One Small Step…
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Today Microsoft announced that it has submitted device driver code to the Linux Community under the the GNU General Public License (version 2). The code, a release of Hyper-V Linux Integration Components (LinuxIC) which includes three Linux device drivers, has been submitted to the Linux kernel community for inclusion in the Linux tree. The drivers will be available to the Linux Community and customers alike, and will enhance the performance of the Linux operating system when virtualized on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V or Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V.
Of course this announcement is about much more than 20,000 lines of code Microsoft is committing (which by the way once accepted into the Linux tree will far surpass those contributed by Canonical). To misquote Neil Armstrong from 40 years ago, “this is one small step for Microsoft, but one vast leap for open source.” We commend Microsoft for taking this very significant step.
Novell was very influential in bringing this about and has worked closely with Microsoft to make this a reality. Under the direction of Novell Fellow Greg Kroah-Hartman, who leads the Linux Kernel Device Driver project, Novell provided valuable guidance and feedback to the Open Source Technology Center, which enabled the team to contribute the code in a way that was in-line with Community processes. Under the umbrella of our 2006 partnership and agreement with Microsoft, Novell has worked hard to bridge the divide between Linux and Windows, providing what customers want – interoperability. While some have occasionally criticized us for our efforts, our technical collaborations have made it easier for us to engage with Microsoft and help bring about significant developments around server and desktop interoperability, virtualization, management, and of course device drivers.
There are multiple winners with today’s announcement. Customers will receive huge benefits from the performance enhancements resulting from the paravirtualized drivers. The Linux community and various distributions will ALL be able to take advantage of these key kernel improvements. The Open Source movement and GPLv2 receive further validation as an important development models and licensing alternative respectively. Finally, Microsoft wins for demonstrating a willingness through their actions to embrace it all on behalf of the customer agenda.
John
July 20th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
[...] Too funny: Microsoft will have contributed more Linux kernel code than Canonical now: http://www.novell.com/company/blogs/cmo/?p=146 [...]
July 21st, 2009 at 11:55 am
[...] Chief Marketing Officer John Dragoon has taken the opportunity to compare Canonical with Novell partner Microsoft on his blog. As he “commend[s] Microsoft for taking this very significant step”, he [...]
July 21st, 2009 at 1:03 pm
You can’t seem to point out something good without a petty jab? In the end you only tarnish your own company and products.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Pete…not sure if you are serious…if you are referring to the fact that Microsoft has contributed more to the Linux kernel than Canonical – that’s simply a fact. If you see that as a jab I assure that’s not the intent. J
July 21st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Is the dig at Canonical really needed?
Canonical contribute code to areas of Linux which matters most to them and their users. the kernel itself is not as important to Ubuntu users as the desktop “experience” and usability for example.Even just today they released the entire launchpad source code (over 200,000 lines of code) with the aim to help Linux development, Microsoft released its code to help benefit machines running Windows Server.I think I know what I would rather have.
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:38 am
Linux distributions don’t consist only of the Linux kernel. There’s much more stuff in them: gcc, Xorg, Gnome, Firefox, OpenOffice… Go ask Greg to count Canonical’s contributions to these projects too if you want to be fair. And also ask him how much code has Microsoft contributed to them :>
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:28 am
Honestly I read this as a ’stupid’ post.
You can say MS has provided 20k lines of code for the kernel.
But Canonical has been much much much more successfull in doing what your company (Novell) was supposed to do: diffuse Linux and increase its usage.
You know this is true and sadly your company approached Linux world in the worst way: not acknowleding the community behind it and try to deal with MS because you were scared of possible lawsuits…
Novell failed diffusing Linux, MS contributed to the kernel with a patch for their software (it’s not a patch for Linux itself).
Canonical has the still ‘cool’ factor and really spread Linux usage around the world.
Your company approached the Linux world as MS…bad reputation mate…
Good luck with that,
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:52 am
Pete,
Its quite a shame for Canonical that they lack the engineering skills to contribute to the real core of their distribution. Novell is correct.
