Microsoft Releases GPL'd Software (Again): Does This Change Anything?
Microsoft has received much undeserved press about their recent release of Linux drivers for their virtualization technology under GPLv2. I say “undeserved” because I don't particularly see why Microsoft should be lauded merely for doing something that is in their own interest that they've done before.
Most people have forgotten that Microsoft once had a GPL-based product available for Windows NT. It was called Windows Services for UNIX, and AFAICT, remains available today (although perhaps they've transitioned in recent years to no longer include GPL'd software).
This product was acquired by Microsoft when they purchased Softway Systems. The product was based on GCC, and included a variety of GNU system utilities ported to Windows. Microsoft was a compliant distributor of this software for years, right during the time when they were calling the GPL an unAmerican cancerous virus that eats up software like PacMan. The GPL is not a new license to Microsoft; they only pretend that it is to give bad press to the GPL or to give good press to themselves.
Another thing that's not new to Microsoft is that they have no interesting in contributing to Free Software unless it makes their proprietary software more desirable.
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