11.17.08
Even Microsoft Chooses Red Hat Over Novell’s SUSE
AS we pointed out before, part of microsoft.com uses (or used) a Fedora spinner and quite a few Microsoft-owned Web sites go with the de facto server distribution which is Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The following post from Planète Béranger caught our attention because it shows a certain Microsoft preference for Red Hat. Microsoft is shy to admit this, but it's using a lot of GNU/Linux and Free software because it’s better suited for the task. So why not SUSE?
But my final question arises from the initial choice of this Microsoft guy: “I chose to use Winbind on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5) for my Linux-to-Active Directory integration project. RHEL5 is the current version of the commercial Red Hat Linux distribution, and it is fairly popular in enterprise datacenters.”
Say, wasn’t Novell the big friend of Microsoft, committed to interoperability and the like? Maybe its YaST configuration tools handle better the Active Directory authentication. Why wasn’t SLED, SLES or openSUSE the primary choice of Gil Kirkpatrick?
It might be the case that licking Microsoft’s asses doesn’t pay, not even when your name is Novell.
Yesterday we wrote about the protest in Kerala. Here is an explanation of why Novell is to be avoided.
A free software activist and former student at CUSAT, Anivar Aravind was manhandled today (16/11/2008) by the “National free software conference organizers” @ CUSAT with assistance from the states police forces, for his peaceful protest against the “Novell Sponsorship”. The free software conference is backed by CPI(M), the ruling left party in Kerala.
[...]
Q2. What is the problem with NOVELL?
Novell doesn’t respect the free software philosophy and works against the interest of the community. In short we are against Novell because of the following.
1. Novell helps Microsoft more than it helps GNU/Linux.
2. Novell still insults competing GNU/Linux distributions and Sun’s Openoffice.org. (Read more)
3. Novell & Microsoft’s software patent agreement betrays rest of free software community, including the very people who wrote the Novell’s own system, for Novell’s sole financial profit. (Read more)
4. Novell helps Microsoft’s fight against Ajax, web standards, SVG by supporting Silverlight & implementing its GNU/Linux version. (Read more)
5. Novell supports Microsofts proprietary standard OOXML.
6. Novell is pushing Microsofts patents to GNU/Linux and cheating Free Software Community.
7. Novell is the biggest promoter of MONO in Free Software Development.
Except for the links from yesterday, this was also covered in:
- ‘Boycott Novell’ boycotted from Free software conference!!!
- Free Software Activist Man-Handled
- Boycott Novell Protestors Manhandled By National Free Software Conference 2008 Organizers
- Boycott Novell Protesters Manhandled In India
- SMC Statement On NCFS 2008 Kochi
Here is another important piece of information.
All hell broke lose when novell guys saw the ‘Bycott Novell’ handouts pasted right across their booth and said they won’t pay up any sponsers money they owe to the event organisers. They took their ire by kicking out the activists and tearing up the posters.
So, as suresh pointed out yesterday, “Novell had threatened that they won’t give the sponsorship money when they saw the anti-Novell posters in the stall.So the blame on Novell is not totally out of place.” █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
twitter said,
November 17, 2008 at 11:04 am
According to the Swathanthra Malayalam Computing(SMC) statment this was all Novell’s doing. Conference organizers kept Novell sponsorship secret from the participants and then called in the police when protesters showed up. It’s funny to hear that Novell won’t pay the bills now. Note to whores everywhere, get your money up front.
Mathew said,
November 17, 2008 at 12:25 pm
There is much lie in the whole way this issue has been briefed up. I am also a viewer of the entire scenario. The freedom activists has posted notorious novell posters in the Novell corp owned standing flex banner and obviously they complained to the organisers. This pro gramme has happened in CUSAT where already there is police force since the chief ministers visit was confirmed within 3 hours. The organizing committee asked the protesters to showcase the protest in their stall if they have where in they have told that they will repeat the same if the posters will be removed from novells property. Watch closely, in the picture you are seeing the security incharge of cusat, not the police. check the uniform . others in white dress is the private security forces deputed by university. Freedom activists should show the dispute not through muscle power. They can showcase such difference of opinions in many other ways. making a problem , more over the event is also not coordinated mainly by these guys . This is not justifiable. attacking the private properties and standing , talking for freedom is not acceptable. This is a problem planned by few who want to promote their name in an illegal route and this is damaging the values real freedom workers. Check with those who have directly saw the problems. Truth and the news is having much difference.