Windows goes open source? Microsoft plays coy

InfoWorld ^ | April 2, 2015 | (none)

[dayglored]

WTF? Open source Windows? Hey, who knows what's next?

[dayglored]

Open Source Windows??? ... PING!

[Erik Latranyi]

Microsoft has had a long life in the tech sector by not sitting on its laurels and past achievements.

It is healthy to open yourself to every possibility if you wish to stay in the lead.

[Swordmaker]

Grain of salt? I’d say about a 100 pound block.

[SeekAndFind]

MICROSOFT OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS

[wildbill]

I know you’re excited about having your very own ping list on Windows, but when I open my browser and find the first several pings are the Windows ping list, it’s a little too much for me. Especially when they are posted elsewhere and I can choose them for myself.

So good luck with your list, but please remove my name.

[dayglored]

> So good luck with your list, but please remove my name.

No problem, done.

[tacticalogic]

There was talk of open sourcing Powershell at the Powershell Summit last year, and there’s been quite a bit of collaboration between the MS and the Linux community developing cross-platform automation and configuration management solutions.

[dayglored]

> ...open sourcing Powershell at the Powershell Summit last year,... cross-platform automation and configuration management solutions

Oh, man! Be still my beating heart!!

One of the worst things about the hybrid/heterogeneous networks I manage is coming up with anything that works across all the machines. Thank God for Cygwin, but that's got its limits. A PowerShell for non-Windows machines would be very cool indeed.

[GeronL]

I read that they Windows 10 will come with a feature to block users from dual booting with Linux

[dayglored]

Geez, that’s a lot of projects. Granted, many were already open-source before MS got their hands on them, but still, a lot there.

[dayglored]

> ...a 100 pound block

Well, yeah... I'll see your 100 pound block and raise you another just like it...

But hey, it's nice to think about.

What the heck -- Microsoft already opened the Windows source to the Chinese Communists -- why not patriotic Americans too???

[tacticalogic]

I read that they Windows 10 will come with a feature to block users from dual booting with Linux

It will use UEFI (Secure Boot) which would have to be disabled to boot to a unsigned OS kernel. Whether to allow that or not is in the bios configuration so it's the hardware manufacturer's decision, not Microsoft's.

[dayglored]

> I read that they Windows 10 will come with a feature to block users from dual booting with Linux

Indirectly, yes. Microsoft will now allow computer manufacturers to block non-Windows operating systems. Strictly speaking it's not a Windows 10 feature, it's a permission from Microsoft to the hardware/BIOS vendors to lock out anything without trusted certification. A few Linuxes are pursuing the proper certification.

I'll get some details for you and be right back...

[dayglored]

LOL. What he (tacticalogic) said.

[GeronL]

bump

thanks

[dayglored]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface

[GeronL]

ok thnx

[rarestia]

I’m amused the Russinovich went from programming a whole raft of tools to get around Microsoft’s deliberately obfuscated OS model to being the CTO and advocate.

I love the guy, don’t get me wrong, but he’s being played by Satya.

[dayglored]

> I love the guy, don’t get me wrong, but he’s being played by Satya.

As long as my collection of SysInternals stuff keeps working, I'll sing his praises, whether he's sold out or not. That stuff is a life saver.