I guess MS isn't all bad...

[Nexus]

This article on slashdot points out that a Microsoft Employee is the single largest contributor to changes in the Linux Kernel for the 3.0 release (for company contributions), and Microsoft as a company is the 7th largest overall contributor. I guess they aren't all bad...

Wonder if Job's crew did anything or were they too busy seeing what else they could steal from FOSS developers.

[xenopeek]

All these changes were bugfixes to Microsoft's HyperV virtualisation interface driver (not very interesting to most I guess), which has suffered from bugs for past 2 years and is still stuck in the staging area of the code tree because quality still isn't up standards for normal inclusion in the kernel. So sure, good that they finally fix some bugs But kudos for them answering enterprise demand to be able to run Linux on a HyperV host.

Microsoft committed 1.3% of the lines of code changed in the Linux 3.0 kernel. Intel committed 18.1%. How about a big thank you to the guys at Intel that commit changes to things you actually use on your computer

[Dr.m0x]

Cancer isn't all bad either - it teaches you what is really important in life. Not money or status but your health, family and friends.

Having said that, the world would be a better place without cancer.

Sent from my Cyanogenmod 7 phone.

[lmintnewb]

LMAO.

Was going to say having M$ do anything with/for or to linux's kernel is a lot like asking a vampire to help bandage a cut. But do not believe my analogy can hold a candle to the one Dr. m0x used.

[Nexus]

All these changes were bugfixes to Microsoft's HyperV virtualisation interface driver (not very interesting to most I guess), which has suffered from bugs for past 2 years and is still stuck in the staging area of the code tree because quality still isn't up standards for normal inclusion in the kernel. So sure, good that they finally fix some bugs But kudos for them answering enterprise demand to be able to run Linux on a HyperV host.

Microsoft committed 1.3% of the lines of code changed in the Linux 3.0 kernel. Intel committed 18.1%. How about a big thank you to the guys at Intel that commit changes to things you actually use on your computer

That's not the point I was trying to get off, the point I was trying to make is even for all the bashing that Microsoft takes at the hands of the Linux community people should still remember they do contribute to the Linux Community.

[linuxviolin]

the point I was trying to make is even for all the bashing that Microsoft takes at the hands of the Linux community people should still remember they do contribute to the Linux Community.

^^ Yes. Btw, I had already made a topic about this: Microsoft contributes a lot of changes to Linux kernel 3.0...

[xenopeek]

Follow up to the article you pointed out shares some more details on this:

"Microsoft struggles to get Hyper-V drivers in Linux kernel -- 2 years later, Hyper-V drivers are still in Linux staging area"

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071811-microsoft-hyperv-linux.html?hpg1=bn

[Kendall]

This all makes me wonder how many Linux servers are running internally at Microsoft.

[DrHu]

That's not the point I was trying to get off, the point I was trying to make is even for all the bashing that Microsoft takes at the hands of the Linux community people should still remember they do contribute to the Linux Community.

...people should still remember they do contribute to the Linux Community.
Not really, and not so much!

And the answer from reading what Microsoft was contributing is they are really only helping themselves, Oh OK! maybe they have to be more circumspect these days because of the Euro courts questioning their practices.
from your article link LWN

Truth is often stranger than fiction. Microsoft was the fifth-largest corporate contributor to the Linux kernel version 3.0.0, as measured by the number of changes to its previous release. Only Red Hat, Intel, Novell, and IBM had more contributions. Microsoft was #15 as measured by number of lines changed, which is smaller but is still an impressively large number.

This work by Microsoft was to clean up the “Microsoft Hyper-V (HV) driver” so that the Microsoft driver would be included in the mainline Linux kernel.

I think that one comment that Intel contributes more actual functionality(18% vs Ms 1%) to the Linux kernel than Microsoft ever will is telling enough...

Anyway I don't particularly bash Microsoft, I know they are a commercial outfit and would always consider their own interests first before even considering contributing to a non-profit enterprise such as Linux kernel development, unless it somehow helped them

That's the expected behavior of private enterprise, everyone understands this!..

[richyrich]

Thank you DrHu ! . . . the truth will set you free !

regards, richy

[xenopeek]

Putting this into perspective: 0.001% of the people at Microsoft worked on the HyperV driver for Linux. That is one industrious developer, but let's not blow it out of proportions.

DrHu has the point of it

[colyn]

Well afterall they do need a OS that works...

Sent from my HTC Inspire using Tapatalk

[linuxviolin]

Well afterall they do need a OS that works...

