> What would be the point of using microsoft's linux?
Azure. It will be like Amazon Linux, which is based on Fedora if I'm correct. I wonder what Microsoft will use, and if they choose Debian, if the Debian project will profit from it.
Furthermore, they will want better support for Ubuntu on Windows. If people don't need an Ubuntu machine to run Linux, without having to mess with Virtualbox, that will keep more people on Windows, well I guess that's what they hope.
They seem to move into a new world, where they are no longer the one superpower. SQL Server can run on Linux, just another example.
They could use it as stepping stone for businesses heavily invested on Linux or already having a mix of Linux and Windows: "we guarantee this is the best Linux distribution for compatibility with MS tech (Msad, powershell, Azure, mono etc etc)".
I don't know how appealing that is. Even from a GUI perspective, moving from Linux to Windows is such a huge step backwards.
I have to keep an eye on a whole bunch of things at work so I only run a Windows box for one or two pieces of software. This box takes up less than 25% of my screen real estate.
Every window on the Linux box is automatically placed and I usually have to put in literally no effort. On the Windows box every window is such a pain to manage. Some applications make an effort to remember where their windows were placed, but this is usually broken in some way and still does not allow me quickly switch layouts like on Linux.
The same as using Red Hat's Linux. You get a well supported environment. If you are a Linux shop but want to run on Azure then it makes sense, to me anyway, to go with the best supported OS on that platform.
I love Linux and while I also have some nagging negative thoughts about Microsoft getting so cosy with the Linux world, I also can't pretend I wouldn't be super excited to run a Microsoft Linux on my dev machine and then push to a Microsoft Linux on my Azure instances.
I don't think there is a widespread "nagging negative thoughts" about Microsoft working with Linux. That isn't where the skepticism comes from.
Azure, like all other cloud providers, fully supports and functions with all mainstream Linux distros (indeed, the Linux kernel includes a large number of kernel contributions from Microsoft, particularly around hypervisor support). When you conjecture about some synergy between your dev machine and Azure cloud machines, it makes me wonder if you are just extrapolating based on some assumptions of the platform, or if you have a real working knowledge of it.
All of this conjecture just seems bizarre. It's good that Microsoft is getting more knowledgeable about other platforms, but there is nothing at all exciting about some conceptual Microsoft Linux.
I come from the Microsoft of the 90s where they followed their Embrace, Extend, Extinguish methodology. My "nagging negative thoughts" all stem from those memories.
As for dev machine/cloud machine conjecture, I just mean I would like to have a consistent experience between what I develop on and what I deploy too. It isn't a huge deal, just nice to have more than anything.
Not a huge deal, but you'd be "super excited" about it?
I develop on Windows, mostly. I deploy to Ubuntu, Redhat, Amazon's AMI, among others. I literally will repeat that you sound like you know nothing about Linux, cloud providers, or Microsoft's play in this market.
>can't pretend I wouldn't be super excited to run a Microsoft Linux on my dev machine
Seeing as MS is basically a branch of the NSA I'm not excited about that at all. I might be slightly excited if MS went open source and allowed people to include their tools in other distros, but the NSA would never allow that.
This. I would be very interested in running Microsoft Linux instead of Ubuntu on a physical dev box. With .NET Core, ASP.NET, etc. having an MS proper Linux would be great.
Something along the lines of "We officially support development with ASP.NET, .NET Core, Mono, etc. on Microsoft Linux for deployment to Azure Microsoft Linux instances".
What you're describing will never happen. MS wants to keep .NET/etc development easiest on Windows. They have no incentive or plans to deliver the same support for developers on Linux as they do for devs on Windows.
Any true "linux distro" released by MS will have gimped out tools. If they ship windows with a Linux ABI ("Ubuntu + Windows") so you have MS support, then it's never going to be proper Linux.
I don't see how anything MS is doing really helps Linux. If they were really pro-Linux they'd make a commitment to supporting it 100% by making 100% of their development software compatible with Linux.
Just more extending for the purpose of extinguishing. I have no reason to believe otherwise because MS has not inspired confidence in me. All the tools they've open sourced or released on Linux are half assed. A billion dollar company like MS can make good software for Linux that isn't gimped, they just choose not to do so because they prefer that Windows remains a more viable platform for people who use their tools.
Your last paragraph betrays that you completely misunderstand the Linux platform, cloud platforms, or how Microsoft can succeed. What you described would literally be the death knell for all of Microsoft's recent initiatives, and goes in exactly the opposite direction of their movements.
How so? Microsoft want to support everything they can on Azure. That is just sensible business IMHO.
However there are businesses out there who like to work in a single vendor system as much as they can. I have no doubt that Microsoft will come out with their own Linux distro in the next 2-3 years. They don't need too, but they also didn't need to do lots of the things they have done recently.
Your argument is that Microsoft would introduce their own distro (a "proper" Microsoft Linux), and then declare their Linux-related ventures only "supported" on that Linux.
I feel like I've accidentally stumbled upon some internal discussion group of Microsoft's where very low level employees who completely misunderstand the market give their Microsoft-centric view of the world.
Just to share one example - visual studio has an amazing developer experience for exploring and debugging node apps. I wonder if there's anything else out there which comes close..?
> Taking back market share from Mac users. Especially among developers.
You're assuming that if they do release a MS Linux it would be geared towards the desktop which is ludicrous. I would love if they actually replaced the Windows code base for a Unix-derived one (it doesn't have to be Linux) but that is just not going to happen. It would only make it easier for Big Software to be ported to Linux and the Mac, with Windows and Microsoft losing its competitive advantage. Not going to happen.
The same as using a lot of the other Microsoft stuff: you can pay and have someone fix $problem on a deterministic timescale. You can upgrade without having to fear your production system will come crashing down.
