Microsoft Promoting CentOS Linux?

[slooksterpsv]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/16/microsoft_centos/

Yeah I'm in shock, wondering what they're up to.

[gnomeuser]

CentOS is likely the most used platform for webhosting. It makes sense for them to support this to allow such companies to consolidate their infrastructure on Windows servers without losing the option to offer CentOS to customers.

Nothing sinister.

[keithpeter]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/16/microsoft_centos/

Yeah I'm in shock, wondering what they're up to.

Hello slooksterpsv

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/04/penguin_computing_altus_1750_server/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/17/sgi_rackable_overclocked_server/


"The Rackable overclocked server is available now, and ships bare-bones. Mannel says that all of the financial services firms that SGI is selling iron use Linux, and CentOS tends to be popular."

Seems quite normal to certify server hardware for CentOS as well as RHEL, after all CentOS is a clone of RHEL, so I guess they are responding to what their customers want.

Now, if Microsoft have some petty cash available, they could help CentOS hire some packagers...

[slooksterpsv]

I don't trust Microsoft, I really don't. Yeah they gave us 20,000 lines of code under the GPLv2, but there's just something I don't trust about them. Maybe its just cause I've seen how they work (inside and out).

[murderslastcrow]

If you assume Microsoft's intentions are overall negative, there are several possible reasons. Most obviously, it takes away from RedHat's revenue if they offer support for CentOS. Secondly, if they offer support, they can say whatever they want to users, even if it's untrue, and try to pass themselves off as 'Linux experts' while spouting off FUD.

Of course, it could just be that Microsoft wants to invite people to use good technology, and they've recognized what's good and what isn't. It's nice that they're at least endorsing Linux on some level as a useful technology, and if they're using it with their own software it will probably be better for them than supporting their competition financially.

[Grenage]

You deny someone a cookie, and they're unhappy; you give someone cake, and they're suspicious.

[keithpeter]

Of course, it could just be that Microsoft wants to invite people to use good technology, and they've recognized what's good and what isn't. It's nice that they're at least endorsing Linux on some level as a useful technology, and if they're using it with their own software it will probably be better for them than supporting their competition financially.

Or perhaps they want to sell servers into a market that has a large investment in applications that run on Linux!

Cheers all

[CharlesA]

You deny someone a cookie, and they're unhappy; you give someone cake, and they're suspicious.
The cake is a lie!

No, really it is. :lolflag:

[Spice Weasel]

You deny someone a cookie, and they're unhappy; you give someone cake, and they're suspicious.

So true.

[Grenage]

The cake is always a lie! ^^

[coffeecat]

Yeah I'm in shock, wondering what they're up to.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I don't approve of Microsoft-bashing but I wonder if there is a deeper motive here. Some commentators are predicting the demise of Centos. (http://blog.2ndquadrant.com/en/2011/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-centos.html) What if Microsoft has been looking in the same crystal ball and are promoting it so that they can take advantage of the negative publicity for Linux in general when/if Centos fails.

Too devious? :wink:

[Grenage]

I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I don't approve of Microsoft-bashing but I wonder if there is a deeper motive here. Some commentators are predicting the demise of Centos. (http://blog.2ndquadrant.com/en/2011/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-centos.html) What if Microsoft has been looking in the same crystal ball and are promoting it so that they can take advantage of the negative publicity for Linux in general when/if Centos fails.

Too devious? :wink:

It's not really a bad move on their behalf, but I can't see it having a major impact on the core Linux server market; would you buy an MS product just for running CentOS?

[Johnsie]

Microsoft are evil and they want to steal my thoughts... Where did I put my tin foil hat.

[Onoku]

Microsoft are evil and they want to steal my thoughts... Where did I put my tin foil hat.

Microsoft is already controlling you. Open your desk drawer and you will find a brand new copy of windows 7 that you unknowingly purchased.

Really though, I am always suspicious of microsoft. They may not have a sinister plot, but I always keep in mind that they care about their profit first, users second.

[murderslastcrow]

The only thing that really makes me wary is that Microsoft may react to bad publicity from us, to an extent. If you call someone a monster, they're more inclined to believe they are a monster than they were before, and act accordingly.

Boy who cried wolf, though, I suppose. They've been fairly neutral toward us lately, since they can't do so much out in the open (oh, and maybe there are some good people behind Microsoft, after all :P). Guilty until proven innocent? Doesn't sound like a good way to make friends. And if you don't want anything to do with them, just ignore them- it works without fail.

[slooksterpsv]

I mean as an IT Admin who wants to cut costs by running virtualization for software for Web Servers, email servers, etc. but not have it run on Windows (need the simplicity and speed of Linux), but integrate into an all windows environment, it'd be great to have support personnel that I can call up to help fix the issues.

On the other hand, this removes a job or two from each company that goes this way, as Linux Admins are constantly needed, RedHat especially. So if they can give the job to some John Doe who already does their Windows Infrastructure, why hire on someone else? Granted some may be like well we don't want to call to have our issues fixed we want a Linux Admin on site, or what not.

It just seems fishy, maybe cause of how I hear about how Microsoft wants to hurt/destroy the Linux community. I guess cause they don't feel they have a "threat" of the Desktop yet with a distro like Ubuntu (yet, keyword, yet); and they go after anything that threatens revenues . Maybe when that happens I should really worry instead of now.

The server market belongs to Linux, no offense, but that's what I believe and what I use.

[NormanFLinux]

Microsoft looks at the server market and hasn't broken through with Windows.

I wouldn't be surprised if they take a Linux distro under their wing to challenge the highly successful Redhat in that business market.

[walt.smith1960]

You deny someone a cookie, and they're unhappy; you give someone cake, and they're suspicious.

If the cake they gave me before had laxative as an undisclosed part of the recipe, yes I'm going to be suspicious.

[Gremlinzzz]

Microsoft knows a good thing when it sees it,Linux
They would love to steal it or buy it.:D
here,s a thought what if they pirate it?

[3Miro]

The 20,000 lines of code was forced upon MS. They got caught with their hands in the FOSS jar and this was the minimum they could release to get out of a royal law suit.

As for CentOS, they simply want to undermine Red Hat. They probably think that promoting CentOS which is in essence free (as in money) Red Hat can actually hurt Red Hat.

[Quadunit404]

And then, the FSF stood there in confusion.

srs bizns edition: Microsoft: Serious Business!