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Posted in Free/Libre Software, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, Patents at 10:51 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
“We could refresh the look and feel of the entire desktop with Moonlight”
–Miguel de Icaza
Summary: A batch of small updates on the Mono/Moonlight situation
NOVELL’S (and Microsoft’s) plan with Moonlight is something that we have warned about ever since Moonlight was first announced. As usual, at the time, certain people dismissed this as something along the lines of "zealotry". The word “zealotry” (like “terrorism”) is increasingly being used to describe “something I don’t like” or “something I don’t agree with” (even protests or noise). The label most commonly fits a minority, so it is conventionally assumed that a majority cannot be “zealous” and strong nations cannot be supporting “terrorism” (which is, by definition, the use of force to accomplish political goals). Most critics of Microsoft are not “Microsoft haters”. On the other hand, Microsoft is a self-confessed "Linux hater", so Linux users are justifiably being defensive. But being a minority with little influence over the media, it is often GNU/Linux which gets daemonised.
=> ever since Moonlight was first announced | something along the lines of "zealotry" | a self-confessed "Linux hater"
Now, arriving at the actual point of this post, the community is rapidly becoming aware of Novell’s Mono-Moonlight intersection, which we covered in [1, 2, 3]. It is nothing but trouble, unless we all support Microsoft and Windows.
=> ↺ rapidly becoming aware of Novell’s Mono-Moonlight intersection | 1 | 2 | 3
Banshee and F-Spot to depend on Moonlight[...]Planet Debian points to the news that Banshee and F-Spot is going to depend on Moonlight in the future. Moonlight is forbidden from Fedora. If this happens, Banshee and F-Spot have to be dropped from Fedora.
The FSF, which is against Mono, was very polite in its statement. As Sam Varghese puts it:
=> its statement | ↺ puts it
The statement conclude by saying that if Microsoft wanted to genuinely reassure free software users that it had no intention of suing them for using Mono, “it should grant the public an irrevocable patent license for all of its patents that Mono actually exercises.”
Watch the pro-Mono spinners in the comments. Here is one interesting comment from LWN:
=> ↺ pro-Mono spinners in the comments | ↺ one interesting comment from LWN
I can only imagine the violent anti-FSF reaction and hate this will generate (or is probably already generating?) on various forums.Anything that RMS or the FSF says is usually grounded in solid logic. Everybody would be wise to at least consider it.As for me personally, and the businesses I am involved with, I would avoid Mono.Which really saddens me because I like Mono. The language is better than Java, the implementation starts faster, it feels more lightweight, it supports static compilation, etc.I have been on the receiving end of an IP-related lawsuit and it is an experience which one never forgets.
LinuxInsider quotes some more people, with statements that include:
“If you honestly think this will lead to cross-platform development, then you need your head checked,” wrote Josh in the comments on TuxRadar, for example. “Since when has Microsoft had any sincere interest in cross-platform anything?“It looks to me like a classic Trojan horse,” Josh concluded, “and Miguel de Icaza is a tool.”Similarly: “This Mono thing looks a bit like a Trojan horse,” agreed kt on LXer, where the topic was covered in not just one but two separate threads.
Jason has just suggested a new slogan for Mono:
New Slogan TimeMono: Extending Redmond’s Reach into Proprietary Platforms on the backs of “Open Source” developers since 2001. Also some Linux apps in there somewhere too.
Boycott Mono and Novell. They take away the freedom of GNU/Linux users and turn Linux aficionados into clients of Microsoft. █
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