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Canonical and Microsoft Working Together to Bring You Proprietary Software That Does Not Really Run on GNU/Linux (Drawbridge)

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Dec 19, 2023,
updated Dec 19, 2023

The latest example of Microsoft marketing at Ubuntu.com:

Still running SQL Server on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or 18.04 LTS? Microsoft Proprietary Software

Remember that it's not just proprietary and controlled by Microsoft; it does not even really run on GNU/Linux (Drawbridge is not GNU/Linux). Microsoft could not be bothered to properly port it.

Further down (same page):

Together, Canonical and Microsoft provide 24/7 support for the above configurations. You can use the same flow when opening support tickets in Azure to get help. Behind the scenes, Microsoft and Canonical coordinate to help you resolve your issues promptly. Ubuntu Pro is available for free for personal and small-scale commercial users on up to 5 machines. It is also available for bigger enterprise deployments with transparent, per-machine pricing.

Together, Canonical and Microsoft also sell your data. The problem goes over a decade back and persists if not grows over time. We gave plenty of examples in recent years, e.g. [1, 2, 3, 4].

Also in "the news" in recent days:

Ubuntu Working on Microsoft 365, Google Workspace Snaps

If you're a fan of either Google Workspace or Office 365 Online, Ubuntu desktop Linux will soon make it possible for them to feel like standard desktop apps.

THE above are hopefully self-explanatory annotated screenshots of new and news items.

In one case, one can see that instead of trying to replace Microsoft, Canonical is trying to spread Microsoft. Canonical has been partly 'bought' by Microsoft and it shows.

Trisquel logo

Just remember: adopting Ubuntu does not lead to software freedom. Canonical does not compete with Microsoft, it is just competing to make more money, no matter how.

Thankfully, GNU/Linux comes in many flavours; many distros exist. GNU endorses "Trisquel, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that's oriented toward small enterprises, domestic users and educational centers."

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