Some years ago I think windows source was available to be studied in some universities? No sure how true that is and if any recent version is available. Sure would be fun if the slopmachine just ingested all of it…
The source code for windows has always been fairly widely available among industrial actors (provided suitable NDAs were signed). So, nothing exceptional there.
The potential for copyright infringement (or at least the appearance of copyright infringement) would be too high. Better to keep a “clean room” approach in the wine project to avoid attracting Microsoft’s ire.
WINE is a compatibility layer (famously, WINE Is Not an Emulator) for Windows APIs on posix OSes; most notably this allows you to run Windows applications on Linux.
Microsoft would truly love to beat WINE to death with a legal sledgehammer but so far they do not have the legal ground, as WINE is developed based on public knowledge and Microsoft famously keeps their source code closed.
If you saw the Windows source code, and then you contributed to WINE, it is possible
Microsoft could make the legal argument that WINE was using stolen trade secrets, even if the verbatim source code was added to the WINE codebase.
Whether or not that would have worked for Microsoft is up in the air; but the WINE project didn’t want to find out the hard way.
It has already been leaked a million times because they sell the source code to governments and anyone (well, at least up to Windows 2000 which was the last decent version).
If it’s because you’re worried and not because you have proprietary software you need that’s keeping you tied to it, Mint was super duper easy for me to install (I’ve never installed Linux before) and it’s been essentially out of the box compatible with the games I play since most are already optimized for the Steam Deck.
If it’s the software thing, sorry man, my spouse is in the same boat.
Seconded. I started with PopOS but wasn’t sold on it, so quickly switched to Mint and it was perfect. Once my wife test drove on my installation, she gave it a shot on her laptop, and now she gets frustrated when she’s forced to use Windows for her college test proctoring spyware she has to use.
Here’s a link for anybody curious to get started. I like Cinnamon. Just download the OS and flash it to a flash drive, boot into BIOS, select the flash drive to boot from, and you’re testing a live version of the OS. If you like it, you can install through pretty easy install wizards. It doesn’t pester you to buy shit like Windows does. And there’s a safe and easy app store for most of what you’ll care about, and it just works. It gets the fuck out of your way. And if you have issues, just google it and you’ll probably find somebody already figured out the solution and shared it with plebs like us.
This is the way. I always recommend people to get their feet wet with the live boot. I’ve been using Linux for almost 3 decades. Live boot is the easiest way to find out what will work for you. I’m not a Mint user, but it’s great for the people who like it; best part about FOSS.
It’s judt about time, I need more storage devices to transition… I need to setup windows alongside it too… Generally a mess. And yea I want to go with Green Ubuntu lol
There’s a fair few projects working towards getting windows software to work in Linux beyond wine. WinBoat and bottles to name the two I use frequently. I set-up WinBoat for my wife because office360. Took a little bit of fiddling with settings for WinBoat to run nicely on her 2017 MacBook air with a Ubuntu derivative OS…but it works as it would on windows…so poorly.
FL Studio was the reason it took me so long to ditch windows. Try bottles. Don’t bother with the automatic configuration, just install it in a default gaming setup. Very minor tweaks got it working better than in win11 on my laptop.
Worst comes worse, one could install a VM with Windows. And for the edge cases where neither VMs or compatibility layers suffice, the user can install Windows on a different physical drive and plug it in just when needed.
I convinced my spouse to give it a try on our family laptop. I installed Mint and she never complained. Granted, if there is something more involved that needs installing or fixing she relies on me but I think this isn’t so different if it were Windows. She seems happy using it all these years on a device that otherwise would have to be written of as scrap due to Microsoft shenanigans with 10/11 compatibilities, but the machine works as if brand new. Also our kid grew up using it. He knows basic usage and I glee in the fact he has never used Windows so far in his live.
Gut feeling, but I think the panic would last 2 days. Then issues would be found and unofficial patches would be made faster than fire spreads in dry folliage.
It would genuinely cause worldwide panic if the Windows source code leaked, and that brings joy to me
… until I realize I still have Windows because I still haven’t moved to linux
Do it now. We love you and want you to join with us.
Some years ago I think windows source was available to be studied in some universities? No sure how true that is and if any recent version is available. Sure would be fun if the slopmachine just ingested all of it…
I think it was that the XP source was leaked. There was a huge deal because those who saw it were highly discouraged from contributing to wine.
The source code for windows has always been fairly widely available among industrial actors (provided suitable NDAs were signed). So, nothing exceptional there.
Can you expand on that a little?
The potential for copyright infringement (or at least the appearance of copyright infringement) would be too high. Better to keep a “clean room” approach in the wine project to avoid attracting Microsoft’s ire.
