Bonum Certa Men Certa

Outsourcing to Microsoft and Openwashing as a Service (OaaS): This is the Linux Foundation in 2019

Linux/Microsoft Foundation



Summary: The concept of "Open" at the Linux Foundation gives room for thought; are things really being opened or mostly marketed as "Open" and, if so, is the Foundation more like a marketing agency?

THE Linux Foundation is promoting proprietary software and putting its projects in a proprietary software cage called GitHub, even more so after Microsoft bought GitHub. We've provided ample evidence in past articles.



The openwashing is shameful and the leanings towards Microsoft are utterly tasteless. But this is what we have now. This is the "Foundation" which claims to represent "Linux". How astounding. How can something called "Linux Foundation" be so hostile towards Linux? And almost nobody who works there even uses Linux!

"How can something called "Linux Foundation" be so hostile towards Linux? And almost nobody who works there even uses Linux!"Today we deal with a bit of a 'sacred cow' because IBM owns Red Hat and Red Hat is undeniably a massive contributor to Linux. So we'll be gentle.

Two days ago the Red Hat-friendly press (neighbour, physically) published "Why IBM embraces is embracing, expanding open hardware ecosystem in wake of Red Hat deal" (maybe joining consortia like RISC-V's is applicable here).

But this is not about RISC-V.

There's no need for us to dwell or obsess over the latest widely-covered announcements; we've included quite a lot about this in our daily links, including the calling of surveillance "confidential" and "security" (that's one heck of a laughable newspeak right there!) and some AGL stuff.

We must admit that in relative terms the announcements from the Open Source Summit aren't as controversial and infuriating as some which we came across in the past, so we won't spend much time 'bashing' the Foundation over these.

The Open Source Summit has long been a sales event of proprietary software -- just look at their marketing brochures and what's on offer. We showed this in a series of posts earlier this year.

"The Open Source Summit has long been a sales event of proprietary software..."Further analysis of the announcements (there were three "major" ones) highlights areas of reservations, concerns, and justified scepticism. Much of it is the Foundation's infamous openwashing as a service (OaaS). The way we see it, OpenPOWER is openwash mostly. And passing it to the Foundation is adding the perception of "independence". Here's some coverage from SDxCentral and FierceTelecom, which are sites close to the Foundation. A decades-long IBM advocate, Timothy Prickett Morgan, says "instruction set architecture of its Power family of processors" is what IBM 'opened'. He wrote that in The Next Platform. [via OSnews]

"IBM Power chip instruction set now open source" said TechTarget's headline. The problem is, this "open" power (or POWER) is... Microsoft-hosted.

"What da heck," you say?

Exactly!

It's part of a disturbing pattern/trend we've noted several times throughout the year.

How much "open" is there in OpenPOWER?

Not that much. It's more like "open core".

"How much "open" is there in OpenPOWER?"The real reason IBM is open-open-openwashing its "Open(R)" Power(TM) is that it's trying to out-open what's free/libre, RISC-V. The Register's headline was right on point: "IBM hears the RISC-V kids partying next door, decides it will make its Power CPU ISA free, too"

Can IBM also 'own' the word "Open"? Not really. It can, however, leverage it. There's no legal enforcement.

Microsoft -- like IBM -- has long exploited brands that aren't its own. IBM called its hugely expensive servers LinuxONE, piggybacking the "Linux" brand to sell something that's not necessarily tied to GNU/Linux.

"The aim is obvious," said the above article from The Register. It's "to encourage the implementation of OpenPower CPUs, and get more Power-based systems out into data centers and the wider world. It also means engineers can customize their own OpenPower chips to run particular AI or analytical workloads, for example."

"“Open" as in OpenPOWER doesn't mean you can replicate POWER without risk of patent lawsuits."Some further coverage from sites loosely connected to IBM (e.g. HPCwire) further reinforces our suspicion. It's a marketing blitz mostly, aided by corporate media like CBS. The name OpenPOWER isn't new. They just reiterate old news and do a dance with the Foundation to make it seem independent, not just "open".

