Did Microsoft Violate the GPL? Free Software Lawyers Think So
After Microsoft announced they were releasing 20,000 lines of source code and device drivers for the Hyper-V for use with Linux, buzz surrounding their motives spread like wildfire. But certain sectors of the industry say that the move was a means for Microsoft to correct its violation of the General Public License V2 (GPLv2). The release, according to the Software Freedom Law Center, was a way for Microsoft to rectify their error. The addition of the codes to the Linux kernel is supposed to enhance the performance of Linux when it’s used with Hyper-V virtualization from Microsoft.
The oversight, as it was called, was supposedly discovered by Stephen Hemminger, an engineer working with Vyatta, a networking software company. Hemminger became aware that Microsoft had not released the source code for Hyper-V, although the software had incorporated the source code from the Linux kernel, which is GPL-licensed.
A user posted an inquiry on a forum regarding a possible network driver for Hyper-V to be used with Vyatta. Although the drivers were found, they carried both open and closed source components. The GPL does not allow the use of closed source and open source codes together. Hemminger decided to get in touch with Novell engineer Greg Kroah-Hartmann so Microsoft may be informed. Kroah-Hartmann is head of the Linux Kernel Driver Project and was collaborating with Microsoft to initiate the Linux IC codes into the Linux kernel. It was Kroah-Hartmann who also said that Hemminger’s posit that Microsoft was violating the GPL was ‘accurate’.
The ‘correction’ occurred about four months later, when Microsoft finally released the codes. Even then, talk regarding a violation had already ensued. Microsoft was supposed to have conformed with the licensing requirements imposed under GPLv2 but it took the company some time to comply.
Why the buzz?
The Linux community and its loyal users prefer the GPLv2 licensing type because of its coverage and wide range of acceptance. The license offered more in terms of support from the community. In the industry, when the distribution of the binaries meant for GPL work happens, the relevant source codes must also be released. The delay only put Microsoft’s move under suspicion.
Dave Roberts, vice president for strategy and marketing for Vyatta, maintains that no accusations happened and that Microsoft was only informed of the omission. According to Hemminger, Microsoft may have ‘possibly’ violated the GPL but the offense is not an outright defiance of set laws.
FabulaTech Releases USB Monitor Pro
FabulaTech, one of the top companies in the software development industry, announced the release of USB Monitor Pro. The new version, they promise, has plenty of features to look forward to and that users will be able to expect plenty of enhancements, particularly support for Windows 7, along with the 64-bit OS.
USB Monitor Pro is FabulaTech’s entry to the analyzer category and is touted as very simple yet highly effective for managing Windows USB traffic. It can help the user monitor all outgoing and incoming data from and to a USB device connected to a PC. The capability of the USB Monitor Pro to monitor data from either direction makes it an all-in-one solution, eliminating the need to use additional hardware, which leads to significant cost savings.
USB Monitor Pro is the product of years of experience in the development of USB device drivers. It was designed with an emphasis on ease of use and convenience. It is capable of capturing the most critical data to ensure that users obtain all the information they need.
According to FabulaTech’s senior developer Alan Rourke, USB Monitor Pro boasts of robust monitoring capabilities while allowing captured data to be examined even during the process. This is a limitation that other USB monitoring programs suffer from. With USB Monitor Pro, users can immediately view, capture and analyze all the information available ‘…in real time’.
Jerry Larkins, one of FabulaTech’s software developers, said that USB Monitor Pro was developed to bring down cost, save time and make data monitoring that much easier. The new version is meant to prevent users from wasting time searching for data and protocols and instead focus their efforts on the main project itself.
USB Monitor Pro is an important component for device driver debugging, software development and analysis of USB traffic. It is an indispensable tool for protocols analysis, determination of functionality in third party device drivers and for reverse engineering USB protocols. It is a highly efficient program for use with optimization and testing.
The tool is designed for use by programmers, hardware engineers, software specialists, IT support technicians, systems integrators, lab experts, consultants and industrial control specialists.
What to expect
USB Monitor Pro is a very effective tool for tasks such as the capture, decoding and display of USB protocol. It can also be used to filter and detect errors. Captured data is presented in a simple format to make it easier for users to understand, compare and analyze. It also allows for automatic monitoring of hot-plugged device; comes with a search engine to make searching for information faster and more convenient.
It’s Official: Microsoft has Joined the Linux Community by Releasing Driver Code
In July this year, Microsoft announced that they were making available components of the Open Source Linux device driver code for use by the Linux kernel community. Microsoft released 20,000 lines of code, along with 3 device drivers. This is meant to be utilized with the Linux operating system with the Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 OS.
The integration components meant for Linux are low level components, meant to ensure a glitch-free integration with the Linux kernel. The relevant components have been released under the GPL 2.0, avoiding any patent defense clause that are in place in GPL3.
Hyper-V, once named ‘Viridian’, utilizes a hypervisor. This will provide abstraction services for the operating system environment and make partitioning and resource allocation that much easier. It was designed by Microsoft to optimize the use of server hardware by allowing a single computer to run several server roles as if they were on multiple virtual machines. Hyper-V is meant to make the use of several operating systems on just one server more efficient and cost-friendly. The Hyper-V is also enterprise scalable.
Hyper-V is Microsoft’s answer to user’s clamor for a better way to standardize using a single virtualization platform. With the Linux drivers now available, Linux users will find consolidation easier with servers that run on Windows and Linux servers. The availability of the source code for Linux users is expected to raise the popularity of Hyper-V even more.
The release of the code was facilitated by Senior Director Sam Ramji, who heads the Platform Strategy in Microsoft’s Server and Tools organization. Ramji was also key to Microsoft’s move to develop partnerships with Linux and other communities specializing in open source applications. The move has also been facilitated by Microsoft’s OSTC or Open Source Technology Center.
OSTC is the company’s division handling relationships with open source companies and communities who want to collaborate with Microsoft. It is also the main contact point for in-house product groups that want to be involved with open source applications and technologies. The OSTC was opened a few years ago, manned by people with solid backgrounds in open source applications and technologies, including Linux and UNIX.
The OSTC director, Tom Hanrahan, is also one of the key players in Microsoft’s efforts to improve its interoperability with open source technology. The team working under Hanrahan assisted in the development of the drivers and will be in charge of the ongoing driver enhancements.