Gaming the Numbers: Why Microsoft is Not a Top Linux Contributor
Dr. Roy Schestowitz
2012-04-07 14:17:13 UTC
Modified: 2012-04-07 14:17:13 UTC
Mooning journalists
Summary: How Microsoft gave the illusion of putting many lines of code inside Linux and what this code really does
THERE were many stupid 'reports' recently -- so-called "news reports" about new statistics from the Linux Foundation. We link to the original reports but ignore as a matter of principles the poor news coverage. Many journalists got it wrong. Many of them were spinning the real report and painting is with the "Microsoft" brush (Novell too played a role)-- something along the lines of Microsoft as a top "contributor". Putting aside all that we wrote before about what those patches are and what they achieve, let it be noted that Microsoft stole he thunder from real Linux contributors for reasons that people who blog fail to mention. As Joab Jackson explains, "Microsoft tallied so many code contributions to Linux due to fact that its original Hyper-V code needed fixing," Here is a proper report about it:
In the latest study by the Linux Foundation, Microsoft only just misses out on a spot among the top 20 groups and companies contributing to the Linux kernel. It has, however, achieved this only by dint of delivering bad code and then slowly improving it.
Here is a nice new video on the success of Linux, which can help GNU in the same way that Ubuntu helps GNU/Linux and Android helps Linux. ⬆
Comments
Michael
2012-04-08 01:39:48
If someone is adding code with the GPL, who cares why? Who is to say the KDE folks would not use a different license if they could? I mean, really, you are now getting mad at people because they are following the rules you want people to follow but you think they do not really want to.
That is just absurd.
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-08 20:12:23
I called You a troll, since you couldn't make any real arguments youy had to use some hatred e-mail from Torvalds, there is hatred and there are facts, what we are talking here are facts. And we're talking about M$ being painted like a top contributor which he isn't and never will be. This is not hatred, this is facts. And it is You that waived your white flag when you posted the white flag from Linus because you run out of arguments, simple as that.
Michael
2012-04-08 20:57:53
You claim it is a "fact" that MS is not a top contributor. But let's check your claim with the facts:
http://arst.ch/t70
MS is listed as "17th most prolific corporate contributor to the Linux kernel in 2011"
Your claim is contrary to the facts. As far as you calling me a "troll', I merely noted I agreed with Linus Torvalds and his comments that rip Roy's BS apart. As such, you think people who think as Torvalds and myself are trolls.
Sure, you will back pedal away from this, but the only "trollish" thing I did was to say I agree with Linus. Yes: only in Roy's bizarre cult-like world can agreeing with Linus Torvalds make one an anti-Linux "troll".
I must say, you are amusing!
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-08 13:04:29
It is not a matter of GPL (although it is as well as we know M$ HAD TO adhere to GPL due to using GPL licensed code in their back then proprietary driver), it is a matter of painting M$ as a big contributor to Linux kernel, all they have done was fix their crappy hyper-v driver that was almost removed from staging due to inactivity and crappyness. M$ is serving it's own purpose, granted some companies due the same thing but in most cases unless it's drivers benefits us all, hyper-v benefits only to M$.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz
2012-04-08 13:09:53
Yes, and the reasons it's in Linux is because people like Greg K-H were bribed by Microsoft through Novell (2006 deal, renewed later with more funds). Now that Greg K-H left Novell/SUSE Microsoft hires some of the out-of-work Novell developers. Microsoft moles help develop Linux. Controlled opposition.
Something else that many people wondered about was that Microsoft seems to have published the code for purely selfish reasons; they are drivers to make Linux work better on Microsoft's Hyper-V technology, allowing it to compete more effectively with competing offerings. Linus' opinion on this is a pretty clear "duh!"
I agree that it's driven by selfish reasons, but that's how all open source code gets written! We all "scratch our own itches". It's why I started Linux, it's why I started git, and it's why I am still involved. It's the reason for everybody to end up in open source, to some degree.