Can anybody now replicate OpenPOWER? No. What IBM means by "open" isn't quite it; they'd likely lob lots of patent lawsuits at anyone who dared try... remember TurboHercules?

Sadly, IBM hasn't changed when it comes to patent policy. Red Hat is now owned by a patent bully that's still lobbying for software patents and as IAM put it the other day: "In the 1990s IBM made billions from patent royalties. The principles that guided Big Blue to unprecedented licensing success still hold true today."

They're still doing it. "Open" as in OpenPOWER doesn't mean you can replicate POWER without risk of patent lawsuits.

Recent Techrights' Posts

IBM's CEO Roasted, Sizzled and Grilled for Dumb and Inconsistent Vapourware Promises
It looks like being a chronic liar is what it takes to lead the company once synonymous with computing
Who Imitates Who? Plagiarist as Client (From Microsoft), 'Plagiarism' at the Law Firm?
let's revisit the subject
 
Links 11/06/2025: More Vulnerabilities Found in 'Smart' Phones, China Extends Reach in the Pacific
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/06/2025: Grain and Steam Next Fest
Links for the day
Links 11/06/2025: "Quantum" Hype From IBM, US Closer to Martial Law, and “The Nation” Celebrates Milestone
Links for the day
IBM's Goal Is Not (and Never Was) Computer Users' Freedom
More than 1.5 decades ago I found IBM to be an "ally of convenience" because of OpenDocument Format (ODF)
Wayland Shows the IBM/Red Hat Way of Doing Things
IBM is trying to 'kill' X
GitHub is Proprietary, Controlled by Microsoft, and GPL Violation Warehouse
"IRS tax filing software [will be] released to the people as free software" ... In general this is good news
Slopfarm Catastrophe
Seems like BetaNews (or BetaNoise) has just suffered a major data loss and restored the site from a week-old backup
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VIII: Illegal Working Conditions
How many people need to die for these people to get their massive salaries?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Links 10/06/2025: Apple Hype and Physical Attacks on Bloggers
Links for the day
Gemini Links 10/06/2025: Loon Lake, Farming, and Forth
Links for the day
Links 10/06/2025: Jaws at 50 and US Democracy Crushed Very Rapidly (Martial Law Seems Imminent)
Links for the day
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VII: Washing Their Hands After Corruption and Abuse
"Tragedy or comedy?"
Culling Bad RSS Feeds of Bad Sites
Not throwing out the baby with the bathwater
If 'Microsoft v Techrights' is Dealt With by a 'Microsoft Court' (or a Court Outsourced to Microsoft)
More on that later
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 09, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 09, 2025
Gemini Protocol Turns Six in 10 Days From Now
If you haven't tried it yet, then give it a go today
Live as You Preach
technology is fast becoming dysphoric
Gemini Links 09/06/2025: Addition Addiction and Nitride
Links for the day
Links 09/06/2025: Science, Hardware Projects, and Democracy Receding
Links for the day
Computers Got Smaller, So GNU/Linux Got Bigger
Many people here recognise the lack of urgency (or need) to get expensive new laptops
BetaNews is a Plagiarism and LLM Slop Hub, the Chief Editor Isn't Addressing This Problem Anymore
SS Fagioli is basically a parasite leeching off or exploiting other people's work
Links 09/06/2025: Chaos in Los Angeles and Hurricane Season
Links for the day
GNU/Linux Grows at Windows' Expense and Microsoft Trolls Infest and Maliciously Target Articles About It
Microsoft is - and has long been - organised crime
They Say I'm Mr. Bombastic
They didn't take good lawyers
Links 09/06/2025: Windows TCO and Many Data Breaches
Links for the day
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VI: Political Stunts by Former President Edyta Demby-Siwek and the Connection to Profound Corruption at EUIPO
it's like a money-laundering operation where one politician rewards another at taxpayers' expense
Gemini Links 09/06/2025: Pipelines and Splitgate
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 08, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, June 08, 2025