With an upgrade to the Windows XP variant due Tuesday, the software maker aims to address critiques from its earliest customers. Dell, Sony and other PC makers are standing by. In the meantime, the Chinese government has set up a lab to study Microsoft Windows source code.
Microsoft Buffs up its Media Center XP; Chinese to Study Source Code
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSAlert.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
How many organizations have access to windows source code? I’ve heard that some universities have had access to some/all of windows code. What parts of windows source code have been given out?
With China now having most favored nation trading status I doubt this would happen, but they could take windows source code and make their own os telling MS to bugger off – or probably more likely rip out chunks of it and include in a hybrid linux/windows os. They could have almost perfect windows emulation easily with much of the source code.
I
And all this time I thought the Linux people were the communists, or is this just a brilliant ploy to get the chinese to use Windows and thus sabotage them ?
Pray tell, once they get done “studying” the source code, what do they think will happen when they want things changed?
There is no way Microsoft is going to allow changes to their OS from outside the company.
In the end, opening up windows source code is meaningless as a result.
Just what possible good will come of it if you cannot share that information, change that information, or even implement those changes yourself?
Not only that, but many of the naive think that if Microsoft would open up its code, things could be fixed.
That isn’t so, as Microsoft products are so heavily integrated, a single source line to the OS could mean many thousands, if not millions of lines of change in the application layer.
Could someone please identify any possible positive effect this will have on the average Windows user/Administrator.
-gc
>> or probably more likely rip out chunks of it and include in a hybrid linux/windows os.
>>
Well, at least Microsoft will be on the receiving end of code-theft for once!!
Thing though is: would the chineese be allowed to compile their own Windows from the source? If not, what guarantees does anyone have that the binary wasn’t compiled from something more? And will MS do as much for other governments as well?
If the issue is really about transparency and code-honesty, it will be tough for MS to compete with open source.
I was wondering– will this new version of MCE be available as an update through WindowsUpdate (much like a service pack) or is it a ‘completely new’ version, only available when buying a new Media Center Computer??
I’d feel kinda crappy to find out I can’t upgrade my own MCE…
I’ve scouted the net– but a clear answer doesn’t seem present– might be just me though
I wonder why the US govt would allow MS to export the source code to a hostile government. Of course they gave it to the Russian government too. How much do you want to bet that the Chinese government sponsored EW guys got immediate delivery of the code?
Should we start calling MS’s policy “communist source” since only the communist countries get to inspect it?
I wonder why the US govt would allow MS to export the source code to a hostile government. Of course they gave it to the Russian government too. How much do you want to bet that the Chinese government sponsored EW guys got immediate delivery of the code?
You seems to say that the US government has great relations and influence with the company who can do anything it want with 99.9% of the computers of this planet, who carries so much sensitive information, and with no warranties …
Brr
I think that us, the rest of the world (we represent an amazing part of the population) should switch to an operating system governed by fair rules (*BSD, Linux, the Hurd, …, whatever)
“Microsoft has drawn up policies to develop closer ties with officials”
Is the previous sentence another way of saying that Microsoft has bribed Chinese officials ?
Why is the Chinese government wasting taxpayers money on a lab that will only take a peek at proprietary source code, with no guarantee that whatever changes they suggest will ever be implemented ?
>Is the previous sentence another way of saying that Microsoft has bribed Chinese officials ?
No, it is just your conspiracy theory.
>with no guarantee that whatever changes they suggest will ever be implemented ?
Oh, you are now telling us that you have actually read their contracts?
With China now having most favored nation trading status I doubt this would happen, but they could take windows source code and make their own os telling MS to bugger off – or probably more likely rip out chunks of it and include in a hybrid linux/windows os. They could have almost perfect windows emulation easily with much of the source code.
I don’t think so. Yes, they could steal it, but it would probably ruin their relationship with the US. They might be communists, but they’re not stupid.
But I’m sure they are looking to try and make something that can be compatable with windows programs from this. Or they are just doing a security check, so if they do use windows, they can go though the code and know that there isn’t a trojain in it. The asian countries have been trying to crack and destroy eachother though computers for years now.
