Microsoft to Support Linux

XavierP · 04-21-2005, 12:05 PM

http://www.techworld.com/networking/...fm?NewsID=3529

The interesting part:

Quote:

Microsoft head Steve Ballmer has promised to add Linux support for the first time in one of its products because, he explained, users need to manage heterogeneous networks.

Support for the software giant's open-source rival and greatest threat will come in Virtual Server 2005 Service Pack 1, due to ship by the end of the year, Ballmer said as part of his keynote speech at the company’s annual summit.

"We will add support for non-Windows virtual machines running on our Virtual Server, including Linux," he said. "Virtualisation is an area of intense interest and activity for us. Driving virtualisation is a key technology to facilitate better compatibility and lower total cost of ownership."

<snip>

But the emphasis was on Virtual Server 2005, first introduced late last year. Ballmer said the server would support third-party operating systems running on top of Virtual Server when Service Pack 1 is released. Previously, users could run other operating systems within Virtual Server 2005, but Microsoft did not provide support for the configuration.

It's either that Microsoft are gradually thawing towards Linux, or they don't see running Linux on a virtual pc as a problem because you're running it on top of Windows, for which you've bought a Windows licence and a Virtual Server/PC licence.

ilikejam · 04-21-2005, 12:51 PM

Personally, I think it's a vapourware effort to try stop people switching to running Linux as the host OS when Xen gets rolled into the kernel. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense otherwise.

Dave