Dell Partners with MS/Novell for Linux Servers

untouchableForce writes "Dell has announced that it will join forces with Microsoft and Novell to "make it easier for the Windows operating system and the [...] Linux [operating] system to work together." This is not overly surprising given Dell's good relationship with Microsoft, and since they already sell SUSE Linux on some of their servers, but it is likely to put a stop to the OSS community's celebration of them distributing Ubuntu. The debate over partnership between Microsoft and Novell has been drawn out since the deal was signed and for some this will add additional fuel to the fire but shouldn't the OSS community be reading this as an acceptance of Company's acknowledgment of Linux?"

Comments

Ideastorm topic added

[mhall119]

I have added this concern to Dell's Ideastorm.

http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/67008/Dont_i mply_Microsoft_IP_in_Linux

Anyone concerned about Dell's involvement in this MS/Novell pact should promote and comment on it.

This isn't for the home segment...

[jkrise]

From TFA:
On Sunday, Microsoft and Novell said Dell has agreed to buy Suse Linux Enterprise Server certificates from Microsoft and that the computer maker will set up a services and marketing program aimed at getting users of open-source platforms to switch to the new Suse Linux offering.

"Dell is the first major systems provider to align with Microsoft and Novell in this collaboration, and we intend to lead in this space," Rick Becker, a vice president in Dell's product group, said in a statement.

The pact between Microsoft and Novell is primarily aimed at the growing number of major companies and government agencies that rely on both Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's patent-protected Windows and Novell's open-source Linux platform to run their computers....

Home PCs will still likely run Ubuntu.
There's hardly any point running Enterprise Servers (which is nothing but marketing speak, anyway) in one's Home PC.
And nothing can prevent corporates from installing Dell's Ubuntu-based Home offerings in company networks.

Re:This deal also.....

[Scarblac]

Exactly the opposite - if they're suggesting they need a patent deal like this to be allowed to distribute Linux, then they are not allowed to distribute it - see the GPL (For example, if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the Program).

It would open them up to GPL violation law suits.

Re:This deal also.....

[IGnatius T Foobar]

OTOH, I sincerely hope this isn't going to become a pattern, where MSFT makes bank every time an OEM moved towards Linux.

In conventional terms, this is known as a "protection racket" and it is quite illegal. Not that the law ever stopped Microsoft before...

Re:No.

[Coryoth]

GNOME, sure, but KDE? Granted, I'm lazy and haven't done any research, but what's gone KDE's way while Novell pumps GNOME? Novell bought Ximian, and that has resulted in significant contributions to GNOME from Novell via the Ximian staff. Novell also bought SUSE, and that has resulted in significant contributions to KDE from Novell via the SUSE staff (since SUSE was one of the major contributors of KDE code). Think of it this way: Novell, unlike Redhat, has been quite seriously pursuing the corporate desktop (Redhat has been halfheartedly pursuing it at best, and instead focusing on servers); that has involved quite a bit of user testing and usability studies, the results of which can be applied to both desktops.