An investigative report
into the Linux lab at Microsoft has revealed some interesting twists to
Microsoft's often stormy relation ship with the world of Open Source
Software (OSS).
The lab, which opened last September,
is run by Bill Hilf, a former programmer for IBM. Originally, it was
set up to "help Microsoft understand the phenomenon of open source
software and improve our products because of that." But over time, the
role of the lab has changed, from merely wanting to understand the
"enemy" towards a tentative effort to working with them.
One example of this effort is the deal
Microsoft struck last year with JBoss, an OSS development firm that
creates "middleware" software products that allow easy deployment of
Java application servers over the Internet. JBoss employee Marc Fleury
explained the move at the time:
Despite all the "conspiracy theories" floating out
there, the announcement was very factual: we are focusing on customers.
Windows Server is widely deployed with JBoss. Our own surveys show that
50% of our user base is on Windows. Ironically, Java is what enables so
many of you to run Windows with our apps: the end-user gets to choose
what platform he deploys on and Windows Server gets to compete on the
serverside just like any other OS. Thank Java for that unlikely
cooperation.
The Linux lab aims to continue its collaboration effort by helping
companies resolve issues with Microsoft and OSS products. For example,
they studied and resolved an issue with Microsoft Visual C++
applications crashing when run from a directory that was shared with
Samba, an OSS implementation of Windows' file sharing protocol. They
also helped out by submitting minor bug fixes to the Samba Torture Test
(smbtorture), a testing tool for Samba developers. Hilf explained the
Linux lab's official position:
"We have been successful in identifying popular
open-source software applications that our customers are interested in
using on the Microsoft Windows Server platform and working with those
companies or projects to ensure that solution is well integrated. From
an interoperability perspective we look into a variety of areas. First
we look at things we know are problematic or difficult to get to work
together and attempt to solve those problems. Secondly, we look at
areas where we can improve existing interoperability scenarios.
Lastly, we look at potential new opportunities where we can bring
technologies together."
Microsoft is, of course, an extremely large company, and one small lab
testing interoperability with OSS solutions does not necessarily
reflect a major change in corporate policy towards open source. The
cynics among us will be quick to point out that Microsoft continues to
publish reports and studies
claiming the superiority of their own products over OSS solutions, and
much of the company's corporate culture continues to push a view of a
Microsoft-only world. For example, documentation for the MCSE
qualification test contains an almost complete lack of examples for
anything other than homogeneous Microsoft network implementations,
which is rarely the case in most companies.
However, the continued work by the Linux lab may indicate the
beginnings of a slow thaw in Microsoft's attitudes towards OSS. Bill
Gates himself has already given his blessing
to such an effort, at least in theory. Working towards a world where
products from many vendors, OSS included, operate together is a noble
ideal that should lessen many of the headaches involved in IT. In the
end, neither side is going to go away, and so shouldn't both learn to
get along with each other?
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