Microsoft Further Pledges Linux Loyalty, Joins Cloud Native Computing Foundation

BrianFagioli quotes BetaNews: Today, Microsoft further pledges its loyalty to Linux and open source by becoming a platinum member of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. If you aren't familiar, the CNCF is a part of the well-respected Linux Foundation (of which Microsoft is also a member). With the Windows-maker increasingly focusing its efforts on the cloud -- and profiting from it -- this seems like a match made in heaven. In fact, Dan Kohn, Executive Director of the foundation says, "We are honored to have Microsoft, widely recognized as one of the most important enterprise technology and cloud providers in the world, join CNCF as a platinum member."

"CNCF is a part of the Linux Foundation, which helps govern for a wide range of cloud-oriented open source projects, such as Kubernetes, Prometheus, OpenTracing, Fluentd, Linkerd, containerd, Helm, gRPC, and many others," says John Gossman Azure Architect, Microsoft. "Since we joined the Linux Foundation last year, and now have decided to expand that relationship to CNCF membership as a natural next step to invest in open source communities and code at multiple levels, especially in the area of containers."
The announcement notes that Microsoft has already been contributing code to the Kubernetes project, "as well as running Kubernetes as part of the Azure Container Service."

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

'Cloud vendor', my ass. They're technological fascists with ambitions of dictatorship.

Re: Microsoft

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm..

Apple... there's no ambitions or market domination there
VMware... truly inferior technology at premium prices who make 95% of their sales based on customer loyalty via almost religious beliefs
NetApp and EMC... why make good tech when we can just exploit government contracts... wait... all our tech is basically obsolete but so long as we can force governments to buy it, we're good.
HPe... let's buy companies who have loyal customers and 5 year lock ins, fire all their developers and outsource to India an

Re:

[ebvwfbw]

Red Hat and Canonical suck. If I could have any OS be dominant, it would be Haiku/BeOS. It's still the best OS ever made, both technically and from a usability standpoint.

Stop drinking. If Beos were any good it would be running Macs right now instead of BSD. I've tried it, it simply isn't up to the task. They shouldn't be upset at that assessment. Unix/Linux has outlasted many predictions of death. It's here because it's so good.

Re: Microsoft

[TheOuterLinux]

Yes...? He said cloud vendor. Same thing. Kill the desktop and turn everyone into data to be mined while still charging a monthly fee for open source software people voluntarily contribute to make, yet you still have to have your own server to run. Same regime, different platform, and new heard of cattle. Peer pressure and midlife crises as the glue. Developers are getting lazy, cloud vendors keep making it easy to build web apps, and no one is asking questions because there's too much money.

Re:

[KingBenny]

ah, +1 for right on spot ... microsoft is what made me start a chinese flash drive collection. I come home one day, i cant get on skype. Three days later i still cant, i succeed in getting some cs rep with a title half an email long to reply. Says i "violated the agreement" ... i say : what did i do the dude bluntly stated : "we dont have to give you a reason and this is the last communication you will receive on this" so i didnt get to backup anything from my onedrive, lost all skype contacts and im left

Re:

[slashrio]

Makes sense indeed.
Become a member and sabotage the whole damn thing.

EEE

[Anonymous Coward]

Embrace --- You are here
Extend
Extinguish

3 steps: A... A... A!

[Anonymous Coward]

1) Abuse, pretending to be friendly --- In the area of Microsoft's Linux abuse, you are here.

2) Sneaky abuse, not widely reported because technology people make more money protecting against it.

3) EXTREME ABUSE!

One example of Microsoft's ABUSE step 3: Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. [networkworld.com] Quote: "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC."

Re:

[Dave Mitchell]

Maybe we should getting familiar with the "BSDs" before phase 3?

Where there's clouds

[Anonymous Coward]

There is rain. The rain being your data.

Buying them one donation at a time

[Anonymous Coward]

The rich often make huge contributions to organizations like hospitals and universities. The unspoken understanding is that these 'donations' are for 'future considerations'; at some point in the future, they will 'ask' for special treatment of some kind: preferential medical treatment, or admission to the school for their kid, whether the kid is up to snuff or not.

So it is with Microsoft and Linux, but more sinister: As I keep telling you all, Microsoft would like nothing better than to destroy Linux and any other 'competing' operating system. Short of that, the annexation and subversion of Linux as a whole is an acceptable alternative to them. Insinuating themselves into the Linux community, with moves like expensive 'memberships' in Linux-oriented organzations, is a move in that direction. When they have bought enough influence, they can dictate the direction Linux goes. Between subverting Linux into 'just another piece of software' that runs UNDER Windows, and the ability to completely exclude any other OS than Windows from even booting up on any modern platform, Microsoft can become the de-facto OWNER of Linux, and then do whatever they please with it. Don't ever say you weren't warned.

