05.09.11
The Threat of Mono on Android and on Ubuntu is Not Totally Gone Yet
Summary: Some of the most ubiquitous Linux distributions are still being pursued by the Mono lobby, whose aim is to increase/promote the use of C# and Microsoft APIs in GNU/Linux and everywhere else
The Mono maniacs and bullies are still scraping the bottom of the barrel in an attempt to daemonise us and incite against us. They are using gossip to distract from the real issues (now they mention “rape”).
We are not going to go there or even acknowledge the bullies by naming them or linking to their disgusting daily smears (a distraction not worth addressing). Instead, we will assume that we are on the right subject, which is what makes them nervous and at times aggressive. “More micromoles in trying to get into Ubuntu,” alerts us one of the site’s readers this afternoon, linking to this request from a familiar person [1, 2] whose work we mentioned here before. Ubuntu is quickly becoming more of a target for Mono infestation or manifestation (even Microsoft is pushing for Canonical to adopt Mono developers). MinceR writes in #boycottnovell-social: “as for micromoles trying to get into ubuntu, that’s a bit like Microsoft employees trying to get into a Microsoft office building”
“What’s worse is he apparently signed the Ubuntu code of conduct prior to the membership application,” wrote another site participant. “That in principle should preclude any work on Mono or mono-derived works.” It is not just a problem for Ubuntu, which is a victim of entryism in a sense.
Google should reject Mono on Android (which already has Dalvik) for its own safety amid Microsoft patent attacks and now more than ever this rejection makes sense. The news about Mono ending (as a sponsored project) was uplifting. It is not about the layoffs, but about Microsoft/Novell no longer pumping money into the project. Maybe Google Summer of Code won’t bother, either. Mono development is unlikely to survive for much longer. More recently we saw the Mono team targeting Android with a Novell-funded/sponsored announcement and it is premature to state that it’s all over now. The Mono boosters will do whatever they can to find fostering companies and it now turns out that on Launchpad there is this project which strives to put Tomboy on Android. Valorie Zimmerman wrote about it some days ago (it’s not about MonoDroid [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]), noting:
I really hated to download all that gnome/ubuntu/mono stuff to support it…
It remains to be seen if Ubuntu can remove the dependency on Mono. The project is a dead end. █