Ah, that definitely makes sense. Thanks!
WINE is a compatibility layer (famously, WINE Is Not an Emulator) for Windows APIs on posix OSes; most notably this allows you to run Windows applications on Linux.
Microsoft would truly love to beat WINE to death with a legal sledgehammer but so far they do not have the legal ground, as WINE is developed based on public knowledge and Microsoft famously keeps their source code closed.
If you saw the Windows source code, and then you contributed to WINE, it is possible Microsoft could make the legal argument that WINE was using stolen trade secrets, even if the verbatim source code was added to the WINE codebase.
Whether or not that would have worked for Microsoft is up in the air; but the WINE project didn’t want to find out the hard way.
Gotcha. Thank you.
It has already been leaked a million times because they sell the source code to governments and anyone (well, at least up to Windows 2000 which was the last decent version).
Someone I used to know claimed to have Windows 11 source.
I remember trying to build Windows XP on its leaked source code, so I’m sure it exists to that point.
Ah, the days when it was still known as Windows Whistler, until someone leaked how it looked and everyone started calling it Teletubby Windows instead
Never heard it being called that, but this is brilliant.
https://eu3-browse.startpage.com/av/anon-image?piurl=https%3A%2F%2Fpicfiles.alphacoders.com%2F476%2Fthumb-1920-476655.jpg&sp=1785091654Ta440ef1fa8d1a665fce87bd761b9d06d82c583f4a7f779b2e5bc346dca1239c8
If it’s because you’re worried and not because you have proprietary software you need that’s keeping you tied to it, Mint was super duper easy for me to install (I’ve never installed Linux before) and it’s been essentially out of the box compatible with the games I play since most are already optimized for the Steam Deck.
If it’s the software thing, sorry man, my spouse is in the same boat.
Seconded. I started with PopOS but wasn’t sold on it, so quickly switched to Mint and it was perfect. Once my wife test drove on my installation, she gave it a shot on her laptop, and now she gets frustrated when she’s forced to use Windows for her college test proctoring spyware she has to use.
Here’s a link for anybody curious to get started. I like Cinnamon. Just download the OS and flash it to a flash drive, boot into BIOS, select the flash drive to boot from, and you’re testing a live version of the OS. If you like it, you can install through pretty easy install wizards. It doesn’t pester you to buy shit like Windows does. And there’s a safe and easy app store for most of what you’ll care about, and it just works. It gets the fuck out of your way. And if you have issues, just google it and you’ll probably find somebody already figured out the solution and shared it with plebs like us.
This is the way. I always recommend people to get their feet wet with the live boot. I’ve been using Linux for almost 3 decades. Live boot is the easiest way to find out what will work for you. I’m not a Mint user, but it’s great for the people who like it; best part about FOSS.
It’s judt about time, I need more storage devices to transition… I need to setup windows alongside it too… Generally a mess. And yea I want to go with Green Ubuntu lol
There’s a fair few projects working towards getting windows software to work in Linux beyond wine. WinBoat and bottles to name the two I use frequently. I set-up WinBoat for my wife because office360. Took a little bit of fiddling with settings for WinBoat to run nicely on her 2017 MacBook air with a Ubuntu derivative OS…but it works as it would on windows…so poorly.
I set up WinBoat for FL Studio and it’s close enough to be functional.
FL Studio was the reason it took me so long to ditch windows. Try bottles. Don’t bother with the automatic configuration, just install it in a default gaming setup. Very minor tweaks got it working better than in win11 on my laptop.
Worst comes worse, one could install a VM with Windows. And for the edge cases where neither VMs or compatibility layers suffice, the user can install Windows on a different physical drive and plug it in just when needed.
WinBoat is essentially a VM, but it runs in the background and you can add installed programs to your hotbar/start bar/desktop. So that’s neat.
I convinced my spouse to give it a try on our family laptop. I installed Mint and she never complained. Granted, if there is something more involved that needs installing or fixing she relies on me but I think this isn’t so different if it were Windows. She seems happy using it all these years on a device that otherwise would have to be written of as scrap due to Microsoft shenanigans with 10/11 compatibilities, but the machine works as if brand new. Also our kid grew up using it. He knows basic usage and I glee in the fact he has never used Windows so far in his live.
I think that has happened before, though?
The entirety of Windows XP was leaked and people even managed to build it from source. This was after XP being EOL though.
I think Windows server 2003 source code was leaked before
The question is, what is stopping you?
Gut feeling, but I think the panic would last 2 days. Then issues would be found and unofficial patches would be made faster than fire spreads in dry folliage.