Windows Services For Unix Now Free Of Charge

pole writes "Version 3.5 of Services for Unix will be free. Previously, it was $99. This article at Information Week has the details. It contains an NFS client and server in addition to POSIX libraries and utilities including pthreads. Aside from the NFS utilities, how does the environment compare to Cygwin?" An anonymous reader adds links to coverage at News.com and at geek.com, writing "The reviews for these tools have been highly favorable. It looks like the next volley has been fired in the struggle between Windows and Linux."

Comments

Microsoft motives?

[glinden]

Can you say, "embrace and extend?"

Re:Microsoft motives?

[NightSpots]

If Microsoft provides a client for Unix filesystems, they get "embrace and extend" comments.

If Microsoft doesn't, they get the "refusing to support open standards" comments.

What do you want them to do? Do you want them to attempt to work with Unix, or do you want them to completely ignore the fact that Unix exists?

Thank you Microsoft

[Mongo222]

What a fantastic set of tools for people who are migrating thier windows boxes to a Linux/Unix envirornment. Glad they finally saw the light of day and are working to join us.

This could backfire on MS

[SkArcher]

The idea is obviously to encourage migration from Unix to Windows, but it can just as easily be used to encourage migration in the other direction.

It is to be hoped that such opportunities are taken up by people wishing to get the out of MS lock in in a gradual manner.

Re:This could backfire on MS

[nate1138]

Regardless of whether or not it backfires, it _does_ help interoperability, and that is a Good Thing no matter how you look at it. Almost nobody is exclusively Unix or MS, nor should they necessarily be.

The only bitch I will have is if this is like other Microsoft attempts at "interoperability" where they break shit. Think kerberos, java, etc.

Good Old Econ 101

[stuffedmonkey]

We are really starting to see the results of constant economic pressure in Microsoft. Once a monopoly has real competition - it is forced to either *gasp* innovate or lower prices! I think in the coming years, All computer users will benefit from Linux - even if they never use it. Windows users will see lower prices and a somewhat friendlier Beast, and Mac users are already getting a ton of great open source product integreted into OS X.

Good, but not great

[Telastyn]

Overall, services for unix is good. It provides many of the common unix utilities, and it integrates them into the shell [even just cmd] very well. Much better, and 'cleaner' than cygwin. Cygwin has *many* more tools though, and they work 'well enough'.

In my experience, using the two together [having SFU's directory in the path before cygwin's] gives you the best of both releases.

Freedom?

[condition-label-red]

how does the environment compare to Cygwin?

One is licensed under GPL, and the other isn't....

Re:so lets make this simple

[digitalsushi]

ah but i use linux because it is simple. hard to learn, simple to use. i quite find windows simple to learn, hard to use, and i fancy the elegance of plain text everything that i get with my linux server.

UNIX isn't Microsoft's chief competitor...

[Fortunato_NC]

They need to start offering "Windows Services for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000", because this is where a lot of their customers hopped off the upgrade bus.

C'mon, raise your hands, how many of you are still administering a pair of Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers because Active Directory was overkill for your single-site 100 employee company? I know I am.