I'm always amazed/amused when I see someone bashing Windows... Win 7 is a quite good and stable OS and XP SP3 quite also. As someone who uses Linux for at least 90's and who uses it always wrote some days ago:

I am using Linux because it's funny, but XP SP3 is far more stable to me, so I always keep a working partition with it. 2 BSODs in 2 years (and it's constantly updated), at pair with 2 kernel panics in 2 years (for stable distros!), but hundreds and hundreds of KDE or apps crashes.

Even, personally I have practically never had BSODs during the many years using XP... Idem for viruses. (Note that I'm not saying Linux is bad, OK? Btw, I use it too! )

[lmintnewb]

I am always amazed/amused when a linux user pipes up to defend a corporation like M$. Unless you own stock or summin. Not sure why well deserved M$ bashing causes such consternation among people who should be all for opensource and gnu/linux, shrugs. LV the guy or person you quoted there sounds like an incompetent linux user. I use it cause it's funny ? Glad decades worth of hard work and software innovation, so he'd have a viable alternative to apple and M$ for free, amuses the guy. I personally migrated to using linux cause it's great software and let's me do whatever I want with my PC. Without being beholden to or restricted by the likes of M$. And 100's of app crashes ... ? Really ? They might want to spend a bit more time learning how to use and run their software then. Cause thinking anyone with an iota of nix knowledge would not be experiencing far and wide crashes of anything on their PC.

Think linux has demonstrated what talented and generous software developers can do with software. Despite fighting an uphill battle and being sabotaged by closed source corps, at every turn and every step of the way for 20+ yrs. Think M$ on the other hand has demonstrated they are greedy, monopolistic scumbags who embody all the best sleaze megacorps are famous for. Nothing new, but definitely not something I'd endorse or give em an attaboy for. M$ makes TONS of $, often selling subgrade software that people could easily get comparable or much better quality ... for free.

So rest assured, anything M$ does for linux will only be in M$ best interests. Plus for anything that can in any way be considered a contribution. You can bet your last dollar M$ is doing 10 million things that undermine and hinder linux. It's not rocket science, M$ makes gazillions selling software. Linux gives away software that often outperforms the stuff they sell people. Linux is bad for M$'s business. M$ and Nix are not and will not ever be friends. I despise M$ for many reasons, reasons that could fill a sizeable book. Will keep despising ( and bashing on ) M$, until M$ breaks with it's tradition of being scumbags. Feel safe in saying that will never happen.

(edit) Was going to delete this as it's pointless. But meh ... was a lot of typing, may as well leave it. People who want to endorse M$, hey ... that's your choice. Go for it. People who want to complain or defend M$ to people who don't like them. Get offa my cloud ... As o course, I do not really care all that much how they feel, about how I feel, about M$.

[linuxviolin]

I am always amazed/amused when a linux user pipes up to defend a corporation like M$.

I don't defend Microsoft, the corporation. I just say that Windows (at least some versions like Win 7 and XP) is not so bad as the Linux fanboys say so. Period.

Not sure why well deserved M$ bashing causes such consternation among people who should be all for opensource and gnu/linux, shrugs.

Because for example it's false, childish etc. And why because someone uses Linux he "should be all for opensource " only? There are also good things even not open source. And some asks why Windows is the more used OS...

the guy or person you quoted there sounds like an incompetent linux user.

Imcompetent? The guy uses Linux since a long time, as I said, plus, he works(ed) with it (Windows too I guess) and he is a developer, he works in the programming field, he had applied to become an official Mageia packager, among other things...

They might want to spend a bit more time learning how to use and run their software then. Cause thinking anyone with an iota of nix knowledge would not be experiencing far and wide crashes of anything on their PC.

See my comment above.

anything M$ does for linux will only be in M$ best interests.

And what? It's the same for all corporations, that's the business. It's not the Microsoft fault (or however you want call it). And Apple is much worse in this...

Again, as I said at the end of my last post, I didn't say Windows is better than Linux! Oh and unlike you I didn't talk about the corporation Microsoft. Btw, I'm not a fan of it but I hate Apple much more than I hate Microsoft!

[lmintnewb]

Could ... but won't as it's pointless and have had my rant. Marry windows 7 for all I care, shrugs. Have lil linuxviolin and windows 7 babies scampering around da house, lol. Not my concern. The whole criticizing people for criticizing M$ on the other hand. .. Hypocritical much ?

[linuxviolin]

The whole criticizing people for criticizing M$

Not Microsoft but Windows. It's not quite the same thing...

But let's move on...