03.31.08

OpenSUSE Sheds Off Its Novell Antiroots, Returns to Pre-Novell Codebase, Version 4.01

Posted in GNU/Linux, Humour, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, OpenSUSE, Patent Covenant, Patents, SLES/SLED, Windows at 9:35 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Hot off the press:

Microsoft and Novell Announce Departure of OpenSUSE Project, Renewed Patent Strategy

Customers will continue to embrace SUSE Windows Enterprise; technical collaboration between Microsoft and Novell will expand Windows Vista distribution to create Windows 7

REDMOND, Wash., and WALTHAM, Mass. — Apr. 1, 2008 — Over one year after signing an agreement to exchange protection money and securing several kneecaps, Novell Inc. and Microsoft Corp. today announced that OpenSUSE developers had reached a state of unrest. As such, Microsoft and Novell decided to revise their strategic partnership and combine the best of two platforms’ intellectual property, protected by an extensive portfolio of valuable patents.

The two companies will continue to swap intellectual property (IP) and create Microsoft Windows 7, accompanied by a derivative release named SUSE Windows, ensuring that OpenSUSE developers, formerly of SuSE, can continue to develop GNU/Linux solutions with peace of mind. In addition, Novell and Microsoft announced an expansion of their strategic collaboration to create the Oligarchy Invention Network (OIN), whose purpose is to litigate — albeit by proxy — against disruptive technologies whose market cost is zero.

“This agreement has been about Novell’s shareholder since day one,” said Jam Jaffe, executive vile precedence at Novell. “Investors told us they wanted to indulge in the wealth that was built around Windows. Novell is also becoming the preferred patent troll for litigation strategies against companies which refuse to pay for imaginary property and unsubstantiated claims.”

Achievements to Date

Today Novell and Microsoft announced that 15 new customers, including SCO (Nasdaq: SCOX), have sought the services of the joint collaboration, whose potential in spreading fear is immense. “I have been looking for such opportunities for over 5 years,” said Darl McBride, whose expected departure was wrongly announced by the press in the month of February.

Novell concluded by assuring technical enthusiasts that their GNU/Linux* distribution will be stripped of most or all of Novell’s contributions to it, in order to avoid further legal damage and threat over frameworks such as Mono. “The hobbyists were not exactly what we needed at Novell anyway,” summarised Just in Stein at the press conference announcing this major development.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) delivers infrastructure software for the Patent-happy Enterprise. Novell is a leader in desktop to data center operating systems based on Ballnux and the software required to secure and manage mixed IT environments. Novell helps customers around the world minimize cost, complexity and risk, allowing them to focus on innovation and growth. For more information, visit www.novell.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in bribery, extortion and blackmail that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Novell and SUSE are registered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries.

* Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

SUSE manuals

Hint for the baffled: I wasn’t really hired by Microsoft a year ago today.

Share this post: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Permalink Mail Send this to a friend

If you liked this post, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or join us now at the IRC channels.

Pages that cross-reference this one

11 Comments

Felipe said,

March 31, 2008 at 10:32 pm

Happy april fools!
CoolGuy said,

April 1, 2008 at 12:10 am

Linus is now working for Microsoft on Windows 7 due to come out next year…
Roy Schestowitz said,

April 1, 2008 at 12:26 am

Over at the Dot (KDE), it’s reported that KDE representatives voted “Yes” to OOXML. It had me fooled for a moment.

http://dot.kde.org/1207000153/
Petem said,

April 1, 2008 at 9:15 am

MAN… you got me..!! i totally forgot this is april 1st…. for a minute, i thought novell was actually committing suicide…
Roy Schestowitz said,

April 1, 2008 at 9:18 am

i thought novell was actually committing suicide…

Naa… that was over a year ago. :-p

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=6117892236984943124&hl=en
MrLinux said,

April 1, 2008 at 9:18 am

Funny – not.
Victor Soliz said,

April 1, 2008 at 10:37 am

Funny minus not equals Funy-o-t ?
Roy Schestowitz said,

April 1, 2008 at 11:27 am

Hmmm… interesting. A couple of hours ago I received the following E-mail, which seems to borrow similar ideas.

[opensuse-announce] openSUSE 4.1 available

The openSUSE team proudly announces the availability of openSUSE 4.1.

We’re shipping all the latest open source packages that are available at time
of launch. As highlights, we’d like to point out the latest desktops, GNOME
4.1 and KDE 4.1 plus KDE 4.2 preview, our MP41 support via gstreamer plug-in
by Fluendo, a faster boot process, heavily optimised and improved package
management, 1-click install option for additional software, OpenOffice 4.1,
XEN 4.1 and VirtualBox 4.1 and, last but not least, our 4 in 1 CD installation
which provides a small but fully loaded desktop. For all the news and
impressive screenshots, have a look at http://news.opensuse.org/?p=412008

It’s available now to download at http://software.openSUSE.org in Amstrad,
Commodore, Kaypro and TRS-80 versions – from our mirrors and via bittorrent.

