotiate any exclusions. We actually clicked through the OIN agreement like any other licensee!
Quoting: x_wingI'm already cringingQuoting: SalvatosMan if Windows becomes a Linux distro it's going to become tricky telling people they should switch to Linux.
My only concern would be that they start saying: "Linux was difficult, but Microsoft made it easy".
Quoting: liamdawehttps://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1050080717562990592
QuoteWe did not exclude any patents from our OIN commitment to license our portfolio to the Linux System. We signed the standard OIN License Agreement, and didn’t negotiate any exclusions. We actually clicked through the OIN agreement like any other licensee!
They have a lot of explications, but not excuse for for not funding GOL.
Last edited by dude on 10 October 2018 at 10:43 pm UTC
Quoting: SalvatosTricky but in some ways easier. I mean, if you're going to be running Linux anyway, why not use the real thing? If you're going to be using Linux anyway, why not one without spyware, one that doesn't lock you down, one that isn't trying to turn you into an integrated sales bundle, one that doesn't constantly give you a hard time for not making its browser your main one, et cetera et cetera et cetera?Quoting: GuestI expect them to turn Windows into a Linux distro + proprietary libraries/API/DE at some point. It will be cheaper for them to maintain, will be able to enter most markets Windows can't enter/dominate now, like mobiles/servers, and will still allow them to be top dog, assuming they create a good and polished Linux based desktop OS and make linux-compatible versions of their stuff like Office...Man if Windows becomes a Linux distro it's going to become tricky telling people they should switch to Linux.
Instead of it being a matter of Windows (familiar, "reliable" in a certain emotional sense, runs the software you use where other OSes maybe don't) vs. Linux (strange, different, might not run your software, might have device driver problems)--suddenly Windows would be just another Linux distribution, the one sold by a bunch of corporate greedheads who can't resist screwing with you.
Quoting: DrMcCoyNo: http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2018/10/10/microsoft-oin-exfat.html
Most importantly, the non-aggression pact only applies to the upstream versions of software, including Linux itself. [...] While we at Conservancy were successful in getting the code that implements exfat for Linux released under GPL (by Samsung), that code has not been upstreamed into Linux. So, Microsoft has not included any patents they might hold on exfat into the patent non-aggression pact.
Heh, so here we go. MS is for patent disarmament, but not really.
Last edited by Shmerl on 10 October 2018 at 11:35 pm UTC
even we gamers are a very small market compared to consoles. PS4 has way more sellings than pc games. so who needs a desktop OS in 10yrs?
cloud is the future. maybe cloudgaming and servers have linux. all you need is a tablet and a bluetooth gamepad to play cyberpunk... or a switch and you can play everywhere
even smart tvs could handle streaming. you dont even need a console anymore
Last edited by mylka on 10 October 2018 at 11:48 pm UTC
Quoting: mylkamaybe microsoft knows, that the desktop market is shrinking. mobilphones are the future and ms has no chance against android and apple. not tomorrow of course, but can you imagine what phones can do in 10 years?Have tiny screens? Oh wait, they already do that.
The barrier for phones eating the rest of the desktop market is not mostly things like processing power; they're already powerful computers by the standards of not too many years ago, and anyway you can outsource computing power. It's the form factor itself; there are things for which you want the bulk of a desktop--the big screen or two, the comfortable keyboard, the many connections for peripherals and so on. Note the way tablets ended up having all these things to let them act like laptops you put together, with little keyboards and thingies to make the screen sit up.
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 11 October 2018 at 1:05 am UTC
Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: mylkamaybe microsoft knows, that the desktop market is shrinking. mobilphones are the future and ms has no chance against android and apple. not tomorrow of course, but can you imagine what phones can do in 10 years?Have tiny screens? Oh wait, they already do that.
The barrier for phones eating the rest of the desktop market is not mostly things like processing power; they're already powerful computers by the standards of not too many years ago, and anyway you can outsource computing power. It's the form factor itself; there are things for which you want the bulk of a desktop--the big screen or two, the comfortable keyboard, the many connections for peripherals and so on. Note the way tablets ended up having all these things to let them act like laptops you put together, with little keyboards and thingies to make the screen sit up.
big screen -> glasses, like VR now but smaller. OR foldable OLED displays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo6nF-T58PA
keyboard -> special gloves, or laserkeyboards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3P5DZvn7mA
peripherie -> all wireless
I kind of like this new company and I can write that with little to no sour taste in my mouth xD
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