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IBM Weighs In On Novell — Microsoft Deal
Azul writes "In an interview, Scott Handy, IBM's VP of Worldwide Linux and Open Source, has stated IBM's position on the recent Novell-Microsoft agreement. According to Handy, Novell has been quite clear that they had never agreed that Microsoft had any proof of Microsoft patent violations in Linux." From the article: "'IBM has long supported interoperability between Windows and Linux. As supporters of open source and open standards, we applaud any effort to bridge this gap.' ... Looking ahead, Handy said that despite the outcry in some circles about Novell's deal with Microsoft, IBM will be making 'No change in our partnership with Novell ... IBM has two strategic Linux partners, Red Hat and Novell. This has served us very well for seven-years. Over 90 percent of the Linux server market now belongs to those two companies and the industry has consolidated around those two leaders,' he added."
Is it within the letter? Novell and Microsoft say so,
... that's where some/a lot of the original tools for Linux came from anyways, right? And that's free as in free for anything, not free as in 'ask the FSF for permission'. Sorry if I come off as sarcastic but this whole deal has made me lose what little faith i have in free software.
So... what they did is entirely legal, albeit not what RMS and Eben and whoever else had in mind for Free Software.
Sorry. It just sounds like you guys are just being a bunch of sore losers that they are playing in your playground. And you guys are doing as much, if not more, mudslinging that Microsoft.
And then a lot of stuff that Novell needs will go under those licenses, and Novell will be stuck with the entire version of maintaining obsolete forks without the help of the community.
**cough** BSD **cough**