back to article Microsoft welcomes CentOS Linux onto virtualized Windows

Microsoft is taking a swing at Red Hat, promoting freebie Linux CentOS on Windows Server via its hypervisor and offering technical support for service providers. On Monday, the software giant announced that CentOS now runs as a "first class citizen" on Windows Server R2 Hyper-V, while hinting at more work in the pipeline to …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Richard Lloyd
    Stop

    Don't forget CentOS can host Windows guests too

    Don't forget that CentOS's free kvm can guest virtualise both Linux and Windows OS'es too and the overall solution will be much cheaper (one less expensive Windows Server licence to buy)! Methinks Microsoft forgot about this scenario...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Exactly

      I have a CentOS server, with a guest Win2k3 server and another CentOS image.

      "Microsoft is taking a swing at Red Hat, promoting freebie Linux CentOS on Windows Server via its hypervisor and offering technical support for service providers."

      Microsoft also seem to be missing the point that people who use CentOS tend to do so because they've chosen NOT to pay for support.

    2. Ben Holmes
      Stop

      Yes but...

      ...if you're primarily a Windows shop, then you're going to want to host CentOS on your Windows-based kit. And not piss about setting up CentOS natively, just to run Windows on the kvm.

      So methinks Microsoft probably doesn't give a shit about that scenario.

    3. ziggyfish
      Thumb Up

      Also remember

      Also remember that KVM can run a wider range or Guest OS as well including FreeBSD, Windows XP.

      1. Number6
        Coat

        But...?

        Will it run OS/2?

    4. TonyJ

      Check the MS licensing in virtual environments

      You might want to reconsider the licensing that Microsoft offers within virtual environments.

      Pay for one Enterprise license, and run four copies on the same host (there are pretty tight rules such as they are bound to one physical host).

      Pay for one Datacenter license and run as many as you like on that one license.

      More information is here:

      http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/virtualization.aspx

      What is more, although they're not clear about it, it applies to other hypervisors and not just Hyper-v

    5. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD
      Paris Hilton

      Hosted CentOS VM.

      Why would anyone want to host a linux vm on windows?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Gates Horns

        Why would anyone want to host a linux vm on windows?

        If you work in a Microsoft shop which authenticates everything using Active Directory and you need to use Linux this may be the only way you'll get support. It's a crappy solution to say the least. Posting A/C so as not to offend unaccountable IT management where I work. At home I run Windows VMs on Linux hosts using VirtualBox which works much better.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Go

          Likewise

          Have you tried Likewise for AD auth in Linux? works quite well.

    6. Davidoff

      No, they didn't forget.

      MS doesn't need to be afraid of KVM on CentOS because they already offer their 'Hyper-V Server' for free, available as a download from the MS website. Hyper-V Server consists of Windows Server 2008 core and the Hyper-V hypervisor and supports many features like HA which is an expensive option with VMWare and XenServer.

      And even their paid for option ('Windows Server with Hyper-V') isn't as expensive as it seems.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    I don't know why but

    the words Microsoft and open in the same phrase provokes me a severe nausea.

    As soon as Red Hat will disappear, Microsoft will laugh CentOS out of their hypervisor and if anyone would be inclined to believe the contrary then he should check in to the closest psychiatric clinic.

    As for the 20000 lines of code "donated" it was rather a damage control operation to avoid accusations of copyright violation.

    On the other hand, Microsoft techies assisting people with Linux installation and troubleshooting gives me a good laugh. It's easier than Windows, isn't it, lads ?

    1. Danny 5
      Stop

      i doubt that

      hate on Microsoft all you want, fact of the matter is that they have been trying to play nice(r) in their support for open source software. Also, HyperV is a damn good product, that i think will start to really compete with other hypervisors soon. I've been experimenting on it and have to say it works great.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Happy

        @Danny 5

        So you are one of those who believe that

  3. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
    Linux

    Get the Facts!(no not the Microsoft version)

    The RH Kernel repackaging was not aimed at Centos. It was aimed right at Oracle. RH specifically mentioned that Centos was not the target here. There are generally good relations between the two as the CentOS guys feed back issues & fixes to RH. Oracle did not do that.

    This fix/announcelemt by MS is hardly rocket science. All it needed was one line added to a config file to allow the CentOS Signature. They could have added Scientific Linux as well but they didn't.

  4. xenny

    Hyper-V is free

    Don't forget that a bare Hyper-V licence is free, so the cost argument isn't that simple.

  5. Rhiakath Flanders
    Jobs Horns

    I'm suspicious about this

    And extremely uncomfortable. I really don't like Microsoft touching anything Linux related. They have a way of corrupting things, absorbing them, and then saying they did it all along, and they're the freaking geniuses. God, I hate them. I like some of their products, no doubt, but I hate their attitude.

    @Richard Lloyd - I don't think Microsoft would forget about that.

    On the other hand, if Microsoft were to carefully read linux's source code and take some ideas from it, MAYBE we could all have a better windows :)

    1. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
      FAIL

      dont

      count on it

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @Rhiakath

      "...On the other hand, if Microsoft were to carefully read linux's source code and take some ideas from it, MAYBE we could all have a better windows..."

      I doubt it, I suspect what'd happen is loads of hand wrigning about how MS are stealing ideas from Linux and why can't they just do things by themselfs. etc. etc.

  6. DRendar
    Grenade

    *Warning* Grammar error buffer overflow *Warning*

    "When it comes to existing support agreements with Novell and Red Hat, Gupata said and when Microsoft's identified a customer's problem is not Microsoft related to Hyper-V the company's support people have it's handed the customer over to their Linux provider. "

    So... many... errors.... Noooooooo.

    *BOOM*

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Gonna git me a virtual appliance

    .....errr

    Loads of virtual appliances are CentOS based so when customer wants to run Whizzy-Bang-Do-It-All virtual appliance from Jobbysoft A.G they can now do it in Hyper-V alongside theie Exchange, AD, Sharepoint, MS blah blah etc instead of having to create a VMware/Xen/KVM/other hypervisor instance especially for it.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    i don't care

    all i need to do is to somehow, put some spin on this article and make it look like centOS is now a M$ approved OS and get my "Tech Savvy" manager (he's a button clicking windows user who "does" word and exel) to allow me to load centOS on my office desktop.

    Thank You Microsoft.

  9. BOBSta
    WTF?

    Lindows? MS plan of action

    1) Support CentOS

    2) Port Windows 7 GUI to QT

    3) Port Office

    :

    :

    6) Hey presto! Stable MS Linux

    7) Convince world to pay for it

    :

    9) Profit

    ...Oh, wait...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Childish playground tactics

    MS should simply buy Red Hat and cover their ground by having 2 of the 3 main OS in the marketplace. Stupid not to, from a business perspective, not political / image perspective.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like