bricks have been shat

Did hell just freeze over? Oh wait, that will happen when the Chicago Cubs win the World Series!!

No, hell did not freeze over. You'll need a copy of Windows and a license to run the virtualization. They've just gotten a bunch of LINUX users to install Windows. Instant money!

This is a good thing, but Microsoft is still doing much more "lets make their stuff work with Windows" than they are "lets make our stuff work with Linux".

I'm holding onto my bricks until they do a bit more of the latter.

microsoft and free on the sameline ? i must be high !

MS not give up..
give with one hand and take with the other

MS, like any other corp, is looking after its own interest.

Latter they will probably say "Hey, Linux is using some of our patents. The fact that we put them there is besides the point".

So, a free pass for Linux to ride the Microsoft bus? How generous.

MS is trying to sabotage linux now.

Well thought out!
It requires a Windows operating system to make benefit of the virtualization.

It's most likely an attempt to convert people running Windows in a virtual environment from a Linux platform, to running either Windows, or Linux in a virtual environment in a Windows platform.

One question - Why would anyone want to run a secure and stable OS as a virtualized guest on an unsecure host OS? Running Windows on a Linux host makes perfect sense, I'm not sure about the other way around. But at the end of the day interoperability is interoperability, and that's always a good thing.

I'm thinking Microsoft would rather help out Linux than Google Chrome OS (I know their similar, yes).

well, you have to admit it's a smart move and everybody gains something. MS will not lose anything, Linux users will not migrate en-masse to Windows just for a bunch of code lines but will benefit from interoperability and it just expands our options (including keeping the option of not doing anything about it, as some of you are thinking already).
Don't be bitching about being offered more options, bitch about the opposite if that's the case!

They had to release the source because they used GPL2 code to make this work. Derivative work needs to be release to satisfy the licensing agreement.

Besides which, these drivers help MS Server-based machines run Linux guests with better speed, which improves customer satisfaction for those who have Hyper-V systems installed without them having to turn to Linux before MS.

Noo! Don't adulterate the only fully funtional suite of OS distro's remaining!

Or I could just use 9.04 Kubuntu for the rest of my life...

doomtomb:

They released the code under the GPLv2 license so they are effectively helping any one that is able to use the released code in any way they chose to.
If google wants to use it they are free to and so are you.

On-topic:

Now it would be way cooler if some used the released bulk of code to reverse engineer the "other" side of the VM and in turn wrote some nice scripts in support of wine.

Awww how i love to dream.
And BTW Gooooodmorning every one !

There's no pleasing you primitive apes, is there?

such an aggresion from the linux boys ... at this point you`re so deep with your heads in your asses that even if MS would say from tomorrow on windows will be free, you`ll still be bashing MS, so much hate.

Which isn't going to happen because most Linux users either:

1) Had Linux installed by a friend/relative and don't know what virtualisation is, or

2) Hate Windows (or simply prefer linux) and have no reason to run Windows as the host OS.

Watch your back Linux community. I trust MS about as much as I trust Washington and that ain't saying much. They both always have alterer motives that serve them, not you.

The performance wasn't the problem!
The problem was that there where binary blobs in the drivers.
And Microsoft hasn't taken it up, some outside Linux developer who has good connections with the right people persuaded them to do this!
Microsoft could have some legal trouble because they were violating the GPL and can get sued for that.

http://linux-network-plumber.blogs [...] osoft.html

of course they do that, it's their OS, what would you do if it was yours? Actually, they're responsible for making other stuff work with their OS just because it's an OS and therefore other programs are supposed to run on top of it. If you wanted the other way around, it should be the Linux community's job to provide that kind of support because it's their OS. That's how things work... If you build a house on my land I could tell you ( if I'm nice ) what is the building ground like so you know how to adjust to it, but I don't have to tell you how to actually build it. Sorta/kinda same thing here...

Beware Romans bearing gifts.

It is a good move by Microsoft, but certainly not earth shattering. Anyone who thinks that MS did this in order to get individual Linux users to install Windows is missing the point. This is for the enterprise customers who actually make production use of virtualization technology when testing/migrating/installing servers in multiple locations across different hardware platforms. Sure, it also lets you run a better VM on that box you built in your basement, but that is not why they did this release.

@maigo

Hyper-V Server is free. It's a pain in the ass to manage (the host settings, drives, etc. that is), but it's free and very lightweight.

But don't you know that George Washington cannot tell a lie?

As someone previously posted. It is a company, and it will do things necessary for their production..and that's not bad...it is just how every company works."

" The code is for three Linux device drivers, which will enhance the performance of the Linux operating system when virtualized on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V or Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V. "

Read carefully. They released that chunk of code as GPLv2 so they could be provide a more stable environment to linux when used as virtual OS inside the Hyper-V. It's just a matter of optimization in their side. is there is some benefit on the pro-linux side, then that's great, but keep in mind, the move was necessary for Microsoft.

I'm pretty sure they thought like 157,985,596 times before jumping in on this decision.

I guess most of the people commenting on this topic don't know that you can download the Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 for FREE!!! Install it for FREE!!! And use it for FREE!!!.

You don't necessarily have to install Windows Server 2008 to install Hyper-V Server 2008. It is also a FREE TO INSTALL stand-alone low level hypervisor, meaning that it does not require a host OS such as Windows Server 2008.

MS probably determined they are loosing a percentage of potential users do to poor Linux support. The interesting thing here is that MS is made up of several disconnected departments. So where one department (Virtualazation) will benefit. Down the road other departments (Desktop/Server may take a substantial hit.

--Ridshack