The fact remains that Linux was developed to fight Microsoft’s closed source architecture and break its hegemony over desktop computing. Microsoft will be joining the Linux Foundation, which oversees the development of the very popular free operating system Linux. If you are an old-timer, you will remember Bill Gates run Microsoft spent much of the ’90s fiercely competing with Linux, seeing it as a threat to the world dominance of Windows. Microsoft is also releasing a public preview edition of its previously-announced SQL Server database product for Linux. Microsoft’s announcement in March, that it was bringing its flagship SQL Server database software to Linux came as a major surprise. But no one suspected the Redmond-based company would go a full circle embrace that which it hated the most, open-source. Coming back to the SQL Server database for Linux, if you are interested, you can download it here. This public preview is part of the launch of the next version of SQL Server, which will be the first one that’s available for both Windows and Linux. There are more surprises this 16th morning. Google has joined the Microsoft owned .Net foundation. .NET Foundation, the independent nonprofit that Microsoft set up in 2014 to oversee the community around the .NET Programming Framework, and Google will be joining its steering committee. Another one for you, Samsung and Microsoft will be collaborating to bring .NET architecture to Samsung’s homegrown Tizen operating system. Tizen operating system is used in Samsung smart TVs and other gadgets made by the South Korean company and .Net applications may bring further Apps and development. The last surprise for today, Microsoft will be releasing a version of Visual Studio for Apple’s Macs. Microsoft accidentally leaked this news earlier this week when it published a blog entry ahead of schedule. As we said, life has come a full circle for Nadella to run Microsoft. He has already announced that Windows 10 may be the last operating system in the Windows line so we can expect that Microsoft is secretly working on some Linux+Windows project for a future operating system. We can also expect an amalgamation of closed source Microsoft architecture with open source Linux one to bring consumers the best of the two.
