Linus Torvalds and Microsoft drivers for Linux
Linus Torvalds has publicly expressed his opinion about adding drivers to the Linux kernel by Microsoft. In an interview with Linux Magazine, he answered the following questions:
Q - Did you watch the Microsoft source code?
A - No. Mainly because I don’t do everything in a row that gets into the kernel driver code (this doesn’t affect anything), especially when I don’t use this code myself. In such things, I trust the maintainers (accompanying). As a rule, I look at the code when bugs are detected in them, or if the code affects many subsystems or this code is part of an important kernel subsystem I actively participate in developing (for example, code like VM, processing kernel resources, base kernel code and etc.) Most likely I will look at this code when it is actually presented to the maintainer (in this case, this is Greg Kroah-Hartman), simply out of curiosity.
Q - How do you feel about the inclusion of this code? After all, he is from Microsoft.
A - Oh, I sincerely believe that technology should stand above politics. I don't care who the technology comes from, as long as there are grounds for the appearance of the code and so far there is no question of licensing and other issues of the same nature.
')
In fact, due to the fact that this is the code of a new member of the community, I would prefer to include this code than not to include (again, I would like to note that the drivers are special. They do not affect other parts of the system, so there may be integrated much more painlessly than other possible changes to the core).
I used to make jokes about Microsoft from time to time, but at the same time I think that hating Microsoft is a disease . I believe in open source development, and this largely implies not only the opening of the source code, but also the rejection of attempts to exclude people or companies from the development process.
There are extremists in the free software world, and this is one of the main reasons that I no longer say that I am committed to what is called "free software." I do not want to be associated with people for whom this is a source of marginalization and hatred.
Q - Should there be a different attitude to Microsoft?
A - I agree that Microsoft is pursuing its own interests in this matter with the publication of the code. But this is the same reason why all the other open source is written! We all pursue our own goals. In my own interests, I started writing Linux and because of them I continue to do it. Own benefit is that which is pursued to some extent, all who are engaged in open source.
So complaining that Microsoft is working on code for its own interests is nonsense. Of course, they pay attention to what benefits them. This is what open source stands for - the ability to make code better for your specific needs, whenever you personally need it.
Does anyone complain when hardware companies write drivers for devices that produce? No, it's crazy. Does anyone complain when IBM finances everything about POWER and is working on enterprise features because they sell them on the corporate market? Not. That would be insane.
So people who complain that Microsoft is writing drivers for their own virtualization mechanism should look in the mirror and ask themselves why they are so hypocritical.
- Source: www.linux-mag.com/id/7439
Q - Did you watch the Microsoft source code?
A - No. Mainly because I don’t do everything in a row that gets into the kernel driver code (this doesn’t affect anything), especially when I don’t use this code myself. In such things, I trust the maintainers (accompanying). As a rule, I look at the code when bugs are detected in them, or if the code affects many subsystems or this code is part of an important kernel subsystem I actively participate in developing (for example, code like VM, processing kernel resources, base kernel code and etc.) Most likely I will look at this code when it is actually presented to the maintainer (in this case, this is Greg Kroah-Hartman), simply out of curiosity.
Q - How do you feel about the inclusion of this code? After all, he is from Microsoft.
A - Oh, I sincerely believe that technology should stand above politics. I don't care who the technology comes from, as long as there are grounds for the appearance of the code and so far there is no question of licensing and other issues of the same nature.
')
In fact, due to the fact that this is the code of a new member of the community, I would prefer to include this code than not to include (again, I would like to note that the drivers are special. They do not affect other parts of the system, so there may be integrated much more painlessly than other possible changes to the core).
I used to make jokes about Microsoft from time to time, but at the same time I think that hating Microsoft is a disease . I believe in open source development, and this largely implies not only the opening of the source code, but also the rejection of attempts to exclude people or companies from the development process.
There are extremists in the free software world, and this is one of the main reasons that I no longer say that I am committed to what is called "free software." I do not want to be associated with people for whom this is a source of marginalization and hatred.
Q - Should there be a different attitude to Microsoft?
A - I agree that Microsoft is pursuing its own interests in this matter with the publication of the code. But this is the same reason why all the other open source is written! We all pursue our own goals. In my own interests, I started writing Linux and because of them I continue to do it. Own benefit is that which is pursued to some extent, all who are engaged in open source.
So complaining that Microsoft is working on code for its own interests is nonsense. Of course, they pay attention to what benefits them. This is what open source stands for - the ability to make code better for your specific needs, whenever you personally need it.
Does anyone complain when hardware companies write drivers for devices that produce? No, it's crazy. Does anyone complain when IBM finances everything about POWER and is working on enterprise features because they sell them on the corporate market? Not. That would be insane.
So people who complain that Microsoft is writing drivers for their own virtualization mechanism should look in the mirror and ask themselves why they are so hypocritical.
- Source: www.linux-mag.com/id/7439
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/65279/
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