Re:Buying them one donation at a time

[Anonymous Coward]

Because their pattern of behavior says otherwise. Do you let a career criminal, who has been convicted and incarcerated several times, out of prison just on his word that he's 'reformed' and 'wants to be a good citizen'? No. They have to prove, over years or even decades, that they are sincere and can be trusted. Look at the dirty shit that Microsoft has done with the Windows 10 rollout: Forcing it on people with Windows 7 whether they asked for it or not. Taking away people's right to choose what is and is not updated, essentially removing their right of ownership of their own hardware. Insering ads into things that should never have ads. LYING through their teeth about 'Windows 10 adoption' when at least HALF of it was without anyones express permission to install it. They have made it amply clear that they want to dominate the market, and have a long past history of dirty dealing with consumers; now we're supposed to trust that they don't want to subvert or destroy their only competitors in any way they can? Go fuck yourself, Microsoft shill. You're so goddamned obvious that it's laughable.

Re:

[slashrio]

Maybe, but off-topic. What he says about MS is deeply true.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Translation: "My hatred for Micr0$haft is what defines my nerd cred, and I am unable to let it go. Also, I still live in my mother's basement, so I am unaware that it is no longer the 90s,"

Seriously, MS has fucked some things up, even recently, but no worse than Apple or Google. To single them out for things EVERYONE does, and ignore the positive things they are doing, makes you an anti-MS shill, with nothing useful to add to the conversation.

Re:Buying them one donation at a time

[MightyMartian]

"Mistakes" is putting it lightly. Microsoft actively attempted to destroy Linux at one point (via SCO's lawsuit). Yes, now it has been forced to play nice, and while I'm not fanatically anti-MS, I see no reason to trust them. They're only playing nice right now because Android has utterly fucked over their market dominance in the consumer computing world.

And while Google and Apple have done their share of nasty or stupid things, the only other company I can think of that rises to MS's level of assholery is Oracle.

Re:

[MightyMartian]

You must be very fortunate indeed never to have had a Windows cease to boot properly.

Re:

[MightyMartian]

And how specifically is systems causing your issues. I'm no fan of systems but frankly the number of ACs making pretty vapid claims about it producing instability makesmme suspicious.

Re: Buying them one donation at a time

[Anonymous Coward]

"MS never made my Linux systems fail to boot properly"

Cough. It's called uefi on branded laptops and if it wasnt for exploits your windows rt tablets would be worthless because when ms abandoned the platform they werent going to let you do anything else with the hardware that you own.

Re:Buying them one donation at a time

[drinkypoo]

You forgot telemetry entirely. Oh, we're hardly collecting anything, and you can disable it. Oh, we're collecting a bit of data, but it's anonymized, and you can disable most of it. Oh, we're collecting a pretty fair bit of data, and it's kind of anonymized, and you can disable some of it. Oh, we can actually collect every keystroke from your PC, and by the way, get fucked. And while we're at it, we're going to release a dozen different "security" updates for Windows 7 and 8 to push it back into there, and if you don't install those, then we'll stop releasing individual updates and just start pushing out update rollups which include the telemetry-related updates, and then you have to go back and remove them again after the fact if you don't want to be spied upon.

There's nothing about or from Microsoft that is not some kind of scam.

Re:

[Rob Y.]

Yep. Microsoft hasn't changed - what's changed is who their enemy is. It used to be that the 'enemy' was anybody who produced desktop software or operating systems. Linux certainly made the cut - but so, also, did Netscape, Novell and anyone who could derail their plan of Microsoft software in every device supported by unavoidable fees baked in - plus hefty fees to corporate customers.

Then, along came Google and proved there were other business models that could produce huge amounts of income. Not only

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

> I'm so sick of the nerd rage. Has MS killed your puppy? The 90s called, they want their MS monopoly paranoia back. Badly.

And the big bad wolf is now vegan, the lion is dying and wants to name me its heir etc. etc.

I believe MS likes Linux and it would like it more if it were its property. For now, it's just patents, who knows if it'll manage to take possession of the Linux brand? I guess MS will like Linux even more when it becomes MS Linux.

MS is a corporation, and a for-profit one. They're not out to b

Re:

[pslytely psycho]

Year of the Linux Desktop, proudly brought to you by Microsoft.

