Microsoft widens Linux pact

Ironically this deal is with the outfit that Vole unsuccessfully tried to sue into oblivion called Linspire.

Linspire was called Lindows and aimed to make its Linux operating system as Windows like as possible. In the end Lindows took $20 million from Vole to change its name.

Kevin Carmony, Linspire's chief executive officer, told Associated Press Linspire will license Microsoft code related to Voice over Internet Protocol, Windows Media files and TrueType fonts.

With the addition of the Microsoft code to Linspire's operating system, users will be able to voice-chat with Windows Live Messenger buddies, watch Windows Media video and audio files on open-source media players, and view and create documents using familiar typefaces.

Linspire will use Microsoft's Web search engine as the default on PCs that run its operating system.

The deal protects Linspire users against legal action by Microsoft, which claims open-source software violates more than 200 of its patents. It will be interesting to see where this puts Linspire now that GPL 3 is out. The new Open Sauce licence expressly prohibits this sort of deal.

More here. µ