Earlier quoted context omitted.
Microsoft Research License. Yes, Yes, No.
How can a license allow modification without redistribution?
Why do you have to redistribute something in order to modify it? Just modify it for your own personal use.
Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
21–30 of 211 posts
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#22Pretty cool. One question comes to mind, though: if I ever want to contribute to FreeDOS or LibreOffice should I refrain from reading this code?
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#23Under what license? Can we view, modify, redistribute? No one wants to get sued for these things, or being found to violate some end user license agreement with some other Microsoft software. On the other hand, I'd love to find out that people viewing this code contribute an improvement that no one in Microsoft saw in decades that helps them improve something today, leading them to soften their stance on Free Softwar…
Microsoft Research License. Yes, Yes, No.
Microsoft Research does some really cool stuff. Do they really work for the same company as the people who make Windows and Office? I can't imagine two more diametrically different organizations.
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#24Under what license? Can we view, modify, redistribute? No one wants to get sued for these things, or being found to violate some end user license agreement with some other Microsoft software. On the other hand, I'd love to find out that people viewing this code contribute an improvement that no one in Microsoft saw in decades that helps them improve something today, leading them to soften their stance on Free Softwar…
Not only are you not allowed to distribute it by the license, actually distributing it would get you sued for patent violation. Using anything you find in the code will probably get you sued for patent violation, too.
EDIT: I can just imagine a future lawsuit:
A: Did you read the MS-DOS source code released by Microsoft on XX? We have logs to show you downloaded it.
B: Yes, but that has nothing to do with this lawsuit!
A: Incorrect. The MS-DOS source code you viewed is under Patent ZZ. We believe you used the IP found in the MS-DOS source code to build your flying car.
Judge: Guilty!
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#25Well, I had this already - but wouldn't mind a legal copy of the source code after all these years.
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#26Under what license? Can we view, modify, redistribute? No one wants to get sued for these things, or being found to violate some end user license agreement with some other Microsoft software. On the other hand, I'd love to find out that people viewing this code contribute an improvement that no one in Microsoft saw in decades that helps them improve something today, leading them to soften their stance on Free Softwar…
The full license text is right on the download page: http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/microsoft-research-lice...
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#27just in case someone from MS is reading -- is it also possible to put this code under the public domain or at least under a free license? I'm very worried about the fact that some of this old code, though useless to MS at this moment, will be lost for follow-on use by folks today.
I'd rather start any project on a foundation of at least MS-DOS 5.0.
I'd rather start any project on a foundation of at least latest FreeBSD or GNU/Linux :P
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#28I wonder if they deleted all the "fucks" out of it. The Win2K source code was good for a laugh.
;FIND.ASM
165 badfart proc far ;(what a hack!!)
166 ret
167 badfart endpRe: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Microsoft Research License. Yes, Yes, No.
Microsoft Research does some really cool stuff. Do they really work for the same company as the people who make Windows and Office? I can't imagine two more diametrically different organizations.
Bell Labs was founded by Ma Bell, it's hard to top that and MSR does not come close.
Re: Microsoft makes source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows available to public
#30I think making IE open source will be very interesting....!
Maybe in the same way a tour of a sausage factory would be interesting....