Whats your take on the Microsoft/Novell Partnership?

[KohlyKohl]

http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/

re-Web cast of the announcement will be posted soon. What is your take on the implications of this deal? Why do you think They did it? Will the Linux community shun Novell?

[1c3d0g]

It's M$'s first step towards acknowledging that after more than 30 years of trying, they've failed to make a competent O.S. GNU/Linux is apparently no longer a cancer, in M$'s view. They've also realized that after Vista is released, the ball stops there. Even M$ knows blackcomb is dead. There's so much broken stuff, things that will not be included before RTM in Vista already etc. etc. etc. that they're either:
1. need to start from scratch, undoing 30+ years of work in the process;

or,

2. take an existing secure O.S., like...uhm...SUSE Enterprise, polish it up further and release that as their flagship O.S. of choice.

Some food for thought.

[Michael]

It's M$'s first step towards acknowledging that after more than 30 years of trying, they've failed to make a competent O.S. GNU/Linux is apparently no longer a cancer, in M$'s view. They've also realized that after Vista is released, the ball stops there. Even M$ knows blackcomb is dead. There's so much broken stuff, things that will not be included before RTM in Vista already etc. etc. etc. that they're either:
1. need to start from scratch, undoing 30+ years of work in the process;

or,

2. take an existing secure O.S., like...uhm...SUSE Enterprise, polish it up further and release that as their flagship O.S. of choice.

Some food for thought.

Nice thoughts.

The last time I think I bothered to look at information about Blackcomb must have been 2002 or 2003. Is Blackcomb still supposed to have its kernel stored on a server at Microsoft, to prevent pirating? Then again, if Microsoft continues in their current roadmap even that pirating measure would probably be pushed back to Blackcomb+1 due to delays.

I remember hearing years ago about WinFS, Aero, Avalon, and several other supposedly "big features". Anyone that has touched a Vista / Longhorn Beta or Release Candidate, how many of these features really ended up getting implemented?

[Rob Williams]

This could be a huge mistake for Novell, or a good one. The majority of people who hate the thought of this are enthusiasts.

It will be interesting... to say the least.

[Michael]

There's already people calling for a boycott of Novell/SUSE... http://www.openaddict.com/news.php?item.227.3

[1c3d0g]

That guy is a f*cking idiot! Sorry but that just had to be said. Instead of embracing this as a unique opportunity to convince M$ of their wrong doings and bringing them "into the light", he's trying to add fuel to the fire. How pathetic can you be?

Some people in the Open Source community really are a PITA, I'll tell you that.

[KohlyKohl]

I totally agree. In time we will see what comes of all this.

[Michael]

I totally agree with your statement 1c3d0g

[Michael]

Miguel de Icaza has done a Q&A type thing on his blog about the Microsoft + Novell deal, especially when it comes to the Mono project.

http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2006/Nov-04.html

[KohlyKohl]

That was a very well put article.