Linux Receives 20th Birthday Video From Microsoft

moonbender writes "The Linux kernel has received birthday wishes from an unexpected direction — a video animation from Microsoft. Quoting The H: 'The video picks up on the strained relationship between Microsoft and Linux by displaying the phrase "Microsoft Vs. Linux" and then showing Tux, the Linux mascot, turning his back on the offer of a birthday cake from Microsoft. After a brief outline of the history between Microsoft and Linux, the video ends with a conciliatory gesture: Tux accepts the birthday cake in his igloo and the video ends with "Happy Birthday" and the editing of the initial phrase to "Microsoft and Linux?' The Linux Foundation has more stuff celebrating the kernel's 20th birthday."

Comments

There is no Microsoft vs Linux

[cobbaut]

Only a small (though loud) minority of Linux users believes in a Microsoft vs Linux fight. Linux was created in 1991 to be a POSIX compliant kernel, not to be a competitor to MS. The GNU tools were created to have a free Unix. GNU + Linux is a fine example of open source in the Unix world, and is definitely not a reaction/fight/whatever towards Microsoft.

Re:There is no Microsoft vs Linux

[oGMo]

Only a small (though loud) minority of Linux users believes in a Microsoft vs Linux fight. Linux was created in 1991 to be a POSIX compliant kernel, not to be a competitor to MS.

This isn't how it works, though. For those of us who actually remember MS in the 90s (and onto the 00s), it MS vs Linux simply because Linux had the potential to (and, obviously eventually has) become a huge competitor in the server and corporate market if never the desktop market. This is from Microsoft's perspective. Linux was not created as a competitor, but they eventually saw it that way, and have had any number of anti-Linux and anti-FOSS marketing campaigns over the past decade or so, in addition to incompatible changes to protocols, trying to not interoperate, hijack open standards, and simply give their stuff away to keep people from switching.

It's nice that they want to whitewash history and pretend Linux was the snobby competitor that has eventually come to play nicely with them, but it's quite the opposite. If anything, this is the indication we've moved from "then they fight you" to "then you win".

Re:Yeah, right

[RazzleFrog]

And if you only support companies without patent lawsuits pending then I think you'll find yourself pretty limited on choices.

Re:Yeah, right

[Enderandrew]

They sued Tom Tom for merely using a Linux kernel that included FAT32 support. So basically, everything on the planet that ships with Linux could be sued for the same criteria. Someone needs to stand up to these lawsuits.

Re:Everybody aboard the tinfoilhat-train!

[Dot.Com.CEO]

Have some cake and chill out dude...

"...from Microsoft"?

[ischorr]

I'm not sure I understand. Based on the summary, this video was supposed to have been created by Microsoft? It was posted by The Linux Foundation and doesn't seem like a video that would be produced by Microsoft (not so much the style or content, but the perspective; it doesn't seem like it's Microsoft telling the story at all).

Instead, it plays like some sort of lead-up to an announcement OSDL/TLF are planning to make...?

Re:Microsoft and Open Source in General

[Eponymous Coward]

Why didn't you just use sed?

Re:Everybody aboard the tinfoilhat-train!

[aaaaaaargh!]

The Linux kernel has received ... from Microsoft.

Clearly this is an attempt to hide patent-encumbered code inside Linux kernel so that Microsoft can sue later!

Either that or Microsoft Office for Linux(tm) is coming soon!*

* MOfL might contain traces of subtile but annoying incompatibilities with Microsoft Office for Windows