NEWS: Building a bridge with lines of code

KUALA LUMPUR: The open-source community is abuzz over news that software giant Microsoft Corp has released 20,000 lines of its Windows Server operating system code to programmers using Linux, a rival open-source product.

Such an act was once thought to be near impossible because Microsoft, a proponent of proprietary software, has been a persistent critic of open-source software, i.e. software developed by volunteers who share their codes.

Still, several critics of Microsoft who are firmly on the open-source end of the field, are scoffing at the software giant’s decision to share its code. They said that 20,000 lines of code is just a drop of water in the ocean, since a program typically has millions of lines of code.

But other champions of open-source software see it as the first step to more co-operation between long-time rivals that will eventually benefit the users of both types of software.

Microsoft shares that view. “This is the first time Microsoft has released code to the open-source community,” said Akmal Jaafar, director of platform strategy at Microsoft Malaysia.

“We want to create better interoperability (between proprietary and open-source software),” he said. “Although it is a relatively small amount of code, it is a significant step in the right direction and enables more choice for software users.”

Helpful bits

The codes released by Microsoft, which include three Linux device drivers, have been submitted to the Linux kernel community.

It said the codes will help enhance the performance of the Linux operating system when it is virtualised on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V or Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V systems.

Among those cheering the move is recognised open-source guru Redhuan Oon, who is head of the ADempiere project — an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution developed and maintained by an international open-source community (see In.Tech, June 9).

“The open-source movement is akin to a dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant,” he said. “We are pleased that Microsoft is contributing to our cause and this is a win-win situation for our 30-nation ADempiere community.

“This (sharing of code) has never happened before and I believe this to be a landmark occasion and a conciliatory move by Microsoft.”

According to Oon, 80% of ADempiere ERP users are on systems that are Microsoft based. “We welcome any contribution, however small, to our cause,” he said.