In the world of computers, operating systems and digital hardware vs software, many avid analysts, consumers and computer pundits alike will have probably been checking out the latest buzz around Windows and Linux that has been making the news rounds of late.
Ever curious about the state of open source availability, the implementation of increased freeware capabilities, and whether or not able to analyze the various trends, factors and elements that influence the state of the aforementioned attributes is indeed one of favorite past-times. Particularly piqued, given the immense debate that has sparked ever since the digital world received the announcement that Windows and Linux are to wave that proverbial white flag and makes amends by teaming up.
The fusion between Windows 10 and Linux via the Windows Office 365 and Linux-compatible Azure has been on the receiving end of an immense amount of attention and speculation of late. And rightly so, as not only is this Windows-Linux match-up a great step toward total system integration, among many other positive outcomes anticipated, but it is also a huge leap for Microsoft towards a more intuitively open-sourced type of approach to computing, and their operations as a whole.
Before all this recent ‘hoopla’ about the Windows-Linux collaboration, there was, in fact, a prior rendezvous between the two leading companies, quite a few many moons ago.
It would actually be interesting to note just how many avid consumers (that have been waxing lyrical about the recent Windows announcement about their recent Linux-compatible intentions) are aware of the fact that this is not the first time Windows and Linux have taken a stroll down the same tech-enriched path, together.
This mutual exchange between Windows and Linux has been ongoing from as far back as 2006, when thanks to SUSE, this was the year consumers saw the very first successful bridge between Windows and Linux; that’s a whopping 12 years ago.
Taking a quick look now at Microsoft’s specialized Linux distribution program: Azure Cloud Switch, the question is: what it the possible end-goal reasoning for it being in existence?
The very fact that Microsoft has employed and implemented actual Linux distribution capabilities that is compatible with most Linux OS apps and programs, including the most recent and updated versions of SUSE, certainly does appear to spell out the fact that Microsoft appears to indeed be on a fast-track towards setting itself up as an open-sourced environment that will, no doubt, continue to take Microsoft towards its aim of becoming a profitable cloud-based computing company.
With the implementation of cloud-based technologies, it is important for users to note that everyday operations normally performed via Windows will not be impacted on.
A good example of this would be when wanting to perform the very simple task of logging in to one of your favorite mobile casinos, like the mFortune Casino. This is something that will indeed still be wholly possible via a cloud-based Microsoft operation, hypothetically speaking, of course.
As mentioned by the CTO of Microsoft, Mark Russinovich, “It’s obvious, if we don’t support Linux, we’ll be Windows only and that’s not practical.” Clearly, it has only been in Microsoft’s direct interest to maintain the working relationship between Linux and themselves, in the name of their future cloud-based development, of course.
Previous rivals, Microsoft and Linux purists would have no doubt had taken issue with this collaboration (back then in 2006, and now), and many of whom probably rue the day that Linux chose to partner up with Windows. One can easily gauge why Microsoft would want to make the partnership, being bent on (judging from the recent behavior over the past 5 or 6 years from Microsoft) taking on a more cloud-based approach to their business solutions. Yet, it is not so easy to see why Linux made the collaborative move? Certain Linux purists may have viewed the teaming up with Microsoft as Linux having taken to selling out, but when investigating the root reasoning behind the merge, one can see that both parties are intent on living out a particular ethos, one of where progress is integral to remaining top-level and the best of the best.
When it comes to Linux and their point of view, for choosing to integrate with Microsoft via SUSE and the recent AZURE platform, one can see the logic presented and can also begin to feel hopeful for a future that comprises an integrated version of Windows and Linux.
According to the Linux Foundation’s executive director, Jim Zemlin, talking about and explaining his take on an open source environment with Windows, these are his words: “shared development is enabling faster development with higher quality and lower costs. This is causing the software value chain to change. Microsoft gets this.”
The above quote is indeed a clear indication that for now, with this collaboration between Windows and Linux, the developers have a common goal in mind, that being: quicker development with further technological betterment in mind.