Red Hat realized this long back
http://press.redhat.com/2008/04/08/red-hat-leads-open-source-contributions-to-kernel/
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:45 am
‘if you are referring to the fact that Microsoft has contributed more to the Linux kernel than Canonical – that’s simply a fact.’
Only if we’re counting lines of code as a ‘contribution’.
If we’re comparing contributions’ usefulness for most Linux users, Canonical has contributed more, as Microsoft’s code-drop affects fewer people.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
[...] A: They are mostly positive. Novell, as Microsoft’s closest Linux partner, is predictably enthused. Red Hat issued a press release welcoming the news, calling the contribution [...]
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 am
[...] A: They are mostly positive. Novell, as Microsoft’s closest Linux partner, is predictably enthused. Red Hat issued a press release welcoming the news, calling the contribution [...]
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
[...] A: They are mostly positive. Novell, as Microsoft’s closest Linux partner, is predictably enthused. Red Hat issued a press release welcoming the news, calling the contribution [...]
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Ema..thanks for the post…we will have to disagree on Novell’s commitment to the community as the facts suggest otherwise….we are very actively involved and major contributors to many FOSS projects. As to approaching the Linux world as MS….our point of view was and is solving customer problems and addressing the interoperability challenges Linux and Windows users would like to see addressed. Microsoft’s contribution – while certainly done to advance their position – also further advances Linux as the perfect guest – this is all good for Linux.
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:08 am
You are pretending that Microsoft contribut to linux kernel far more than Canonical and you are not giving any number for Canonical/Ubuntu kernel participation. Without a number what you are claiming is just FUD and it’s a shame for a compagny as Novell to do something like this. I don’t exactly understand your point in the very stupid attack against Canonical. It seems that you are pretending that Microsoft is doing more for linux than Canonical. The only reason that I can find for the continuous attack on Ubuntu from Novell is seeing Microsoft hand behind it. If this is not the reason there are no logic just that you don’t understand the meaning of opensource and that the kernel is, legally, available for everybody even people and compagny which are not doing anything for. If you don’t like this fact perhaps Novell has to stop to work on opensource project.
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 am
Just a quick question : is escaping a license violation sue an actual CONTRIBUTION ?
http://www.osnews.com/story/21882/Microsoft_s_Linux_Kernel_Code_Drop_Result_of_GPL_Violation
Microsoft released the code under GPL2 because they had to, not because they wanted to “contribute” the linux kernel. They wrote this code in the sole interest of a proprietary product that is not related to linux, thus the contribution is to their only benefit, contrarily to the bug reports and patches from Canonical or Ubuntu users, even if they’re not as numerous as you’d like them to be. In the meanwhile, Canonical contributes to a lot of other FOSS projects, and they also contribute to spread Linux towards end users.
If I had as little honesty as you, I’d claim Novell contributes less than Microsoft to bringing new end users to Linux, but I think there are better things to do than shooting at other contributors to FOSS just for the sake of it, because I have a little more respect for people who, with their own means and capabilities, contribute to FOSS, and not only make us of FOSS projects for their own commercial profit.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:00 am
John, the point is that in name of ‘instant interoperability (with MS)’ you (Novell) did a very very very bad PR move.
Indeed, you see, you are very committed.
But not to the community, to your customers.
Now, this bad impression “our point of view was and is solving customer problems” is the core issue of your company. Actually others (Canonical) have customers too, but the impression is not as for your company.
That’s the point.
And this point combined to MS patents protection deal makes them better (from a moral point of view) then you guys.
The biggest issue is the MS deal. Signing that has been like digging one feet of your grave; now I don’t mean you’re already dead, hopefully you’re very alive, but allowing MS to ‘win’ against software patents argument has been going against the community.
Simple. That was extremly wrong.
Was like saying:”we bend to MS will and into our eyes the community efforts and OSS is all about stealing from MS”.
