Re: FN-FORUM: Microsoft opens DOOrS to Linux emulator

date posted 1st April 2003 17:47


----- Original Message -----
From: "Elizabeth Varley" [EMAIL REMOVED]
To: [EMAIL REMOVED]
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 2:11 PM
Subject: FN-FORUM: Microsoft opens DOOrS to Linux emulator


> very interesting ;)
>
> http://www.vnunet.com/News/1139874
>
> Microsoft opens DOOrS to Linux emulator
> By James Middleton [01-04-2003]
> But Redmond will still demand licence revenue
>
> Microsoft has thrown in the towel and gone back to its very dark and
distant
> roots in the Unix world with a surprise announcement today that it is
> working on a Linux emulator for Windows.
>

Hmm, I'd have expected a bit more accuracy from vunet.

M$ Have always had a POSIX Subsystem for the NT line of systems, though
it has mostly been ignored (much like the OS/2 subsystem) but was needed
to gain entry into various (USA) Federal Govenment Departments, and the
DoD. This was Posix 0.9 (iirc) Then came Interix with its full Posix
compatability layer, that REPLACED the original POSIX subsystem, with
its own 'proper' and upto date POSIX Compliant Subsystem. Microsoft
bought Interix last year or so, and sells this now as (I belive) part
of Windows Services For UNIX (or some similar name) pack or alone
as M$ Interix.

This could be a way of them loading linux ELF binaries, rather than
the PE files that windows uses. - Maybe.

Contrary to popular belief Linux isn't Unix. Linux is a POSIX
compatable O/S. Some bits and bobs are nabbed from *BSD, however
it's not BSD derived.

In short it's hardly news, and it look more like a relaunch of Interix
than a linux compatability layer.

Regards,

Simon