I doub’t that any person or group at MS understands well MS Windows code, as result of modular cummulative development model. Those billions of code lines.
Why do you think that any outsider with much more limited resources, experience and missing proprietary docs can get some benefit from it?
It is more like marketing gesture.
Well for one thing there aren’t “billions” of lines of windows source code. There are millions.
Secondly, it’s not like they are going to read every line of code. They’ll use tools to audit the code.
<Blockquote>I wonder why the US govt would allow MS to export the source code to a hostile government.</Blockquote>
Is MS an american company? No, it is a multinational corporation. The US is only part of its market, so in many real ways it transcends many national interests.
Well, it is an american company. They are established in Redmond, WA after all. However, I agree with you. Their code doesn’t belong to the government.
Is MS an american company? No, it is a multinational corporation.
Microsoft is an american company. Remember the rumors about a year or so ago that hinted that Microsoft might relocate to Canada. Microsoft has to be incorporated somewhere and it’s probably in Washington or maybe Delaware(where a lot of companies incorporate).
The Chinese Govt will simply take what they want from the windows code and use it in their own OS. They will then be able to natively run MS compatible applications. There is nothing MS will be able to do. The Chinese courts are absolutely controlled by the government.
A number of years ago the Australian Government sent China some Nomad light aircraft for evaluation. The Chinese simply made copies of the aircraft and cancelled the order.
China is a corporatist state like Nazi Germany. It is brutally repressive and extremely corrupt. The increase in materialism doesn’t necessarily mean the country is becoming democratic.
Well, sad to say that, but Australia has a tad less influence in the world than the US. If MS can win an antitrust trial against the DoJ, it sure can persuade the american government to put some pressure on China if they ever do some shit like that. Anyway, we don’t really know what they’re sharing. Code without any documentation is often as good as no code at all…
I suggest you ALL stop talking political around here, or you will ALL see your comments deleted or moded down. Stop the political off topic crap please.
As I understand it Windows contains code licensed from other sources and acknowledges as such
I very much doubt this code is supplied to Government users and without it Windows probably can’t be compiled, or at least not completely…..
With regards to the suggestion that the Chi9nese might use Windows source code to “build a better linux” ask yourself what motivstion they would have?
China isn’t interested in sales of software abroad – and couldnt anyway – and it doesn’t have significant Microsoft software assets anyway. Windows compatibility is very much a concern for people who are dependent on MS software, especially office. The People’s Republic has been using Linux for years
As you may recall, China announced it was going to make its own OS. To me, this looks like Microsoft is scrambling to try and get them to change their minds. It’s pure business.
“I wonder why the US govt would allow MS to export the source code to a hostile government. Of course they gave it to the Russian government too.”
I don’t think either of those countries are hostile any more. The cold war is over and both Russia and China are moving rapidly toward capitalism.
The new enemy is the “terrorists”. I doubt if Al-Quaeda is getting sight of the Windows source code.
Chinese government hackers are glad for this opportunity I’m sure. Any results from observing the code will surely be shared widely.
While this will potentially make it easier for possible information war attacks, it should also motivate the U.S. (and other governments) to move away from MS.
I remember well that during the antitrust trial, MS lawyers said that to be forced to open the Windows source code would endanger America’s national security. What a bill of goods!
Chinese took it apart and studied it. Afterwards build their own based on russian design.
I would like to thank Eugenia for the hardwork she does to make this site as good as it is.
BUT, Your kidding about the politics right Eugenia? Especially when articles like this are<a href =”http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=4694“> posted? What does that have to do with OSAlert? You should mod down quite a bit of the front page then.
Are you saying the political status of a corporation that controls an OS monopoly, or a country that is given the source code to said monopolies product are off topic? Granted some topics are less relevant, but this a forum, a place of discussion for issues…
Maybe I missed something… Either way Its hypocritical to act like OSAlert strictly adheres to an OS only mandate. I’m not trying to dump on Eugenia, but a political discussion is quite often RELAVENT, especially when the topic is of interest to the whole planent… A narrow focus hurts discussion.
I just don’t want to see the OSAlert forums turn into a worse slashdot where anyone is free to mod down because they don’t agree with the post. Too much is buried that way.