FAQ:Novell-MS

From openSUSE

In talking about the Microsoft-Novell deal, many openSUSE users frequently see many misconceptions. Here is a place to clean up some of those. First, please take a look at the original FAQ:Novell and Microsoft Collaborate, and the additionnal FAQ:Novell Answers Questions from the Community directly from Novell on this deal, and some. People continuously ask questions and reach erroneous conclusions by not having read it. Past that, here's more:

General

Novell have sold out to Microsoft

No, they have simply made a deal with them, with very clear conditions, covering a few specific areas.

• Interoperability with regards to virtualization and documents.
• Business cooporation in which Microsoft conveys SUSE Linux Enterprise "coupons".
• Covenant not to sue each others _customers_ over patents.

There is no general strategic alliance. Novell continue to be fierce competitors of Microsoft, which should be evident by the openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise products.

Novell even has ongoing litigation against Microsoft.

Is the deal harmful to Linux in general?

Understand that Novell have positioned themselves firmly as a Linux company over the last years. They've invested a lot of money in acquiring SUSE and Ximian and are investing a lot in developing and marketing SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/Server and openSUSE. Having many of the greatest free software developers on their payroll making sure they can focus on writing free software. They're actively replacing Netware with Linux based Novell Open Enterprise Server.

Novell's strategy and future is almost entirely based on Linux. They would not do anything that they thought would harm Linux in general, that would be suicidal.

So, Novell are pushing OOXML?

Absolutely not. It's true that Novell will have support for Microsoft/ECMA OOXML in SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 Service Pack 1, plus openSUSE 10.3 and onwards. But ODF remains the default format, it's the format that Novell recommends. And Novell remain an active member of the ODF Alliance.

The OOXML code is available to anyone else who wants it. NeoOffice seems to already have taken advantage of this fact.

I won't use openSUSE since I don't want to support Novell

Statements like this tend to generally show a clear ignorance of both Novell's contributions to OSS, and of the openSUSE project itself. There can be absolutely no doubt that Novell is one of the most significant contributors to open source software, ever. Not using openSUSE, a project/distribution which is merely sponsored by Novell because of this deal (whatever your feelings) is absurd. The Novell Supported Projects has a quick run-down of a few of these sponsored/supported projects, but it doesn't even touch upon things such as the Open Invention Network.

Novell has also created or is among the top sponsors of projects such as the Linux Kernel, GCC, OpenOffice.org, KDE, GNOME, Tomboy, F-Spot, Banshee, Beagle, (K)NetworkManager, Kickoff, Evolution, XEN, Xgl, Compiz and even FSF projects such as gcc and glibc. Are you refusing to use any of those as well? Since they all have substantial amounts of Novell code.

So many Novell employees have left because of the deal!

Again, this is untrue. Jeremy Allison and Günther Deschner (of Samba fame) are the only two to have left specifically because of the deal. A quick run-down on the reported others:

• Hubert Mantel has returned to SUSE (and describes the deal as a good thing).
• Robert Love has publically stated that his departure had nothing to do with the MS-Novell deal; there was no real evidence for this ever and it was indeed pure ill-founded speculation.
• Walter Knapp, former effective head of the Novell's Linux Impact Team (LIT), left when Novell dissolved the LIT and rolled its members into the regional sales teams.

Yes, other people have left Novell as well, but like in all big companies, the vast majority of these did not leave for any controversial reasons, despite speculations being raised on every single employee departure. Jumping the gun is insensitive and disrespectful to those who have in fact left.

The interopability features cannot be included in other distributions

Again, this is untrue. Other distributions have already seen the software benefits from this deal, such as OpenOffice.org support for Excel VBA, which is included in all major distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, Mandriva, Gentoo and Red Hat etc).

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Novell is losing out and doing badly because of the deal!

Fortunately this is just a myth that a few people seem inclined to believe.

Since the deal, Novell's stocks have gone up, adoption of SUSE Linux Enterprise has increased, more deals have been made with OEMs (such as Dell), and Novell employed more Linux engineers.

And no, this hasn't happened to the disadvantage of other Linux distributions. Red Hat's stocks are also rising. Linux adoption in general is increasing around the world.

Patents

But this agreement means that Microsoft won't sue Novell, but it can sue others

No. The patent coverage does not give Novell any immunity from being sued for patent violations. In summary:

• Novell has no license for Microsoft patents.
• Novell can’t use Microsoft patents (and vice versa).
• Novell can sue Microsoft for Novell patents in Microsoft products (and vice versa).

See the original Novell FAQ above for more information. This is also the response to the Freetype and OpenOffice.org FUD.

Microsoft have said that Linux violates Microsoft's patents

Yes, Ballmer has said many disparaging things about Linux, but (i) this was never part of the original deal, (ii) Novell have, in an open letter to the Community, challenged those statements. Novell's position on this is very clear.

What are all the coupons about then if they're not about patent coverage?

The coupons are for support with SUSE Linux Enterprise products, as the FAQ mentions. For more information, see a page with the outlines of the agreement. Microsoft have to date sold over 40,000 Linux copies, making Linux directly more available to enterprise and corporate users.

Microsoft are Patent geniuses and can never be trusted

Actually, if you check their Patent History you will probably find the direct opposite. Miguel De Icaza addresses this question well on his blog.

But Novell is paying Microsoft for Linux infringing on Microsoft's patents!

Again, this is simply not true. All the money is for SUSE Linux Enterprise coupons or for the coverage of each respective company's customers. Check here for an outline.

The GPL

The deal violates the GPLv2 Under Section 7

This is completely untrue. There was significant research into the details of the agreement by the FSF, and as Richard Stallman has said: "Microsoft has not given Novell a patent licence, and thus, section 7 of GPL version 2 does not come into play,"

Ok, but Novell will have problems with the GPLv3

The GPLv3 has now been published and it does not prohibit Novell/SUSE or any of its Linux offerings in absolutely any way.

External Links

• Novell FOSS-community FAQ
• Novell customer FAQ
• Blog entry about the deal by openSUSE project leader Andreas Jaeger