Few things are more controversial on the Linux Planet than patents and Microsoft. It’s a controversy that will not be ending this week, even as Microsoft extends a deal with SUSE Linux on interoperability.
Legal wrangling aside, this past week also saw a number of major Linux ecosystem releases, including KDE 4.7 and Scientific Linux 6.1
1. Microsoft Renews Novell Linux Deal With SUSE
Back in 2006, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Novell shook the Linux Planet with the details of their groundbreaking deal. It includes interoperability work, a patent covenant and a resale deal for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Server subscriptions.
As part of Attachmate’s $2.2 billion acquisition of Novell this year, SUSE Linux was split off as a separate business unit. This past week Microsoft renewed the deal with the SUSE spin off, extending the same basic deal that has been in place since 2006.
I just have this problem with Microsoft, history shows first they partner up and they take over. SUSE as I remember it, (going back to version 8.6) was a fine KDE based Linux OS. I never thought I’d live to see the day they were sold to Novell, never mind Microsoft! Who then could
have ever predicted this sad state of affairs. Oh yes there’s openSUSE of course, the only good that’s come out of this. But I fear Microsoft getting their hands on Linux code. I just don’t trust them…