Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

VMware Affirms Open Source Commitment By Becoming Gold Linux Foundation Member (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the reaffirming-commitment dept.

Reader BrianFagioli writes: Today, VMware showed its commitment to the open source community by becoming a Linux Foundation Gold Member. The company joins many other successful companies at that level, such as Facebook, Toshiba, and Toyota, to name a few. "VMware has been involved in open source for years, by contributing to existing open source projects as well as open sourcing some of the company's own code. This includes significant participation in and contributions to Linux Foundation projects such as Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP), Cloud Foundry and Open vSwitch, as well as other open source projects including OpenStack. Becoming a Gold member of The Linux Foundation will enable VMware to become even more active in the open source community by leveraging The Linux Foundation's experience and expertise in how to most effectively contribute to and utilize open source technology," says The Linux Foundation.

32 comments

  1. What a commitment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How about "VMware Affirms Open Source Commitment By Releasing Source For All Products". That would be a commitment.

    1. Re:What a commitment... by rakslice · · Score: 2

      This. For anyone who missed the story so far, VMware is a bit busy dealing with their commitment to open source at the moment (https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/vmware-lawsuit-faq.html). This news could also tell us something about the Linux Foundation's commitment to open source and/or unwillingness to let a fundraising opportunity like this pass by?

    2. Re:What a commitment... by rakslice · · Score: 1

      Related:
      https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/15/vmware_survives_gpl_breach_case_but_plaintiff_promises_appeal/

    3. Re:What a commitment... by rakslice · · Score: 1

      Perhaps there are gems of unsung first-party contributions hiding in their huge number of public repositories? https://github.com/vmware

    4. Re:What a commitment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be nice to see ESXi as part of the Linux kernel. There are a lot of things which would be extremely useful, be it VMFS, ESXi's memory management to allow overcommits, virtual volumes, and so on. It isn't like VMWare would lose a lot, as they would be able to still sell the management tools which are the important items.

    5. Re:What a commitment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about "VMware Affirms Open Source Commitment By Releasing Source For All Products running out of business".

      FTFY

    6. Re:What a commitment... by sithlord2 · · Score: 1

      Not all products (be realistic here, VMWare can't survive without money), but it's a start: https://vmware.github.io/

      --
      ...You are over-qualified and under-paid. If we give you a raise, we will break the cosmic balance of the universe.
    7. Re:What a commitment... by jaymemaurice · · Score: 1

      VMware - not VMWare

      Yeah they have a lot of neat stuff there like their outdated modified weasel code and other useless python junk to control their own stuff...

      --
      120 characters ought to be enough for anyone
  2. What are the requirements? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it like every other organization where you become a gold-tier member if you fork over umpteen thousand dollars? That's not commitment, that's an advertising expense.

    1. Re:What are the requirements? by arth1 · · Score: 1

      Pretty much.

      Note that the Linux Foundation has no real clout. It's a corporation that exists mostly outside the Linux community, and serves its own interests.
      Look at their who's who, and tell me how many of these are well known and/or highly respected Linux personalities:
      https://www.linuxfoundation.or...

      Some of them I suspect don't even use Linux...

    2. Re:What are the requirements? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They employ both Brian Behlendorf and Linus Torvalds. If you've never heard of them, you deserve to have your geek card revoked.

    3. Re:What are the requirements? by arth1 · · Score: 2

      They employ Linus Torvalds. Linus is busy with his own stuff - Linux. He doesn't in any way run or direct the Linux Foundation.
      Corporations and business people do.

      Up until last year, individuals were also involved in electing board members and holding elected positions. Now, they've kicked individuals out and it's all companies, and influence based on how much money the companies contribute. Of which only a small part goes back to support projects.

      As so many other things, it started out with noble intentions, and became something very different after the suits took control.

  3. More hooks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So, the kernel is going to gain more hooks for VMware proprietary stuff which is useless for everyone else. Yay, and stuff. Much excitement.

