is vista going/using open source ?

[MaximB]

about a month ago I posted a thread named "XGL vs vista graphics"
vista graphics is actually an improved open source project named "looking glass" started by SUN and available for free download for Linux/Unix and windows.
MS actually took it from SUN.
they took the source , improved it and sell it with NO source code as it supposed to be.

is it legal ?
what else did they take from "open source" ?

[KiwiNZ]

Please post what you have to back up your claim.
This thread is a risk than concerns me for legal reasons.

[_simon_]

I'm sure if they had done, that sun would be all over them. I don't think MS is that stupid.

You probably mean they copied the general idea.

[Hg80]

I'm sure if they had done, that sun would be all over them. I don't think MS is that stupid.

You probably mean they copied the general idea.


I think this is what he means too

[MaximB]

well - I do not think that MS build it from scratch...

[iovar]

As much as I dislike microsoft, I'm 100% perfectly sure that they
didn't copy a single line from that project.
Have you tried it? It's the most horible and failed attempt in
computer history to create a 3d desktop. It is slow as hell,
completely unfunctional and lacking every single aspect that would
categorize it as a desktop(like, uh? a file manager, functional menus,
window decorations...).
All it has is a couple of build in applications and
generally it looks more like a bad program in fullscreen,
disguised as a WM.

And of course, it is written in java. Why would anyone remotely sane
encompass/hide java vm code in windows, just to copy code from this
project.

Believe me, the screenshots might look good, the site also mentions
something lame about minority report-like UI, but if you run it you will
come to dislike it as much as I do. Almost as much as I dislike
microsoft and its products ...

[3rdalbum]

Looking Glass 3D Live CD was the first non-Ubuntu distro I ever tried. It's the only distro I've tried that I've never tried a second time.

The Windows Vista GUI scheme is called Aero Glass. The Java-based WM is called Looking Glass. Completely different glasses there. Besides, Windows Vista is slow and bloated... but not THAT slow and bloated! :-P

[MaximB]

so they didn't even used the source code of "looking glass" ?

[Anonii]

about a month ago I posted a thread named "XGL vs vista graphics"
vista graphics is actually an improved open source project named "looking glass" started by SUN and available for free download for Linux/Unix and windows.
MS actually took it from SUN.
they took the source , improved it and sell it with NO source code as it supposed to be.

is it legal ?
what else did they take from "open source" ?
Since that SUN package is an Open Source product Microsoft has the rights to use it/modify it/sell it/give it and all the rest, right? Then, even if its true, and MS indeed used the code, whats the problem?

[dabear]

so they didn't even used the source code of "looking glass" ?
They did not. vista is written in c/c++/asm while looking glass is a memory hug written in Java. Looking Glass has an open license, while windows is propietary.

Any similarities with looking glass and vista would only be because of inspiration. No code in looking glass is used in windows.

[prizrak]

It is perfectly legal to sell open source projects w/o releasing the source. Look at OS X, it's nothing but BSD with an Aqua interface. Having to release the source code is dependant on a license, the BSD license doesn't require you to release the code but only to acknowledge that it was used, GPL requires you to give everyone same rights you have with the code.

3D accelerated desktop in Java? Somebody was smoking something REAL good.

[M7S]

According to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Looking_Glass) they use GPL.

[dabear]

According to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Looking_Glass) they use GPL.
How is this relevant? it would have confused me if I were the thread starter.
Just to expand on what you said; looking glass is released under the GPL and thus it cannot be used for Vista or other popietary OSes, as trequires you to release the source.

[The Soundophiliac]

Sorry to be a bit offtopic here but hypothetically speaking, how would Sun know if Microsoft did use their source code? What prevents Microsoft or any propietary software company from stealing code from open source projects?

[Brunellus]

there is about as much chance of vista open sourcing as Bill Gates revealing himself to be the Mahdi.

[prizrak]

Sorry to be a bit offtopic here but hypothetically speaking, how would Sun know if Microsoft did use their source code? What prevents Microsoft or any propietary software company from stealing code from open source projects?
Time and effort. It would be pretty damn difficult for MS to port Linux modules for instance into Windows, it is cheaper and easier to create their own. System calls and such would give it away as well, even the general look and feel. Basically anything that would be worth stealing from FOSS would have to be extensively modified. They do look at FOSS for ideas and tricks and such but those are not protected by the GPL. Unless the actual code is used the license has no bearing.

[blastus]

Since that SUN package is an Open Source product Microsoft has the rights to use it/modify it/sell it/give it and all the rest, right? Then, even if its true, and MS indeed used the code, whats the problem?

No problem just that it would be a contradiction for Microsoft to use open source software (especially for one of the primary selling features of their new OS) when they are against businesses and users using it and their CEO has made ridiculous claims about it.

[GuitarHero]

There is no such thing as stealing from and open source project. Its open source for a reason, the creator wants people to use his code. And where is everyone getting that Vista uses looking glass? This isnt the first time ive seen this.

[TravisNewman]

As far as I know, neither Vista nor XGL or AIGLX or Compiz used LookingGlass code.

[jimmygoon]

No offense but this is about as true as saying the Photoshop is written with GIMP's source code because they are both graphic editors and one is open source... ](*,)

[Cyraxzz]

Like Bill Gate$ said: "Good artist copy, great artist steal"

[SoundMachine]

There is no such thing as stealing from and open source project. Its open source for a reason, the creator wants people to use his code. And where is everyone getting that Vista uses looking glass? This isnt the first time ive seen this.

Well, that isn't really true, you can't steal code and call it your own from any FLOSS licenced project legally.

It comes from the neverending wishes to find more and more things to bash MS about coupled with pure ignorance.

[prizrak]

Like Bill Gate$ said: "Good artist copy, great artist steal"

It wasn't Gates who said it was one of the great artists of the past. If you got it from the movie Pirates of Silicone Valley then if you remember Steve Jobs said it first there.

Truth is that everyone steals from everyone else, I cannot tell older Toyota's and Honda's apart, Apple stole from Xerox, MS stole from Apple, KDE/GNOME stole from both of them.

In fact stealing is the wrong word to use in this context, you cannot steal an idea. If you don't come up with it and see it you can implement it in your own way, which is different from the other person's way.