One of the good things about Gnu / Linux is that it does not depend on a specific company or developer. The freedom of code allows us to take the distribution or the Gnu / Linux element and to be able to replicate it, adapt it or modify it to our liking.
This has allowed anonymous users drive Gnu / Linux development but also that there are new companies around this operating system. But recently, thanks to an InfoWorld study, we learned that private companies are having importance within the development of the kernel of Gnu / Linux and Linux as an option for the server world.
Interestingly, the company that contributes the most is Microsoft. The great proprietary software giant makes various contributions to various Gnu / Linux projects, including the kernel. Within the kernel team, Microsoft pays the salaries to 12 developers of the team, being one of the companies that contributes the most to the Linus Torvalds kernel. This is not to say that Microsoft plans to create a Linux-like kernel or that it spies on Linux Torvalds, but rather that it is helping to make its technologies suitable or most possibly optimized for Gnu / Linux servers.
Microsoft is the main one but not the only one. Google and Intel are the other big companies that contribute to the Gnu / Linux system and the Linux kernel. The motive for these companies remains the same as the motive for Microsoft. Thus, Google's main asset is no longer the search engine but Android, an operating system that is based on the Linux kernel.
A more secure and optimized kernel is a great advantage for Google and its mobiles. Intel is not having great benefits in the desktop computer sector but within the sector of servers and portable devices, for this reason they are also actively involved in the development of the kernel.
But not everything is as beautiful as it seems. These companies always look out for their interests and this may affect the development of Gnu / Linux, that is why we must not neglect independent development, the most important development Don't you think so?
Source - infoworld
If one reads the source of the article:
"The reality is that Microsoft, open source heavy that it has become, can't even crack the Top 30 contributors to the Linux kernel, according to the Linux Foundation's latest report."
The original article talks about some statements that say that Microsoft's contribution has value not for its weight but for being innovative, however it points out that it is debatable:
"Although that would be up for debate, Microsoft has changed so much that most of us would at least consider the statement."
The article opens the door for Microsoft to innovate a lot with Linux in the future, but it does not say that today it is, not even close.
Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. Fear the Greeks even if they bring you gifts.
The "Linux kernel"? But if Linux is precisely a kernel! ...
How strange that the website is called «Linux adictos» and have this type of confusion.
It is badly titled, as I see in the Linux Foundation the contributions of Microsoft are in position 20, I think these headlines are incorrect, the author must correct.
I think this qualifies as yellowishness. If Microsoft were to innovate, it would do so with Windows, but it doesn't.
Controversial article, now what will the fanatical linux Taliban allege? That the kernel and all its infrastructure can be maintained by the community and not need private companies? Yeah like nooo! If each one of us contributed financially so much to the Linux Foundation, to the desktop we use and to a favorite application, we would not be depending on these private contributions. The community wants everything to be free and will rant part if it doesn't work out perfectly.
A bad day, huh? ... Relax, that touches us all from time to time. It will pass. By the way, Microsoft "does not maintain" the kernel only includes parts that are of interest to it for compatibility with servers and its cloud ecosystems dependent on those servers. The Linux kernel is maintained by a team led by Linus Torvalds.
Taliban linux fanatics? Said the fanatic Windowsero Taliban ... Well, until now they had done it (stay without needing Micro $ oft) ... And by the way, as you have been told Micro $ oft does not maintain anything, it just tries to make its wonderful software work well on GNU / Linux based on polishing it until they make it as optimized as possible, but don't mess around, they don't maintain anything ... Except for the user tied hand and foot with a proprietary OS to the core ...
I'm not usually very pessimistic, but ... lizard, lizard
Personally I used Windows before, I was attracted to the idea of switching to Linux, a few years ago I switched to Linux and now I find out that Windows is already putting its spoon in Linux that is bad news, I hope it remains as a free project and without black hand.