05.22.10

By Pushing Mono Into Android, Novell Puts Microsoft Before Freedom

Posted in GNU/Linux, Google, Java, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, Oracle, Windows at 3:03 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Windows is promoted at the expense of Free software and Linux because Novell’s Mono endeavours are increased and get a new name: “MonoDroid”

FOR ALMOST TWO years we have shown Novell trying to popularise C# inside Android [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Android does not need Mono, it already has Java.

Java is an Oracle product, whereas Mono is an asset of Novell, which will probably be sold or go private later this year. Mono is not a property of the Free software community and Novell uses it to sell a variety of proprietary software products. Novell is now introducing MonoDroid, which is probably just another piece of proprietary software which also requires Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Visual Studio (also proprietary, for sure).

Here is what Novell’s PR blog says:

Google’s Android continues to generate headlines for rapid growth in the smartphone market. MonoTouch already supports one of the industry’s most popular smartphones, the Apple iPhone. Now we’re working on support for Android with a beta product named MonoDroid.

What this blog does not say is what’s over at the blog of Microsoft MVP Miguel de Icaza, namely:

We are currently leaning towards using VS2008/2010 for Windows during the beta and later MonoDevelop on Linux/Mac.

Novell is still developing MonoDevelop, which helps Windows and Visual Studio (see explanations in [1, 2, 3]).

“Why does Novell keep helping Microsoft, even at the expense of neutral programming for Linux phones?”The above is problematic because Mono is again being used to market and even require proprietary software from a convicted monopolist with associated software patents and an ongoing campaign of patent lawsuits (latest example is Salesforce, which complained about Microsoft’s racketeering [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]).

Why does Novell keep helping Microsoft, even at the expense of neutral programming for Linux phones? Interestingly enough, there still exists an apparent divide between OpenSUSE and the Mono/Moonlight team.

Over at the OpenSUSE Web site, the OpenSUSE GNOME team does not mention Mono and the strategy meeting — like most meetings — does not involve the Microsoft fanfare from Novell at Massachusetts. The “M” words (Microsoft, Mono, Moonlight) rarely come up in Germany.

Why does Novell put Mono and Moonlight before OpenSUSE and Linux development? With countdown and downtime and even burnout reported, Novell ought to set its priorities straight. By encouraging C# development (on Windows/Visual Studio) Novell is not helping OpenSUSE’s cause, which does extend to other distributions and can usually be commended. Whose side is Novell really on? █

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