Microsoft tightens open-source links with server biz

The Microsoft group dealing directly with open-source projects is joining the company's server business. The Open Source Technology Center is to work more directly with Microsoft's Windows server and solutions division under corporate vice president Bill Laing. The move comes as the person who oversaw OSTC, Microsoft's …

[raving angry loony]

awareness

Two items to note: Microsoft's continuing policy of "embrace, extend, extinguish", and Microsoft's 30 year habit of backstabbing anyone who deals with them. Developers beware: lay down with dogs, you might be their next lunch, and you won't be caring much about fleas.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why use Windows for open source?

What I don't get is why anyone would want to run open source software on Windows. Windows is pretty horrible, so if your apps are open source then why on earth wouldn't you just use Linux or BSD instead?

[Field Marshal Von Krakenfart]

It is magnificent, but it is not sensible

Eh!..... have the Open Source Technology Center never heard of i4i et al.

The Open Source Technology Center actions are the software equivalent of the charge of the light brigade.

Half a server, half a server, Half a server onward,

While in the Silicon valley of Death Rode the sick hunter

"Forward, the Open Source Technology Center

"Charge the MS windows servers!" he said:

Into the Silicon valley of Death Rode the GPL six hundred

Like the 17th Lancers in the charge, the Open Source Technology Center’s motto must be “Death Or Glory”, they may hope for latter but with M$ on board it may be the former.

[Bilgepipe]

The Cuddly New Microsoft?

All this new-found friendliness towards Open Source is because Ballmer thinks it's something he can put on his burgers.

[Anonymous Coward]

Open Source on Windows

Okay it's great that you can get open source apps on Windows, but really why would you want to run something like MySQL, Apache etc seriously on Windows?

First of all, you've got the GUI sitting there running (which surely takes up some CPU cycles and memory), and then you've got the god awful Windows Updates (which at least on Windows 2003 Server) generally requires a reboot whereas on Linux (not sure about BSD) you can update and restart services without having to reboot.

I've lost track of the times I've had to do Windows Updates on servers out of hours (which eats into my at home time) because a few users couldn't live without their e-mail for a few minutes while a server reboots. Not so bad when I'm being paid double time for out of hours work, but a bit annoying when you're not and have to stay up until the early hours due to the server being constantly used.

I think I'll stick to running Open Source server apps on Linux myself. Although I haven't had it myself, I have heard of long uptimes of going on 2 years without a reboot.

[Fred Tourette]

A Knock at the Door...

Your friends at Microsoft sent you this giant wooden horse as a gift. Where would you like us to put it?