Microsoft wishes Linux a happy 20th birthday

An animation that Microsoft made to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Linux kernel was shown this morning during Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin's opening keynote at LinuxCon. The video comically depicts the rivalry between Linux and Windows, but concludes with the suggestion that peaceful coexistence is possible. In the animation, a cartoon penguin throws rocks at the Windows logo after being frightened by Bill Gates wearing a pumpkin on his head, a reference to the now-infamous Halloween Documents in which Microsoft laid out an aggressive plan for destroying Linux. Later in the animation, a cartoon representation of Bill Gates brings a birthday cake to the penguin's igloo. Microsoft's relationship with Linux was one of several topics that Zemlin discussed during his keynote. He showed a classic quote from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who infamously described Linux as a "cancer" in 2001. Joking that Ballmer's hostile characterization of Linux was only partly accurate, ...

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