  4. Agreed. Foundations are almost always worthless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They are the manifestation of corporate thinking: Cobble together a bureaucracy, and throw some money at it; eventually, we'll be able to sue anybody who disagrees with what we say. "What's that? No systemd? You can't call that 'Linux' anymore!"

  5. Accusations of GPL violations by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does this mean all accusations of GPL violations are of the table now?

    1. Re:Accusations of GPL violations by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 2

      It means they violated the GPL and the case first brought against them did not succeed due to an issue not connected to the merit of the case.

      --
      Bruce Perens.
  6. hey I know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    How about you just comply with the GPL instead of trying to buy of the Linux Foundation?

  7. You've got to be kidding by RonVNX · · Score: 2

    If joining the Linux Foundation is what passes for making a commitment to FLOSS, then it's all over for FLOSS.

  8. vSphere client by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great, so can they either release a native vSphere client for the Linux desktop - or - release a web-based client that has feature parity with their old Windows desktop client and isn't a complete joke like the current web client is? I don't even care if it has to be an Electron app at this point.

    1. Re:vSphere client by _merlin · · Score: 1

      Have you actually used the built-in ESXi web client lately? It's pretty good these days.

  9. Commitment? to what? being the microsoft of VMs? by nimbius · · Score: 1

    VMWare is dead last in cloud; youll barely find them supported in openstack. They release almost none of their software as open source. and theyre actively involved in quashing a lawsuit that implicates their theft of busybox.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  10. VMWare is a GPL Violator by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 2

    VMWare is a GPL violator and got off of its most recent case on a technicality. Any Linux developer can restart the case.

    The Linux foundation is sort of like loggers who claim to speak for the trees. Their main task is to facilitate the exploitation of Open Source rather than contribution to it.

    --
    Bruce Perens.
    1. Re:VMWare is a GPL Violator by tpgp · · Score: 1

      The Linux foundation is sort of like loggers who claim to speak for the trees.

      Wow, I'm really disappointed to hear that, I've read a bit about vmware's GPL violation in the press & the Linux Foundation's silence (or perhaps active suppression) of legal action funded by SFC against vmware.

      You got a good summary I can read? I thought the Linux Foundation's role in this was more complex than it appears, but you've just painted with a very negative brush.

      --
      My pics.
    2. Re: VMWare is a GPL Violator by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 2

      Look for news from when they eliminated the community board position, when they stopped funding SFLC, when they accepted Microsoft as a member.

      --
      Bruce Perens.
  11. This is like Hitler donating a new Torah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shoo, Mr Godwin. What I meant to say is that it's hard to imagine a lot of good coming from this constellation. VMware specifically has a rather dim view of their obligations when using GPLed third-party code, so there is going to be a lot of conflict of interest with the Linux Foundation.

  12. VMWare Nightmare by DaMattster · · Score: 1

    Back when I was in IT, I breathed a sigh of relief when the head shed decided to go with Citrix Xen. I really hate VMWare.

    1. Re:VMWare Nightmare by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Cries that's that leaving Microsoft ... And going to Oracle?!!

      Whom am I kidding at least Oracle s shitty expensive products are stable. Sadly Hyper-V seems to be my favorite so far between all of them sadly

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    2. Re:VMWare Nightmare by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      https://www.microsoft.com/en-u...

      Hyper-v server is also free to use.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  13. Hitler did nothing wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Turn off the Talmudvision and starting asking questions.
    Like: why is it that Jews promote race-mixing and degeneracy in every White country they parasitize, but not in Israel?
    captcha: charity

  14. Doesn't matter. VMWare is Netware. by Salo2112 · · Score: 1

    Everyone it dumping it for Hyper-V anyway. Won't be around in a few years, so I'm not sure what the point of this is. Maybe it will become FOSS software when the product succumbs to the inevitability of Microsoft's dominance.

  15. gpl violating whores by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what kind of idiot uses vmware for anything anyways?