YESTERDAY, we spotted Attachmate/SUSE's latest plea for volunteer labour towards developing Microsoft Linux. As always, we strongly urge people not to fall for these red herrings.
The mission of the original SUSE distro was to develop a "technically superior Linux distribution with the large number of employed engineers". The ulterior motive of the Attachmate SUSE distribution, on the other hand, is about increasing Microsoft's control and influence in GNU/Linux and FLOSS development. This is why Microsoft funnels money into the remnants of the original project. A new openSUSE release candidate is out to help entice peons for bug reporting. The SUSE conglomerate meanwhile is working to refine its marketing so as to distract more suckers towards this quasi-community. From this new openSUSE News post:
"Friday 16.09, while working on the openSUSE 12.1 marketing actions during the Marketing Hackfest, two of us had the spontaneous idea to suggest an interview to Michael Miller(Vice President of Global Alliances & Marketing for SUSE), asking him a few questions we could have in the openSUSE community. We did not have the time to go around, to find the FAQ or to choose the “best questions”. It was kind of “shall we do that, around a cup of coffee ? Why not ?”. And Michael Miller accepted our proposition, without any objection or any “joker’s need”."
True proponents of GNU+Linux should not feel obligated nor pressed to help out Microsoft's recommended (and patent-taxed) distribution. There are many other projects much more worthy of volunteer time and effort. Most of these other projects are not coordinated by people's on Microsoft payroll, either (indirectly). ⬆
Comments
Michael
2011-10-28 00:13:05
But Microsoft was the biggest contributor to Linux 3.0.
And Roy's head explodes. :)
Para-Doxe
2011-11-05 12:06:53
In the Linux kernel, Microsoft has only send patch for the HyperV compatibility code. HyperV is the Microsoft hypervisor for Windows.
And if Microsoft has send this large number of patch, it's to make up for the long delay in fixing bugs. If Microsoft had not done this, their code had been removed.
Michael
2011-11-05 16:16:02
We can make excuses all we want - the fact is MS is a big contributor to Linux 3.0.
Para-Doxe
2011-11-05 17:43:35
And their contribution have the lowest importance among all those of kernel 3.0. Another fact.
The importance of a contribution are not measured by the number of code line or patch.
Michael
2011-11-05 19:14:53
Yes, I know, those who are anti-MS at all costs will find this problematic. I think it isa good thing - it shows that open source software is growing in importance. Even MS has to acknowledge it and work with it - more and more and more.
Para-Doxe
2011-11-06 11:38:02
It's not "how important I think it is", but how importent it is. This is a fact if your eyes are open.
You take an abstract value and you give it a meaning it does not only for restore the reputation of Microsoft: You are a big fanboy man or you are naive.
Michael
2011-11-06 16:48:31
I am not a "fanboy" of MS... but I do agree with Linus Torvalds that "Microsoft Hatred is a disease". Sadly, many in the open source community suffer from that ailment. '
If anything, I am an Apple supporter (though I disagree with a lot of what they do as well). Many in the Apple community suffer from the same ailment - though generally not to the extreme of the open source group.