Cheers,
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
And now this message is really funny since the truth appeared. Microsoft dind’t contribute to the kernel because they are nice but the one and only reasons for it is that they were using GPL code in one of their product and has been caught violing the license. Without the guy which saw it Microsoft would have still continue to violate the GPL license.
July 27th, 2009 at 12:46 am
[...] CMO is being disingenuous. As Canonical’s CTO correctly points out, Novell uses Microsoft’s self-serving code [1, [...]
July 27th, 2009 at 1:07 am
It should not be about how many lines of code or by who, as Linus Torvalds himself has said. It’s about the software, the quality and functionality.
I would prefer 20,000 lines of well written, quality assured, clear and readable.
That does what it proposes to do, its not about who provided the code, accepting code from one group and not another is elitest and it points to having other causes and agenders apart from simply the quality of the product.
This is highly damaging to the FOSS community, because at any time you do not know if you will turn from being a goodie to a badie because you did something a part of the community does not agree with.
Sure you can release open source code, but if you are not part of the “inner circle” you may be treated as evil and shunned.
If you need a blantant example of this just go over to BoycottNovel.com
and see how an unemployed perpetual student is hell bent on damaging strong and profitable US companies. Companies that emply hundreds of thousands of people, provides food, clothing, housing and security for those people and from flow on many many more. Contribute billions of dollars to the economy.
Yet, because Roy does not like what they do, he would so or say anything to see those businesses go out of business and the workers of those companies out of work.
We see this from FOSS zealots all the time, and that is why so many people keep their distance from anything to do with FOSS, because of extreamists like Roy Shewatwits
July 27th, 2009 at 7:30 am
[...] On what is I assume his official Novell blog, John Dragoon, the Chief Marketing Officer for Novell makes an illuminating comparison in the consideration of Microsoft’s recent virtualization submission: Of course this announcement is about much more than 20,000 lines of code Microsoft is committing (which by the way once accepted into the Linux tree will far surpass those contributed by Canonical). [...]
August 12th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Novell had done a huge amount for open source, but let’s recognise that Canonical has also. Perhaps less lines of code but more making linux friendly, accessible and creating a positive vibe.
I want to see Suse going from strength to strength – let’s have more positive PR about Novell’s contributions (network manager, compiz, fspot, evolution to name a few) and less pointing the finger??
August 12th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
James,
Totally agree on your point of view on other’s contributions…and yes there’s been a lot of positive press on SUSE and in particular lately the SUSE Studio announcement….the high road it is. John
August 12th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
“the high road it is”
…and yet the jab remains. If this were just a fact, as you say, then why Canonical? There are many distros that have contributed less than 20,000 lines to the kernel. It’s a jab.
First GKH, and now you. It seems like Novell is waging an anti-Canonical campaign. It’s hard to believe the Chief Marketing Officer is making such comments innocently.
I agree that the Microsoft news is a good thing, maybe even an important thing. But it’s good business, not good will.
If you are truly interested in facts, here’s one: The vast majority of Linux users benefit far more from Canonical’s efforts than from these 20,000 lines of Microsoft code.
I would like to see some recognition that there are many ways to contribute to Linux and open source. Does “free as in speech” require Canonical to do it the Novell way? Taking the high road means more than leaving the comment out there while washing your hands of it; some acknowledgement of Canonical’s contributions seems warranted.
Whit Kemmey
August 13th, 2009 at 6:03 am
Whit,
Please…..get serious. You are making something out of nothing. I’ll certainly post your point of view and I’ve long given credit. And no one ever said to do it the Novell way, whatever that is. I placed Microsoft’s contribution in relative terms to a well known Linux and Open Source company. That’s it. There was and is no attempt to qualify the respective contributions. If you want to assume some greater cause on my part, that’s your right but I assure there is none. John
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 pm
[...] John Dragoon, Novell’s Chief Marketing Officer, walks an interesting path. I first noticed his comments back when he took a swipe at Canonical while praising Microsoft’s kernel “contributions”. [...]