We are living the old curse..."May you live in interesting times."

Re:

[chipschap]

I don't care very much what Microsoft does as long as they leave me alone. I don't care who runs Windows, who thinks Windows is objectively better, etc. To each his own.

I run Linux and I'm happy with that, and for me, end of story. If you run Linux too, cool. If you run Windows or Mac, go for it. Whatever.

However, I do care when Microsoft starts to threaten Linux in the name of "cooperation." Yes, they are a for-profit company, I get that. But if they become completely dominant (and UEFI was a step in that

Re:

[slashrio]

And maybe someone (wikileaks?) should check out Lennard's pay slips.

Re:

[messymerry]

Microsoft still pops up an instant dialog trying to get users to format ext drives. When they stop doing this, then i will consider whether they are sincere about playing nice with Linux...

Re:

[Zero__Kelvin]

It does actually. What you just described is that Linux keeps getting better, and even Microsoft realized that they have no chance of beating it anywhere but in the homes of the clueless.

Re:

[HiThere]

You're pretty much right about the "Linux Foundation". "Well respected" isn't a reasonable description, unless you specify who is doing the respecting. The Linux Foundation has a history of questionable decisions and actions, and is actually less to be trusted than is Red Hat (which *used* to be reasonably trusted).

Actually, calling a agent "respected" is PR fluff unless you specify who is doing the respected. With the proper groups doing the respecting you could get "internationally respected bank robbe

But still applying the patents FUD

[Fudoka]

Until Micro$oft stops pretending that Linux (and therefore Android) are using their patents or are at least willing to say just which patents these are it's just more Micro$soft bullsh*t. When words and actions disagree, believe the actions.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Until Micro$oft stops pretending

Yeah I know. I can't believe companies are sending many millions of dollars to Microsoft without doing due diligence!

Re:

[antdude]

Talk is cheap. :/

Re:But still applying the patents FUD

[drinkypoo]

Go back to mommy's basement, child. The adults are trying to have a conversation.

Where are they? All I can see is trolls not old enough to remember Compu$erve.

Re:

[chipschap]

The adults are trying to have a conversation.

The "adults" are not ACs.

MS still has about 40 years of make-up work to do

[Anonymous Coward]

"Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" was a real sentiment for so long within Microsoft. I can still remember the late 80s and early 90s when their tactics were to "buy and put on a shelf" or "litigate out of existence" so many companies and products that we would still love to see today. The do not have my heart. They do not have my mind. And I'm not buying a Windows license for a third-tier hypervisor or for a platform to run my free, open-source, well-built, stable operating system on. The Ballmer days were a shit show of antipathy of and to everything else in the tech world, to every product or company that *might* compete with them. From screwing with Tobi Oetiker and the Samba Team to bungling every smart phone they've ever touched Microsoft has constantly been a dark force in a world potentially filled with infinite light. And let us not forget the SCO proxy war against Linux, which they funded. They are a collection of borderline sociopaths that built their wealth on a half-finished, insecure operating system that required constant updating, most of which was "for pay." Today their underlying OS changes very little, very slowly, because they simply rearrange Userland (including more eye candy) and call that "new and improved" then charge for that. Then the underlying problems remain unresolved, waiting for yet another release. That Microsoft takes a keen interest in Linux and BSD scares the shit out of me for the future of both Linux and BSD. They are not to be trusted in their motives or means. Perhaps that will change in another 40 years. Perhaps not. But for the time being, keep your Microsoft out of my Linux and BSDs. No good can come from trusting them.

Microsoft didn't force systemd on me.

[Anonymous Coward]

While I've never liked using Windows, I have to admit that it wasn't Microsoft that forced things like systemd, Gnome 3, PulseAudio and NetworkManager into the Linux distros I used to like to use. In fact, I really like using their VSCode editor for doing C++ dev on Linux.

When I look at who has hurt my Linux experience, it hasn't been Microsoft. It has in fact been some of the most prominent Linux vendors. If anyone is 'embracing, extending and extinguishing' Linux, I think it is them.

With only hobbyist Lin

Spot the error

[AlanObject]

Somebody is writing as if they believe that a major corporation with unlimited amounts of cash joining a trade group reveals anything about that corporation's intent with regard to that trade group's goals or anything else.

Corporatization

[jmccue]

Well I am not concerned about Microsoft pledges, the big worry is the Corporatization of Open of Free software. There are hundreds of examples of that happening and easy enough to find.

