Published at LXer:

Tensions are already high over Novell's patent agreement with Microsoft, but Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth's invitation to openSUSE developers "concerned about the long term consequences" has kicked the tension up a notch.

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I think a lot of the problem here is everyone wants Linux to succeed but they want it to do so in the spirit in which of being totally free of closed source software and i can understand and respect that but at the same time Companies like Nvidia do not disclose Chipset specs not because they want to be un-friendly to the community but because they have NDA's with other companies.

i would assume and that is why Chip specs are not fully disclosed,
Now as to Microsofts involvement here i would have to agree with others i have talked to in past few days.

it is more of Novells way of protecting their customers and thier investment in Suse Linux, lets face it no company is going to use a Linux distro if they think they maybe Liable later on down the road.

Microsoft is doing what it has always done and that is scare companies with a lawsuit and get money that way, for one it is cheaper and easier to do that then spend a lot of time and money in court and two they get a small hold of a market share that they previously thought was dead (ie. Linux servers werent profitable) becuase they thought they had a good hold on the server market that was not going anywhere.

well anyways thats my take on that part of it, as for Ubuntu i use that distro daily and really enjoy it I think that Mark Shuttlesworth is doing just like Novell protecting his Investment and his Users from being sued and by doing so is ensuring that Ubuntu will join the mainstream sooner and besides that even if it Ubuntu has binary only drivers for some stuff your not forced to use it are you ?.

of course not you can write your own drivers for video, audio, modems ect. or if that is not an option for you do what i did buy a video card that can use a totally open driver like the one Intel has opened the Specs and the Drivers for.

In closing i would like to say that i am not a microsoft fanboy and that deals like this no matter how much they suck do and will continue to happen but the reality is and always will be if a company is involved it is for profit and nothing else that is the way it is.

Best Reguards
Russell Morton (AKA Mr.pixels0)

I think it makes sense. I believe Shuttleworth (along with a number of others, of course) has made an enormous contribution to Linux and deserves our respect. He's throwing the SUSE developers a life preserver, and the ones with their heads on their shoulders will at least keep an open mind and think about it. Anyone who believes that SUSE will not be negatively impacted long term by the deal between Novell and Microsoft is being naive. I do not believe that any competitive company has survived a partnership with Microsoft.