What folks years ago predicted has happened. M$ will sell use of GNU/Linux on its cloud services. When they sell GNU/Linux through their OEM-”partners”, the world will be a lot closer to having a proper market for PCs. That is likely to happen but not until they have their hat handed to them with “8″.
I expect eventually to see M$ either coopt a distro as “partner” or develop its own distro. Either will be an improvement over exclusivity on retail shelves. For the moment, this seems like history happening, appropriate to the anniversary of D-Day.
BTW, this is the ultimate proof that anyone can make money from GNU/Linux when The Great Satan of IT can do it.
see Microsoft to run Linux on Azure | ITworld.
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It’s quite true. Pigs fly. Yesterday Eric S. Raymond and Richard Stallman flew by my window.
Clarence Moon MS would sell Novell because of patent settlement with Novell. Yes it was a case of OPPS. Novell held a few key patents that could shut down MS operations if pushed. Quality over quantity.
“OpenSUSE 12.1
CentOS-6.2
Ubuntu 12.04
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2″
This is the full list supported. 3 of them don’t have a patent agreement with Microsoft.
Viktor Hyper-V drivers in Linux kernel was about Redhat Microsoft deal of 2009. Then in 2010 MS need a wake up call about going in breach of agreement.
Viktor yes MS has sold SUSE to end users as part of settlement. The big important but MS has avoided running Linux where they could. Running Linux due to different licenses can result in MS being no longer able to use lots of its patents against Linux.
So none of US was expecting something like Azure before MS formally gave up on patent assault. This is a pigs might fly day. Question is what other effects does it have.
Pogson, are you really from this world? Why do you think that Microsoft has open sourced their Hyper-V drivers back in 2009? Why do you think they have worked towards the goal of getting them into the Linux kernel? And now you cook up some story, speaking about hell freezing over, as if NOBODY SAW THAT COMING. LOLWUT!?
No surprise there, Mr. Pogson. Microsoft has been selling the Novell exec Linux for years now. They have contracted for more Linux install/support annually than Red Hat. Where have you been hiding?