The following ISOs can be downloaded: the 1 CD open source version with an
add-on CD containing proprietary software, such as iTunes,
World of Warcraft, and Microsoft Office for Linux. DVD ISOs for all
architectures are available and contain the open source version plus
proprietary add-ons. An installable Live CD will be released in October, and
the Edu add-on CD http://en.opensuse.org/Education will show up in the same
time frame.

As usual, openSUSE 4.1 will be available in European retail channels as a
boxed product Of course, there it will be known as openSUSE 1.4. All software
versions contained will follow. In North America, the box will be available
through shopNovell http://shop.novell.com. Due to production lead times,
boxes will start to show up on shelves when we feel like it.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the whole openSUSE community for
tons of testing, feedback, contributions and over all participation in
helping to make openSUSE 4.1 an awesome distribution. While risking missing
out some important contributors, we’d like to spotlight some
community members for their outstanding work:

Have a lot of fun!

– openSUSE SUSE LINUX Products GmbH – Nürnberg – AG Nürnberg
David said,

April 1, 2008 at 11:19 pm

I can’t believe this web site is still around! Again, how come you idiots are not boycotting all the other distros/companies that made deals with M$? I thought by now, you would have realized that the 5 people that visited your site last month would be a hint for your to start revising those resumes of yours!

This Roy joker that writes here, needs lessons about writing articles and doing some research. Granted I’ve only read two articles since they put up this site (too damn boring….) but that was enough to realize that these people (pro open source…. yeah right) have no clue as to what goes on in the market and just because you don’t like a company, doesn’t mean that their products are not good or that they’re not useful to others, which BTW, I must admit, we use in-house and will continue to use Novell’s products, they’re simply good.

As for this site, I think these people who run it should get a clue and start thinking about doing something useful. This site is to computing what Esquire is to journalism…. s..t

David
Roy Schestowitz said,

April 1, 2008 at 11:40 pm

I can’t believe this web site is still around! Again, how come you idiots are not boycotting all the other distros/companies that made deals with M$?

Who said we don’t?

http://boycottxandros.com
http://boycottlinspire.com

..which BTW, I must admit, we use in-house and will continue to use Novell’s products, they’re simply good.

That is an extremely common defense argument for the use of Microsoft Windows, despite all that we know.
Tomari-chan said,

April 2, 2008 at 7:51 am

I do believe it!

After all, it’s always the same 4 guys spending their evenings here. Obviously they got nothing better to do than indulge in that hobby of theirs.

What Else is New

Cementing Autocracy: The European Patent Office Against Democracy, Against Media, and Against the Rule of Law

The European Patent Office (EPO) actively undermines democracy in Europe, it undermines the freedom of the press (by paying it for puff pieces), and it undermines the rule of law by giving one single tyrant total power in Eponia and immunity from outside Eponia (even when he breaks his own rules)
Links 28/9/2016: New Red Hat Offices, Fedora 25 'Frozen'

Links for the day
Team Battistelli Intensifies the Attack on the Boards of Appeal Again

The lawless state of the EPO, where the rule of law is basically reducible to Battistelli's ego and insecurities, is again demonstrated with an escalation and perhaps another fake 'trial' in the making (after guilt repeatedly fails to be established)
After the EPO Paid the Financial Times to Produce Propaganda the Newspaper Continues to Produce UPC Puff Pieces, Just Ahead of EU Council Meeting

How the media, including the Financial Times, has been used (and even paid!) by the EPO in exchange for self-serving (to the EPO) messages and articles
Beware the Patent Law Firms Insinuating That Software Patents Are Back Because of McRO

By repeatedly claiming (and then generalising) that CAFC accepted a software patent the patent microcosm (meta-industry) hopes to convince us that we should continue to pursue software patents in the US, i.e. pay them a lot more money for something of little/no value
The US Supreme Court Might Soon Tighten Patent Scope in the United States Even Further, the USPTO Produces Patent Maximalism Propaganda

A struggle brewing between the patent 'industry' (profiting from irrational saturation) and the highest US court, as well as the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Patent Trolling a Growing Problem in East Asia (Software Patents Also), Whereas in the US the Problem Goes Away Along With Software Patents

A look at two contrasting stories, one in Asia where patent litigation and hype are on the rise (same in Europe due to the EPO) and another in the US where a lot of patents face growing uncertainty and a high invalidation rate
The EPO's Continued Push for Software Patents, Marginalisation of Appeals (Reassessment), and Deviation From the EPC

A roundup of new developments at the EPO, where things further exacerbate and patent quality continues its downward spiral
The Battistelli Effect: “We Will be Gradually Forced to File Our Patent Applications Outside the EPO in the Interests of Our Clients”

