Linux Receives 20th Birthday Video from Microsoft

By Douglas Perry
published

Linux will be 20 years old on August 26.

Microsoft has apparently submitted a birthday video just in time to the Linux Foundation, which posted the video on YouTube.

The video takes a very casual approach to the battle that has had an serious tone since the mid 1990s, and has sailed through especially tough claims of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who described Linux as cancer back in 2001 and repeatedly noted that Linux is violating Microsoft's patents. However, the casual tone in this video is friendly and even ends in offering Linux a truce. Can Microsoft and Linux co-exist? Microsoft thinks so.

At least on this level, Microsoft admits that it was wrong to consider Linux' networking ideas as "childish", and concedes that there is bickering going on still today. However, this virtual birthday cake is a nice gesture that surely paints a how-cute-smile on your face. As mean as Microsoft has been, this video is a nice touch.

Douglas Perry
45 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jacobdrj
    Just another chapter in a long story of Microsoft psychotic marketing WTFs...

    Jerry and Bill, anyone?
    Reply
  • huron
    It's amazing to me that Microsoft was that hostile to Linux in the first place.
    Reply
  • arlandi
    now it would be wonderful if this happens to all the Fanboys/fangirls out there.

    imagine a world where Windows and Linux and Apple and Other OS live together in harmony.

    You may say that I'm a dreamer
    But I'm not the only one
    I hope someday you'll join us
    And the world will live as one
    Reply
  • illo
    omg a poem! i feel the need to listen and follow without thought.

    Reply
  • thebigt42
    Maybe MS will build Windows 9 on top of linux like Apple built OS X on top of BSD!

    HA HA
    Reply
  • bison88
    Now if only the PC vs Mac argument would just die.
    Reply
  • thebigt42
    Oh crap double post Windows X running on top of Linux
    Reply
  • compton
    I think it would be kinda cool for MS to develop their own linux distro to use beside future Windows releases. Instead of building MS's version of OS X on BSD, you get the option to run a virtualized linux machine, but intergrated into the os. Really, I'd just like to try Microsoft's version of linux.
    Reply
  • retrig
    So.... just like every other site reporting this... Where exactly does it say it's from Microsoft?

    "User-submitted video from The Linux Foundation Video Site"
    Reply
  • DSpider
    The cake is a lie !
    The cake is a lie !
    The cake is a lie !
    The cake is a lie !

    But seriously though, Arch Linux and Windows XP get along just fine on my computer. And Virtualbox is a God-sent for a quick ~5 seconds restore/suspend.

    On Linux you can rename files with *, ?, " characters, don't have to worry about fragmentation and you don't need an antivirus to slow you down. If you try to delete a file while it's in use, you don't get that stupid error that "the file is being used by another person or program" crap. You can even delete a movie while you watch it, and it will run fine until you close the media player ! Having been a Windows user for a very long time, that feature is just awesome in my book. I've used different Linux flavours as THE main OS on my computer for the past 2 years or so, AND COUNTING.

    I suggest you give it a shot. You may just like it. ;)
    Reply