They're fallin' like dominoes: Linspire makes a deal with Microsoft
Today it's Linspire agreeing to a Linux technology deal with Microsoft that includes "IP protection" for customers, with IP standing for "intellectual property," and Microsoft basically agreeing not to sue users of Linspire's Linux distro.
Curiously, Freespire -- Linspire's "free" version -- isn't included in the IP protection deal but will benefit from greater integration between Open Office and MS Office.
This follows Novell and Xandros' deals with Microsoft on the Linux-distro side, as well as royalty deals with key end users (whose names escape me momentarily), they truly are falling like dominoes.
But the Linspire deal has more far-reaching implications, since Ubuntu is set to begin using Linspire's CNR ("Click and Run" package management sometime in the future, and with Linspire beginning to base its code on Ubuntu. This seems to be putting Ubuntu's parent Canonical closer to being in bed with Microsoft -- something that would go down less than well with Ubuntu's growing, vocal fan base.
But the Linux distribution companies are going down like dominoes. If Red Hat doesn't bite -- and I can't imagine they will -- the apocalypse will not yet be upon us.
But one thing is clear -- crystal, mother-f'n clear. Microsoft is using a divide-and-conquer strategy with the FOSS (free, open-source software) community and hoping to make deals on their terms and avoid dragging this whole sorry, sorry mess into court.
But that's where it's headed -- and quickly.
(Addendum: For those who remember, Linspire used to be called Lindows until legal threats from Microsoft over trademark prompted the name change.)
6 Comments
Leave a comment
About this blog
If RedHat and Ubuntu bow to the pressure, I will use Debian, and if they cave, I will use Linux from Scratch
Why not switch right now? I did it four years ago and now I know I made the best decision.
Agreed...
LFS is in my PC now... And it rocks...
Ditto on (B)LFS, just "upgraded" my production system from 6.1 to 6.2 - and enjoyed every hour of it!
Commercial companies can and will bow to pressure, what we have seen so far is the weak ones giving in.
Red Hat will hold out the longest because they have the deepest pockets and because they are the mutual enemy that Microsoft is whispering about.
Communities don't have to bend and anyway Microsoft isn't interested in them, they don't hurt it in the pocket like a profitable Red Hat or Novell could.
Join Debian now!
I've been doing a lot of testing with Ubuntu lately, and I want to do the same with Mepis (especially the new, light AntiX), but I'm also a really big proponent of Debian as a desktop or server system.
Yep, it's the "commercial" distros that are making these deals, and what's disturbing about it is that these companies are using the work of groups like Debian to build their for-profit business. Nothing wrong with that, I think, but doing these deals harms the whole Linux community of developers and users, and it's a true example of "biting the hand that feeds."
Red Hat, Debian and Slackware have probably done more to make Linux what it is today than anybody else out there, and I can't see any of them caving in to this kind of pressure.