So complaining about the fact that Microsoft picked a selfish area to work on is just silly. Of course they picked an area that helps them. That's the point of open source - the ability to make the code better for your particular needs, whoever the 'your' in question happens to be.
Does anybody complain when hardware companies write drivers for the hardware they produce? No. That would be crazy. Does anybody complain when IBM funds all the POWER development, and works on enterprise features because they sell into the enterprise? No. That would be insane.
So the people who complain about Microsoft writing drivers for their own virtualization model should take a long look in the mirror and ask themselves why they are being so hypocritical.
I know, I know... noting how Linus Torvalds is correct about Linux and how he finds whiners such as you and Roy to be "hypocritical" is just another sign of how horrible I am. Really, for a sight that claims to be focused on Linux and OSS, Roy and most of his readers have a very poor understanding of how and why it gets developed.
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-08 19:18:01
Running out of arguments so have to use this, you fell lower than i expected ;) But at least you proved a point that there discussing something with a troll is pointless...
Michael
2012-04-08 19:31:17
Yeah, BenderBendingRodriguez, Linus Torvalds is such a "troll"... never argue with him about Linux. The guy is completely clueless.
LOL!
Really, all you just did was wave your white flag... completely give up on even trying to make sense. But thanks... I found it really funny to see you call Linus (or those who accept his arguments) "trolls". Hilarious.
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-09 05:53:36
Being 17th is NOT top!!! Especially if it will change immediately as soon as their driver matures and they'll just start maintaining it for stability... Compare that with Red Hat that is a real contributor to Linux kernel all over the kernel, not just some driver and they are a lot smaller company than M$. And adding to insult M$ appeared in the "TOP" list for the first time and they won't stay there for long. This is not hatred, this is something everyone would notice looking at all those statistics.
Michael
2012-04-09 13:33:38
Being 17th is NOT top!!! Especially if it will change immediately as soon as their driver matures and they’ll just start maintaining it for stability… Compare that with Red Hat that is a real contributor to Linux kernel all over the kernel, not just some driver and they are a lot smaller company than M$. And adding to insult M$ appeared in the “TOP” list for the first time and they won’t stay there for long. This is not hatred, this is something everyone would notice looking at all those statistics.
Who said they were necessarily going to stay their for a long time? Who claimed they were the "top" (number one) as opposed to being in the top group (in this case, say, the top 20). Who denied drivers were a part of the kernel? Maybe you have this discussion confused with another one? You clearly are not responding to my points!
Remember, my comments were merely to note how MS was in the top group of contributors (#17 to be specific) and how the whining about them we see from Roy and crew is completely contrary to the views of people who understand how OSS is developed (people such as Linus Torvalds and those who agree with him, such as myself).
But, yeah, you are reacting with emotion and not logic. It is not as if you are going to admit the obvious - you are calling those who agree with Linus Torvalds "trolls". It is just funny to watch you squirm.
Comments
Michael
2012-04-08 01:39:48
That is just absurd.
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-08 20:12:23
Michael
2012-04-08 20:57:53
http://arst.ch/t70
MS is listed as "17th most prolific corporate contributor to the Linux kernel in 2011"
Your claim is contrary to the facts. As far as you calling me a "troll', I merely noted I agreed with Linus Torvalds and his comments that rip Roy's BS apart. As such, you think people who think as Torvalds and myself are trolls.
Sure, you will back pedal away from this, but the only "trollish" thing I did was to say I agree with Linus. Yes: only in Roy's bizarre cult-like world can agreeing with Linus Torvalds make one an anti-Linux "troll".
I must say, you are amusing!
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-08 13:04:29
Dr. Roy Schestowitz
2012-04-08 13:09:53
Michael
2012-04-08 14:28:43
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-08 19:18:01
Michael
2012-04-08 19:31:17
LOL!
Really, all you just did was wave your white flag... completely give up on even trying to make sense. But thanks... I found it really funny to see you call Linus (or those who accept his arguments) "trolls". Hilarious.
BenderBendingRodriguez
2012-04-09 05:53:36
Michael
2012-04-09 13:33:38