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Microsoft Releases Windows CE 3.0 Source
If you haven't yet taken a look at Microsoft's "Shared Source License," this is a good time: contrast the restrictions on use and redistribution to the clauses on those things in the GPL.
Interesting that Microsoft should denigrate Free Software licenses as pathogenic but require that anyone who redistributes the software as source under their new "broader" license "include a complete copy of this License with your distribution." That license includes a provision that "if you sue anyone over patents that you think may apply to the Software for a person's use of the Software, your license to the Software ends automatically."
But since you may not distribute the licensed Microsoft code "in source or object form for commercial purposes under any circumstances," nor use it to run a business, it may be unlikely that such a suit would arise. All in all, I'm not sure who besides companies selling Win CE hardware or software will benefit from this "sharing."
However, if you ever intend to work on any Open Source programming project which might involve similar code, you might want to think twice about downloading any code under the provisions Microsoft lists here: a simple database query can establish whether "Yourname Lastname" had access to the Microsoft-owned code, which could result in legal problems down the road. Even if you never look at the downloaded code, the electronic trail will look like you did -- which is perhaps the most insidious aspect of this version of sharing.
Bypass Passport: http://download.microsoft.com/download/WinCEPlatfo rmBuilder/Update/3.0/NT5/EN-US/setup.exe
Looks like Microsoft is up and fighting - and fighting hard.
From the licence it looks like this code is free (as in beer, not speech).
The Licence:
This License governs use of the accompanying Software.
You can use this Software for any non-commercial purpose, including distributing derivatives. Running your business operations would not be considered non-commercial.
For commercial purposes, you can reference this software solely to assist in developing and testing your own software and hardware for the Windows CE platform. You may not distribute this software in source or object form for commercial purposes under any circumstances.
In return, we simply require that you agree:
1) Not to remove any copyright notices from the Software.
* Ok, thats fair.
2) That if you distribute the Software in source code form you do so only under this License (i.e. you must include a complete copy of this License with your distribution), and if you distribute the Software solely in object form you only do so under any license that complies with this License.
* This is fair too.
3)That the Software comes "as is", with no warranties. None whatsoever. This means no implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or any warranty of non-infringement. Also, you must pass this disclaimer on whenever you distribute the Software.
* Standard Leaglease. This is in the GPL too.
4) That Microsoft will not be liable for any of those types of damages known as indirect, special, consequential, or incidental related to the Software or this License, to the maximum extent the law permits. Also, you must pass this limitation of liability on whenever you distribute the Software.
* Same as above.
5) That if you sue anyone over patents that you think may apply to the Software for a person's use of the Software, your license to the Software ends automatically.
* Hmmm, this is different.
6) That the patent rights Microsoft is licensing only apply to the Software, not to any derivatives you make.
* I don't understand this one, someone care to explain? (I think that they mean that if I make a derivitave, it is not owned by Microsoft? Or, does it mean not protected by Microsoft?)
7) That your rights under the License end automatically if you breach it in any way.
* Very different from the GPL! That your rights "Suddenly end" if you breach it in any way. GPL is designed to maintain rights, this one is designed to take them away.
Granted, you can't blame Microsoft for using this kind of licence. Their whole business model is based on this kind of thing. I still bet that there are people at MS that are having fits over the release of code. But, I guess the battle for free software must be ganing ground - because Microsoft is fighting back... On our turf.
Try to hack my 31337 firewall!
Source code is really no different than books, magazines, and newspapers. You don't see newspaper editors scrupulously avoiding all printed materials besides their own paper, do you? You don't hear about musicians carefully avoiding listening to the radio, do you?
-- ;-)
Kuro5hin.org: where the good times never end.
Clean-rooming the BIOS has nothing to do with this mythological contamination. It's simply so that the judge will instantaneously see that there is no merit.
This is a completely erroneous misinterpretation of copyright law. If it were true, musicians would routinely go to prison for 'willfully and with malice aforethought' listening to the radio. Visiting artists would be deported for going to galleries. In other words, everbody is full of shit. I deeply resent this attack on my knowledge and character. I *am* full of shit, but I resent being told so.-- ;-)
Kuro5hin.org: where the good times never end.
I have had the source of WinCE for a LONG time.
.. They arent doing anyone any favors here...
If your on the MSDN network you can get the source from the CD's. Im sorry this is a bad example since the source has always been available.
Jeremy
The only safe way to view it is in an mirror:)
Wouldn't that be considered a copy protection circumvention device?
Let me guess. Wince3.0 is code named "Medusa".
With M$'s focus on the 2k/XP kernel, is this just a red herring to attract good press?
Perhaps, but this is a big step for Microsoft, to release the source code to what at one time in the recent future was intended to be a flagship product of theirs, and is still in moderate to heavy use. You didn't seriously expect them to start out by opening the Windows XP codebase, did you? (And how come nobody has a similar accusation for id Software when they released the source to Wolf 3d or Quake?)
Armed with only my Hotmail login, I now have their source code on my hard drive. In other news, Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying, and the cows have come home. Film at 11.
NO CARRIER
[ck@server1 ck]$ cd wince300 // fuck Linus Torvalds!
[ck@server1 ck]$ grep -r fuck *
private/winceos/coreos/nk/schedule.c:
Those sneaky bastards!
NO CARRIER
The only safe way to view it is in an mirror:)
Bryguy
microsoftword.mp3 - it doesn't care that they're not words...
Note: Before downloading (5.03 MB executable file), you will need to register using your Microsoft Passport. Passport is a suite of personal authentication services that makes it easier for you to use the Web.
Sice when do "easier to use" and "a pain in the ass" have the same meaning??