Comment by jkaplowitz
8 years ago
Debian developer here, speaking only for myself: while Debian doesn't like proprietary software any more than before, the change we've seen from MS has been dramatic.
MS now ships Debian for Azure through a collaboration with Debian and credativ, and also in the Windows Store running through the Windows Subsystem for Linux. They've hosted a Debian cloud sprint, sponsored DebConf, and engaged in good-faith substantive ways that don't only benefit their platforms. Of course, they care most about their platforms, but that's fine.
In the other direction, Debian does ship fully open source software (what Debian would call DFSG-free) with Microsoft as author.
Debian isn't playing favorites, of course, and is similarly working with Amazon and Google (among other partners of all sizes) in areas of shared interest.
Thanks to the work of projects like Debian, for some 20 years now people have the right and ability to run a computer in freedom, and there's little point for Microsoft to compete on the consumer/Desktop OS sector any more (compare to mobile, web, Apple, etc.). What do you think what they're competing over now? Imagine if Azure integration starts to appear in FLOSS, because it's an online/hosting service and the "Open Source" guys don't care much about SaaSS and don't favor the AGPL.
The main Azure integration in Debian is supporting use of Debian in and with Azure, just like they're supporting every other environment in which one might want to run the Universal Operating System (that's Debian's longstanding tagline). Including physical ones, with no plans to change that.
I agree it's important to be able to Debian in the environment of your choice. That includes Azure as well as self-hosted and small-hosting-company options.
Yes, that’s great but doesn’t excuse their surveillance tech and recent consumer hostile behaviors as described over these threads.
I agree. Doesn't excuse it at all, but may be of more relevance than that in predicting how they'll handle GitHub.