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The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

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Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#61
post #40

Anyone know if it's possible to somehow port the linux subsystem to windows 7 and 8?

No. The Linux subsystem is dependent on new kernel features introduced in Windows 10 (pico processes, which were introduced with 8.1 and improved in 10, improved fork support, file system case sensitivity improvements, memory management changes, etc.).

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#62

So far, this has been fantastic. Our team has been seriously considering converting from Windows to Linux for embedded development. (we run Linux VM when needed) Up and running and cross compiling for ARM without issue. Really surprised how it has just worked so far. This came at a great time for us.

Heh, if you were just about to switch to Linux, then it sounds like it came at a great time for Microsoft too ;)

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#63
Honest question: What's the deal with this stuff? I'm not interested in the reasoning that it's done just because they can do it. I mean... Why not just ... use Linux? I suspect it's a comfort zone thing, and most people really don't want to move out of their comfort zone (and especially programmers have a hard time admitting this). I understand people developing for the platform, but I don't understand people developing for Linux on Windows. I hear some people talk about Visual Studio being a great IDE, but I know tons of people that don't use VS. They use ST3 on Windows to develop for Linux, and they're happy about this stuff, and I just don't understand why people wouldn't just migrate to Linux in the first place.

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly I use the app-gap as a feature. Not having the fluff is great because snapchat is making people illiterate. We went from real words to abbreviations to no words and minimal attention span. On the other hand now that Uber and bank of america have a universal app it feels more complete.

Why the downvote? This is a legit and conscious comment

It's unlikely that the absence of snapchat on Windows phone will improve literacy.

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#65
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe it would drive adoption at all. Microsoft know Windows Phone today is dead. However they still have the desktop and with UWP they hope to bridge the development gap between mobile/tablet/desktop/laptop. Had they shipped Astoria in Windows 10 to allow Android apps to "just work" it would have destroyed their UWP strategy. So they might get a few more Windows Phone users but they would have lost control…

> Had they shipped Astoria in Windows 10 to allow Android apps to "just work" it would have destroyed their UWP strategy. Kind of like how OS/2 support of Windows applications helped destroy it?

The OS/2 2.0 fiasco is a lot more complex than this.

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#66
post #44
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe it would drive adoption at all. Microsoft know Windows Phone today is dead. However they still have the desktop and with UWP they hope to bridge the development gap between mobile/tablet/desktop/laptop. Had they shipped Astoria in Windows 10 to allow Android apps to "just work" it would have destroyed their UWP strategy. So they might get a few more Windows Phone users but they would have lost control…

Exactly, that is why they bought xamarin in first place. Xamarin was key product. They will push Xamarin as hard as they can in all platforms simultaneously and since they are biggest software company in planet, I see a bright future for Xamarin.

I agree, Xamarin is what will bring UWP to all the major platforms.

My question mark over iOS is because of how strict Apple are with approved apps. Will Apple like Microsoft bringing "app parity" into the iOS eco-system and more importantly will they allow it?

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#67
post #36
post #21

Microsoft has actually been doing Unix related stuff from way back - a fact that might not be known to some. Xenix, then SFU (Services For Unix - for interop - on Win NT or 2K), plus they had (part of?) a POSIX subsystem around then or earlier- I used it a bit for C utility dev work on WinNT), etc.

They didn't build SFU - the first thing called that was a rebranded MKS toolkit, from Mortice Kern Systems (later, I think, bought by somebody else). The second thing called named SFU was a different POSIX layer built by some company I can't remember the name of. Remembering having to use it (the MKS version) to port some Solaris software, I recall my team mates having an alternate expansion for the acronym that isn'…

Don't know if they built SFU internally from the start, or bought/licensed it and then built upon it. But it was MS engineers in the MS Hyderabad office who told me about SFU and what it was for.

I remember Mortice Kern's MKS Toolkit from BYTE and PC Magazine magazine ads, but did not know of the MS connection you mention.

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#68

Honest question: What's the deal with this stuff? I'm not interested in the reasoning that it's done just because they can do it. I mean... Why not just ... use Linux ? I suspect it's a comfort zone thing, and most people really don't want to move out of their comfort zone (and especially programmers have a hard time admitting this). I understand people developing for the platform, but I don't understand people devel…

Unfortunately Windows has much better hardware support (e.g. Skylake laptops, multi monitors via displayport MST).

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#69

Honest question: What's the deal with this stuff? I'm not interested in the reasoning that it's done just because they can do it. I mean... Why not just ... use Linux ? I suspect it's a comfort zone thing, and most people really don't want to move out of their comfort zone (and especially programmers have a hard time admitting this). I understand people developing for the platform, but I don't understand people devel…

Windows only tools, corporate policies which mandate windows. Tons of reasons

Re: The Linux kernel hidden inside Windows 10

#70
post #30
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course Microsoft then licensed XENIX to the Santa Cruz Operation which after several years renamed it to SCO Unix. SCO eventually split apart, but the piece that ended up with SCO Unix renamed themselves the SCO Group. The SCO Group with (possibly indirect) financial backing from Microsoft, attempted to use XENIX in a number of copyright infringement lawsuits to attack Linux vendors.

True. I read about parts of that history on Groklaw as those later events unfolded. For a while there, IIRC, based on what I was reading then, it looked like they might have nearly succeeded. Good that it didn't happen. IIRC, parts of the industry rose up together against it, also individuals. Don't know the full details.

Refs.:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groklaw

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCO/Linux_controversies

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Jones

" In 2010 the Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded the Pioneer award to "Pamela Jones and the Groklaw Website" for "Legal Blogging".[3] "

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