So, what exactly is .NET? As a non-corporate Mac user, I'd like to know.
Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
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Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#62So does this mean that we might have Microsoft Lync client coming up for Linux?
When I tried to use Lync on browser, I remember seeing something about .NET. Or is it silverlight?
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#63So, what exactly is .NET? As a non-corporate Mac user, I'd like to know.
Think of it as like the Java runtime environment, but not terrible.
You have two main pieces: the Common Language Runtime, which is the virtual machine (like the JVM) that executes the code. Then you have the library it comes with, which is fairly large compared to most languages.
edit: Added more context
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#64So, what exactly is .NET? As a non-corporate Mac user, I'd like to know.
It is like the Java runtime, but started afresh with all of Java's learned lessons taken into account (although Java with 7 and 8 in particular is catching up).
Up until now however it has only ran on Windows which was its biggest "downside" Vs. Java which runs on many platforms.
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
In fairness, as long as they have copyright assignment from contributors, they could just as well do that with a GPL software.
IANAL, but that would essentially require contributors to sign a waiver correct? That seems like a fairly large barrier compared to just being able to take contributors code and incorporate it into a closed project, no?
All major corporate open source projects have a contributor license agreement (CLA) which contributors must sign. Regardless of whether they intend to close the source in the future or not. See the VLC license change fiasco for why CLAs are very good: http://www.jbkempf.com/blog/post/2012/How-to-properly-relice...
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Windows and .NET are different things. I'm fairly confident being able to run .NET on unix machines won't affect you very much so you can stay a happy Linux User. Also, times are changing man, for the better. Embrace it.
The only part which scares me is that people will start making Linux apps using dotnet technologies. >Also, times are changing man, for the better. Embrace it Yup. That is why MS had to realize that *nix is eclipsing it in cloud and to grab extra some extra pennies out of our pockets, they are releasing their products on these platform just to fool us that they care. Actually they don't care us at all.
There are already some applications on Linux in Mono...
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
One thing that's nice is that it's now open source, so as long as it remains open source, it will likely remain cross platform. Contributers that are on non-windows platforms will likely notice when something breaks on their platform, and get it fixed.
Only core components and now a stripped down IDE are open source (core is actually free software IIRC). I will only be impressed if the entire runtime stack becomes open source. Otherwise it's still a platform for DRM or other forms of lockdown. If you're not porting a .net application to MAC or Linux, I would avoid this for quite a while still. We don't know where this is going long term.
The entire runtime stack is open source.
https://github.com/dotnet/corefx https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Checkmate Stallman.
Not really. I'm a big fan of MIT style licenses, but it also means that Microsoft could at anytime start making proprietary updates. It could mean we could start adopting it and then at some point down the road they could discontinue the open version and start making closed features/updates. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased that this is the direction Microsoft is taking. I am just still very skeptical.
> It could mean we could start adopting it and then at some point down the road they could discontinue the open version and start making closed features/updates.
They could do that if it was GPL, too.
With MIT or GPL or any other FOSS license, if there is a sufficiently interested party, they can, however, maintain their own version starting with any Microsoft FOSS release; Free software doesn't mean that the original owner can't release proprietary derivatives in the future, it means that what has been released Free can always be used -- and maintained -- as Free software by anyone who wants.
Of course, there is a cost to that maintenance role, and you have no guarantee that someone will take it up if the original maintainer drops it or decides to release proprietary software instead. Free software gives you the right to spend your own resources to maintain it, not the entitlement for someone else to maintain it for you indefinitely.
MIT vs. GPL is pretty much irrelevant here.
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
One thing that's nice is that it's now open source, so as long as it remains open source, it will likely remain cross platform. Contributers that are on non-windows platforms will likely notice when something breaks on their platform, and get it fixed.
Only core components and now a stripped down IDE are open source (core is actually free software IIRC). I will only be impressed if the entire runtime stack becomes open source. Otherwise it's still a platform for DRM or other forms of lockdown. If you're not porting a .net application to MAC or Linux, I would avoid this for quite a while still. We don't know where this is going long term.
The runtime, Core CLR is is open source with MIT and porting is underway:
Re: Microsoft Launches Its .NET Distribution for Linux and Mac
#70So, what exactly is .NET? As a non-corporate Mac user, I'd like to know.
It is like the Java runtime, but started afresh with all of Java's learned lessons taken into account (although Java with 7 and 8 in particular is catching up). Up until now however it has only ran on Windows which was its biggest "downside" Vs. Java which runs on many platforms.
So, why would a Mac user develop in it, instead of in a Windows (virtual) machine?
How would .NET compare to Apple's native environment?
I guess the whole point is to write cross-platform code, but is the .NET environment that much better than Swift/Xcode?
I mean, Java never really caught on with the Mac user base.