Already we see no push back on proprietary blobs/firmware. I almost would like to see this as a requirement: "If you do not support Open Firmware, you cannot have any decision input on the direction of Linux" or any related project.

meanwhile, folks who should know better...

[jabberw0k]

It is depressing to attend a Linux users group and see that practically everyone there is carrying around a proprietary spy-machine. If anyone should grok the dangers of giving money to Google and Apple, it should be Linux users. But even they are blithely following the sheep. Help me RMS you're our only hope...

Re:

[phantomfive]

It's basically proof that people prefer features over freedom. Not that I can hold them blameless......there are a few pieces of software I really need...........

Re:

[thejynxed]

It isn't just that, it's the fact that international conglomerates hold international patents on pretty much anything and everything involving hardware and the associated firmware. What good is any OSS for hardware if it can't run or is otherwise severely crippled (looking at you in particular, GPU, printer, and most networking and sound card drivers). For things like the GPU drivers, it is highly doubtful they will ever become truly open because the major makers like AMD and nvidia license patented tech fr

Re:

[jabberw0k]

Which is exactly why anyone giving those companies any money whatsoever, does themselves actual harm. Stop hurting yourselves, folks!

Proprietary software is always untrustworthy.

[jbn-o]

Don't blame the free software movement for that. The free software hackers who make the Linux-libre variant of the Linux kernel spend time deblobbing the upstream kernel (Linus Torvald's variant) which contains non-free software. This difference is at the heart of the philosophical difference between the older free software movement and the younger open source development methodology. They don't see proprietary (non-free, user-subjugating) software the same way.

The GNU Project points out [gnu.org]:

...people from the

Re:

[grumpy-cowboy]

Yes, same thing happened to W3C...

Red Alert

[Anonymous Coward]

Big M's often used MO when they can't directly beat kill something is to embrace and extinguish.

This sounds like the 'embrace' step.

The way to see if they are actually supporting Linux is to see if their flagship apps start working on both using the Linux system calls.
Holding your breath waiting for this is not recommended.

Loyalty?

[sqorbit]

Does this title really claim that Microsoft is showing loyalty to Linux? Microsoft is battling for cloud dominance just like every cloud vendor. They are joining because it makes business sense, not to show any loyalty to anything Linux related. It's quite a jump to assume that Microsoft is pledging loyalty to a competing product simply by making a business move.

Windows? Loyalty?

[Neuronwelder]

Watch out Linux!!!

Microsoft tracking...

[QuietLagoon]

So long as user tracking remains a focus of Microsoft consumer-oriented OS's, Microsoft can "pledge Linux loyalty" all they want. Strategically, Microsoft and Linux are at opposite ends of the spectrum on the tracking issue. It appears that any "loyalty" offered by Microsoft is little more than lip service.

Keep your enemies closer

[OneHundredAndTen]

Microsoft is just heeding the old adage: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Microsoft is no friend of Linux. Trust Microsoft at your own peril.

This proves it!

[HanzoSpam]

Time to switch to FreeBSD!

Re:

[ebvwfbw]

Time to switch to FreeBSD!

If only it were up to the task. BSD has a good decade or so worth of catch up to do. Good luck with that crowd. They can be abrasive.

Embrace, extend, extinguish.

[intellitech]

Again, and again, and again...

New conductor, same ol' song...

[jon3k]

Embrace, Extend and Extinguish. [wikipedia.org]

Nobody at M$ management has noticed yet.

[sproketboy]

But when these ostriches do they will kill this. Just a FYI.

Re:

[schleimkeim]

Management usually only notices things when there are red numbers on the report.

Name dropping

[manu0601]

open source projects, such as Kubernetes, Prometheus, OpenTracing, Fluentd, Linkerd, containerd, Helm, gRPC

That looks like name dropping: Half of them do not have a Wikipedia page, some do not even show on top when doing an internet search.

Embrace, extract and extinguish

[AHuxley]

Todays SJW, nerds and geeks seem to have missed the fun first part.
Embrace. Its the fun and friendly part with the very best PR money can buy.
Lots of SWJ terms and projects, funds and support.
The extend part is not really about going to market. Something will be extracted for future use.
Extinguish remains the final step.

can I buy visio for linux yet?

[Gunstick]

has Microsoft brought out *any* product running on linux?

Re:

[ElizabethGreene]

SQL server 2017 is one.

Embrace and Expand

[AutodidactLabrat]

also known as Engulf and Devour.
Redmond...the home of stolen markets worldwide