Debian User Forums

Hi

1. Would it be helpful for the Linux Developers, if the source code of windows get release, as is the case with other softwares they are open sourcing?

2. It is strange that many people/companies worked on this closed project of windows, but nobody ever released some code.

3. Are there any teams in the FSF who check that the providers of the closed source OSes, dont use the open source code?

Just a thought...

makh wrote: Would it be helpful for the Linux Developers, if the source code of windows get release, as is the case with other softwares they are open sourcing?

Hello. You can always write letter to Microsoft Corporation chairman John W. Thompson, and ask for it

(1) Not unless they are interested in re-engineering their stuff to work better with Windoze, which kinda defeats the purpose of not using Windoze in the first place.

(2) That's probably because legal challenges to M$ copyrights are akin to financial suicide.

(3) Undercover FSF agents working inside M$? Really?

1) No doubt it could be of use to the Wine developers.

2) Parts of Windows code has indeed been leaked over the years. Do a little research, please. Often it has been embarrassingly sloppy, kludgy, and the comments are really sad/funny.

3) Yes, they do. Again, please do a little research.

makh wrote:3. Are there any teams in the FSF who check that the providers of the closed source OSes, dont use the open source code?

Quite a lot of proprietary or closed software uses open-sourced code. Legally.

stevepusser wrote:3) Yes, they do. Again, please do a little research.

Are you referring to the use or re-use of open source code, or that FSF people are actively auditing the makers of proprietary software?

They work with gpl-violations.org http://gpl-violations.org/news/

I would guess that most violations are uncovered and reported by independent actors, though.

Would aid in device driver and Wine development. As well as for educational purposes.

i don't think this will ever happen.

but lo, apparently it did in 2014, to the joy of the online community:
https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/co ... _and_word/
unfortunately only for some early versions od DOS and Word, so not really useful

Interestingly, the reactos project is still way behind the wine.

makh wrote:Interestingly, the reactos project is still way behind the wine.

another futile attempt at trolling.

makh wrote:Would it be helpful for the Linux Developers, if the source code of windows get release, as is the case with other softwares they are open sourcing?

Yes, everybody needs a good laugh every now and then

makh wrote:1. Would it be helpful for the Linux Developers, if the source code of windows get release, as is the case with other softwares they are open sourcing?

It may help improve interoperability with Windows APIs, filesystems, network protocols...

I did some more reading, and it seems most of the leaked code was actually of good quality, but there was plenty of griping in the comments about some ugly hacks they had to use to get third party or Office programs to keep working. Also exposed was common use of undocumented APIs by Microsoft applications unavailable to outside competitors, despite MS's claims of the "wall" between Office and OS development teams.