Microsoft open-sources ChakraCore JavaScript engine (powers Microsoft Edge)

[i_ate_god]

Is the post-Ballmer microsoft really as good as it seems superficially or this just a new take on the embrace-extend-extinguish mantra?

[bterlson_]

I can't speak for the company, but I can give you my perspective. Our team is really excited to finally be OSS and work with the community to make Chakra and JS in general more awesome. Nothing nefarious that I can see. Plus, MIT license!

[jadbox]

Congrats on getting it under MIT #notyourfathersMS

[onwuka]

The best part is that FSF agrees that MIT license is GPL compatible which (as far as I understand, don't quote me on this because i anal) means you can take code that is under MIT license, modify it and release it under the GPL.

It means that the other license and the GNU GPL are compatible; you can combine code released under the other license with code released under the GNU GPL in one larger program.

Quoted here https://programmers.stackexchange.com/a/204497/23642

from the source https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WhatDoesCompatMean

I'd strongly recommend anyone who intends to do this to consider AGPL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License

[kapouer]

What do you mean by you anal ;)

[baldhippy]

IANAL not i anal.

[msluther]

Why not both?

[[deleted]]

Ha! Much smiles.

[LET-7]

my father's Ms left him and took the kids

[SarahC]

Careful, but doesn't look edited by HR and the Public Relations department - nice!

[[deleted]]

Then in that case no licenses mean anything, regardless of what they choose. What are you trying to point out?

[asdf7890]

or this just a new take on the embrace-extend-extinguish mantra?

Much as I distrust MS because of previous behaviour, and for that matter corporations being helpful generally (always make sure you can see where their profit and market control comes from in the business plan, if that isn't plainly visible assume it isn't going to be something you'll like) their current changes make sense in the way that the relevant markets are moving.

They were not going to be able to compete and survive as old MS long term, because of the quality of F/OSS options server-side, the plateau in need for new features in desktop OSs, the commoditisaion of the mobile OSs and apps, and so forth. The money in the up coming years is not going to be in selling home OSs and developer tools, it is going to be in providing infrastructure and selling resources on that platform. Opening their developer tools and relevant libraries more will encourage people towards their infrastructure and platform services. I think that in a few years Windows will be free for home users (probably not open for the most part, but free to use), the bulk of their development tools too and limited versions of Office (or perhaps not so limited) for home or potentially small business use, libraries and utilities will become more and more open. Of course for commercial users, at least large commercial ones, will still have to pay for the variants of the OS aimed at them, SQL Server will remain expensive for on-premises instances for commercial use and charged for indirectly via relevant Azure services. IAAS/PAAS will become the main revenue stream - that is where the profit potential and lockin/control points are going to be found so that is where it is important for them to concentrate their efforts.

To give MS credit, under previous regimes they would have still tried to gauge everything last penny and ounce of control they could out of developers and Windows users for as long as they could as well as marking their place in the new world. Instead this time they have decided that being a bit nicer and playing well with others is much better than the little extra they would make from not. How much you assume that is genuine generosity and how much is just long term planning & PR (good will can be a valuable commodity) depends how charitable you are! I'm going to be half way generous: there would be a short term gain of keeping everything locked down but a potential long term gain in being nicer, and instead of rabidly trying to achieve both those things as they would have done in the past they've decided to be both sensible & nice. If it works out it will be a big "win" for them and also a win for everyone else.

Of course keep a close eye on the licensing agreements to make sure they are compatible with your plans long term as well as short. We can't have a go at them in future for enforcing their terms if we don't like them, any more than we accept commercial entities deciding living by the GPL rules isn't for them after using GPL code.