Comment: Google joins the Linux organization to help open source

According to foreign media reports, Google recently joined the open-source organization OIN Open Innovation Network), and OIN is an Organization designed to reduce the pressure on Linux developers against patent litigation.

And Microsoft claim open-source operations

The system violates its 235 patents and threatens Linux users to pay royalties against their distributors. Google stands on the side of the OIN organization, and began to help open-source software pick up legal weapons to protect themselves.

What are the origins of Google and open source?

As a giant Internet search company, Google may not be keen on releasing, upgrading open-source operating system software or open-source desktop application software. However, it is undeniable that, google is definitely a company that supports and uses open source software.

Because open-source software is used behind every Internet search engine, Google is no exception, on a large number of servers around the world, Google runs GNU/Linux programs that have been modified by themselves. In fact, for Google, they rely heavily on open source code, and Google acknowledges this.

In an open interview, Kai-fu Lee defined Google's open-source choice as a "wise" option, and defined it as a "wise" premise, google wants to keep its future destiny in its own hands. Open-source software allows Google to modify and process programs running on its global servers in a short time.

However, I believe that Google chose to use open-source software and technology when it was founded. The decisive factor may be the price and Technical Characteristics of open-source software, open source is undoubtedly the best choice.

Now, Google has made many special changes to open-source software. Many of the tools used inside Google are developed on the basis of open-source software. Therefore, Google's choice of open source at the beginning of its creation is not so "wise" as to say that today's Google's "first choice, then modification, the "strategy" is more "wise.

Google joined the OIN organization and took another step towards open source.

However, Internet companies like Google and Yahoo have never followed the open-source license agreement, and they have not provided feedback to the open-source community about their software modifications. Because Google and Yahoo sell services using open-source software, rather than the product itself, they are allowed not to feedback their modifications. Of course, from the perspective of "morality", this is a controversial point of Google.

Today, Google has become a member of the OIN organization, which means that it will share the free cross-Authorization and open-source patents and modifications with other members in the Organization. That is to say, Google will submit modifications to Linux to Members in the OIN organization. Although such "publicity" is in a small scope, it can also be said to be an improvement.

Because for OIN, or for the Open Source world, Google's participation means that seven companies have formed protection barriers for Linux systems. Chris DiBona, Google open-source project manager, said: "This is a way for everyone to focus on Linux development. Every Google search engine user is supporting Linux ."

In contrast to Google's open-source world, Microsoft recently claimed that Linux has infringed 235 patents and Microsoft has signed agreements with a few Linux distributors. I believe this agreement should be very similar to the agreement signed between Microsoft and Novell in last November.

It seems that Microsoft is further breaking down the Open Source world. However, as more and more company names appear on the OIN list, more and more patents will be obtained for Linux, then, it will become more difficult for Microsoft to launch another attack on Linux.

Of course, we still cannot see the future of open source, and we cannot predict what kind of attitude Google will face in the "mainstream" software market in the future? If one day, open source will take over the mainstream software market, Will Google play a similar role as Microsoft today? These are post-scripts. Today, Google is taking a step towards open source!