Learning to love Linux
The early days of Microsoft put it at loggerheads with the growing open source movement, but things are different now.
Microsoft and its flagship Windows OS have a troubled history with Linux and open source. When Bill Gates penned his ‘Open Letter to Hobbyists’ in 1976, he complained about the rampant software piracy taking place in early hobbyist communities – particularly that of the Altair Basic interpreter, which he’d co-created. At a time before open source initiatives like the GNU and Linux projects, his opinion was clear: “Are people who copy software any different than those who copy records and books?”
Twenty-two years later, one of the leaked Microsoft Halloween Documents (see box) focused on how the tech giant viewed its rival OS, even showing grudging respect: “Linux represents a best-of-breed Unix, that is trusted in mission critical applications, and – due to its open source code – has a long-term credibility which exceeds many other competitive OSes.”