Microsoft Launches Linux Labs Website

mjdroner writes "ZDNet is reporting that Microsoft is launching a website to 'share the activities of its internal Linux laboratories.' Microsoft says its goal is to foster communication with those who use open-source. The article also mentions that Microsoft runs a 300-server Linux installation to test open-source products." From the article: "Customers will be able to submit requests to Microsoft employees. For example, a person could ask how to best test the use of Linux desktops working with Microsoft's directory software. In addition, Port 25 will do video interviews with Microsoft employees with experience in the open-source or Unix world, Hilf said."

Comments

Re:Then stop breaking things

[CDarklock]

Let me make this perfectly clear.

When the Samba developers do not maintain close communication with Microsoft about potential changes to roaming profiles and implement support for those changes, it is not Microsoft's fault when things break. It is the Samba team's fault.

When you cannot get support for your PDC because it is running a non-Microsoft platform, that is not Microsoft's fault. It is your platform provider's fault.

The problem in this scenario is that you are relying on software which has been provided by volunteers, and those volunteers are not providing the level of support you expect.

Go complain to the volunteers. When they say it's Microsoft's fault, call that the bullshit it is and demand better from this "superior" community. When they can't deliver, and they can't, maybe you'll revisit the question of why people use Microsoft software. Maybe you'll even think about it with something remotely resembling actual intelligence.

Want to see my math? Microsoft licensing fees make up less than 0.25% of my annual operating budget. One day of downtime represents more than 0.27% of my annual operations. So if I can save just one day a year of downtime by using an all-Microsoft solution, I win.

Re:Then stop breaking things

[moro_666]

try to take a glance outside the 1mm*1mm*1mm cubicle that you're trapped in. microsoft couldn't literally give a lama's ass about if or not samba works with it or not.

  they are microsoft, they don't care, they don't have to.

  it's probably just a fix for windows to fix up some minor glitch in the protocol, it has nothing to do with a opensource implementation that doesn't even have 5% of the market share. do you really think that bill is interested in breaking down the filelink between it's own system and unix machines ? bill knows that not everyone can afford a windows server, but they still want the workstation next to unix servers to run windows xp and wants them to run ms office. cause this is profit.

  i think it was an accident. you can think whatever you want, but try to put things on a global scale at first.

  microsoft's people don't run meetings in the morning how to beat the crap out of linux, they are holding meetings to satisfy the requests made by their bigtime customers. and as long as samba isn't on the list, they really don't care.

  i don't like microsoft's closed policy neither and i don't like that samba doesn't work well with xp machines, but i'm definitely not posessed by the thought that microsoft is out here to kill linux & other unixes once and for all.

  microsoft needs linux like ford needs suzuki, if you have a competition in the market with someone you know that you beat in general manners (saleswork and hyping in this case), it's good for your business not bad.