While the EPO dusts off old files and grants in haste without quality control (won't be sustainable for more than a couple more years) the applicants are moving away as trust in the EPO erodes rapidly and profoundly
Links 27/9/2016: Lenovo Layoffs, OPNFV Third Software Release

Links for the day
The Moral Depravity of the European Patent Office Under Battistelli

The European Patent Office (EPO) comes under heavy criticism from its very own employees, who also seem to recognise that lobbying for the UPC is a very bad idea which discredits the European Patent Organisation
Links 26/9/2016: Linux 4.8 RC8, SuperTux 0.5

Links for the day
What Insiders Are Saying About the Sad State of the European Patent Office (EPO)

Anonymous claims made by people who are intimately familiar with the European Patent Office (from the inside) shed light on how bad things have become
The EPO Does Not Want Skilled (and 'Expensive') Staff, Layoffs a Growing Concern

A somewhat pessimistic look (albeit increasingly realistic look) at the European Patent Office, where unions are under fire for raising legitimate concerns about the direction taken by the management since a largely French team was put in charge
Patents Roundup: Accenture Software Patents, Patent Troll Against Apple, Willful Infringements, and Apple Against a Software Patent

A quick look at various new articles of interest (about software patents) and what can be deduced from them, especially now that software patents are the primary barrier to Free/Libre Open Source software adoption
Software Patents Propped Up by Patent Law Firms That Are Lying, Further Assisted by Rogue Elements Like David Kappos and Randall Rader (Revolving Doors)

The sheer dishonesty of the patent microcosm (seeking to bring back software patents by misleading the public) and those who are helping this microcosm change the system from the inside, owing to intimate connections from their dubious days inside government
Links 25/9/2016: Linux 4.7.5, 4.4.22; LXQt 0.11

Links for the day
Patent Quality and Patent Scope the Unspeakable Taboo at the EPO, as Both Are Guillotined by Benoît Battistelli for the Sake of Money

The gradual destruction of the European Patent Office (EPO), which was once unanimously regarded as the world's best, by a neo-liberal autocrat from France, Benoît Battistelli
Bristows LLP's Hatred/Disdain of UK/EU Democracy Demonstrated; Says “Not Only Will the Pressure for UK Ratification of the UPC Agreement Continue, But a Decision is Wanted Within Weeks.”

Without even consulting the British public or the European public (both of whom would be severely harmed by the UPC), the flag bearers of the UPC continue to bamboozle and then pressure politicians, public servants and nontechnical representatives
Released Late on a Friday, EPO Social 'Study' (Battistelli-Commissioned Propaganda) Attempts to Blame Staff for Everything

The longstanding propaganda campaign (framing staff as happy or framing unhappy staff as a disgruntled minority) is out and the timing of the release is suspicious to say the least
Links 23/9/2016: Latest Microsoft and Lenovo Spin (Now in ‘Damage Control’ Mode)

Links for the day
White Male-Dominated EPO Management Sinks to New Lows, Again

Benoît Battistelli continues to make the EPO look like Europe's biggest laughing stock by attempting to tackle issues with corny photo ops rather than real change (like SUEPO recognition, diverse hiring, improved patent quality, and cessation of sheer abuses)
Journalism 102: Do Not Become Like 'Managing IP' or IAM 'Magazine' (the Megaphones of the EPO’s Management)

Another look at convergence between media and the EPO, which is spending virtually millions of Euros literally buying the media and ensuring that the EPO's abuses are scarcely covered (if ever mentioned at all)
Journalism 101: Do Not Believe Anything That Benoît Battistelli and the EPO's Management Say (Also Don't Fall for the UPC Hype)

A survey/review (or an overview) of recent articles about the EPO and why they're wrong (mostly because they parrot the official lies from Battistelli's department)
Patent Law Firms, David Kappos, and IAM 'Magazine' Still Shelter Software Patents by Cherry-Picking and Lobbying

Amid the gradual collapse of software patents in the United States there are disingenuous efforts to bring them back or maintain a perception that these patents are still potent
Microsoft-Connected Patent Trolls Going Places and Suing Microsoft Rivals, Microsoft Wants More 'Linux Patent Tax'

Microsoft-connected patent trolls like Larry Horn's MobileMedia are still attacking Microsoft rivals and Microsoft wants more money from Korea, after it attacked Linux with software patents over there (notably Samsung and LG)
Links 22/9/2016: Linux Professional Institute Redesign, Red Hat Upgraded

Links for the day
Links 22/9/2016: Red Hat's Latest Results, GNOME 3.22 Released

Links for the day
The Patent Law Firms in the US Relentlessly Lobby for Software Patents Resurgence by Placing Emphasis Only on Rare Outcomes

Decisions against software patents continue to be ignored or intentionally overlooked by patent law firms, which instead saturate the media with the few cases where courts unexpectedly rule in favour of software patents
Links 21/9/2016: Lenovo Helps Microsoft Block GNU/Linux Installations

Links for the day