--- Minister of Propaganda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From Minister of Propaganda Sun Mar 31 19:38:53 2002 > Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 20:38:53 -0700 (MST) > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: Minister of Propaganda > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Microsoft to base next generation OS on > OpenBSD > > April 1, 2002 > > "Microsoft to base next generation OS on OpenBSD" > > In a surprising development Microsoft stated today > that it would > not be using the eight year old NT kernel in its > next generation > operating system. The new system, to be called > Windows BSD, will > be based around the freely available OpenBSD > operating system. > > Microsoft's Steve Ballmer had the following to say: > "As part of our > new commitment to security, we are developing the > next Windows > product based upon OpenBSD. We feel that OpenBSD's > security record > fits well with our new proactive security model. > Furthermore, we > fully approve of the BSD license and encourage > developers continue > to write similarly-licensed code and avoid the > infernal GNU GPL." > When asked whether the decision to base the new > Windows operating > system on OpenBSD had anything to do with the > success of Apple's > BSD-based OS X, Ballmer exclaimed "There's nothing > those Mac people > can do that we can't do better. Microsoft has a > long history with > Unix-like systems, dating back from our original > development of > Xenix. We are dedicated to providing the Windows > experience to > Unix on the desktop." > > And it is not just the desktop that is the target of > the new OS. > As servers have traditionally been Unix's strong > point, Microsoft > sees a bright future for Windows BSD, Server > Edition. One of the > first tests of Windows BSD Server will be running on > Microsoft's > Hotmail servers, a trial by fire that always left > Windows NT a bit > scorched. Said de Raadt "We are confident that > Windows BSD can > more than hold its own in the server arena. Indeed, > we expect > it to become the benchmark against which all others > are judged." > > OpenBSD founder and project lead The de Raadt will > be relocating > from Calgary, Canada to Redmond, Washington to > oversee the new > endeavor. When asked if he felt he was selling out, > de Raadt replied > with characterist aplomb "I've dedicated my life to > free software, > it's about time I got something in return." Other > OpenBSD developers > will likely be moving to Microsoft's Redmond campus > soon. Joining > de Raadt in Redmond is OpenBSD packet filter > designer Daniel > Hartmeier. Hartmeier has already started work on a > new firewall > codenamed "Microsoft Ward." Said Hartmeier, "I had > some trouble > getting to the states, what with the airline > problems we've been > having in Switzerland, but I'm looking forward to > working with my > development team on the new firewall." > > When confronted with the apparent inconsistency of > developing a > Unix-based system while at the same time sponsoring > a wave of > anti-Unix marketing, Chairman Bill Gates replied > "That campaign is > targeted towards those other, incompatible versions > of Unix. It > has no bearing whatsoever on Windows BSD." > > One potential problem with Microsoft's plans were > the revelation > that the BSD trademark is currently owned by > embedded operating > systems specialist WindRiver systems. According to > Microsoft > chairman Bill Gates, "WindRiver will surrender the > BSD trademark > to us or we will bury them!" > > During the announcement of Windows BSD at a PR > blitzkrieg, Ballmer, > Gates and de Raadt jumped around shouting "Whoo! > Whoo! Whoo! Come > on, get up, get up... Give it up for BSD!". A beta > version of > Windows BSD, codenamed `Brobdingnag', will be > available to MSDN > subscribers in 6 month's time. > > However, not everyone was happy with the news of > OpenBSD's commercial > success. A group of disgruntled OpenBSD developers > who were not > offered jobs at Microsoft have created a competitor > to OpenBSD. > Unlike OpenBSD, this operating system will be > available under the > GNU GPL, effectively preventing Microsoft from using > their code. > The new project, called GNU/BSD, is headed by French > former OpenBSD > developers Dr. Marc Espie and Miod Vallat. In a > joint statement, > Espie and Vallat stated "We feel it is grossly > unfair to the European > developers of OpenBSD that all the attention should > be centered > around North America. We will not stand for this > wanton disregard > of the contributions of OpenBSD developers from > around the world. > Therefore, we have started the GNU/BSD project to > take the place > of OpenBSD, utilizing the skills of developers in > the European Union > and beyond." When it was pointed out that Swiss > developer Daniel > Hartmeier was part of the new Windows BSD project, > Espie declared > that "Switzerland is hardly a part of Europe. They > have only just > joined the United Nations for goodness sake." > > Free Software Foundation founder Richard Stallman > had the following > to say about the split. "I'm gratified that these > people have > finally seen the light and have released their code > until the GPL. > One of the GPL's goals is to prevent this kind of > software theft > by large corporations. You can't have free software > without Freedom. > By including GNU in the name they show the proper > respect for the > GNU project's contributions to all free software > projects, including > BSD." When asked to comment on Stallman's > statement, de Raadt > simply said "In Windows BSD we've replaced gcc with > Microsoft Visual > C Studio. We've no need for RMS, his software, or > his silly song. > After all, we have Gloria Estefan."
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