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:FDDLE@KP Free Software Projects 8elg$kf$[Xk\fm\im`\nf]]i\\jf]knXi\Xe[`kjdXb\ij GIFA<:KJFEK?<DFM< Finally there’s a free alternative to the proprietary Flash on the web. Unfortunately, it implements Microsoft technology whose software patents might render the free Moonlight license useless. BY CARSTEN SCHNOBER Microsoft and Novell formed an alliance Flash format as a global standard for problems to newcomers because you can with the aim of establishing a Flash al- complex, interactive web content. The download a prebuilt version of the pl- ternative for Linux. After one year of co- proprietary browser plugin by Adobe is ugin from the project website and click operation between developers from both like a red flag to a bull for many Linux to install (Figure 1). Thus far, Moonlight companies, a beta version of the Silve- users. Because the source code is not supports only Linux systems using Fire- light free implementation, Moonlight, is available, developers and users of the fox, although the makers claim that it now available. Many members of the free operating system have been forced will support OpenSolaris and the Kon- Linux community suspect that the to rely on Adobe providing updates. In queror and Opera browsers in the near Moonlight Linux implementation [1] is the past, Adobe has been reticent with future. being used to establish Microsoft's Sil- respect to timeliness and completeness. For licensing reasons, the binary pack- verlight [2] technology on a cross-plat- age leaves out all multimedia codecs, form basis, thereby infiltrating the soft- ;Xe^\ijXe[9\e\]`kj thus seriously limiting its own function- ware freedom fighters’ fortress. In the Silverlight and Moonlight currently offer ality. However, users can install the co- eyes of critics, Novell – distributor of very little more than Flash to users. They decs free of charge and then update au- SUSE Linux – is entering into a pact with interact with the web user, draw vector tomatically after that. On request, the Microsoft to assert itself against its com- graphics, access sound and video de- program will download the resources petitors in the Linux world. vices, and support multimedia stream- needed to play most formats directly The Microsoft developers hope that ing. Because of the major similarities, from the Microsoft server; however, Microsoft Silverlight Microsoft’s marketers have found it diffi- Microsoft only guarantees Novell users will replace the cult to promote their own technology’s the possibility to use Moonlight free of benefits. charge. You can instead use the free Moonlight, however, does score points FFMpeg codecs as an alternative if you on the installation side. In contrast to build the plugin yourself [3]. The dearth Adobe’s Flash, installing the browser of web pages that rely on Silver- plugin should not pose any serious @caXDXb#=fkfc`X 94 ISSUE 100 MARCH 2009 094-095_projects.indd 94 15.01.2009 16:20:40 Uhr Free Software Projects :FDDLE@KP balance in favor of them as direct competitors to Linux; this Silverlight rather than means that Adobe has little motivation Flash and lead to to use its patents against Linux. In con- rapid growth of Sil- trast to Adobe, Schostewitz no longer verlight deployment trusts Novell because Novell signed a on the web while at cooperation agreement with Microsoft the same time boost- in 2006 to provide support to hetero- ing unpopular multi- geneous Linux and Windows environ- media formats such ments and assure customers of both as WMV. companies mutual protection against This is where Mi- patent litigation. crosoft critics chime in. They view soft- Ef:fdgcX`ekj ware patents in par- Some free software activist still view =`^li\(1K_\]i\\J`cm\ic`^_k`dgc\d\ekXk`fe#Dffec`^_k#`jXmX`c$ ticular as a backdoor Microsoft as the arch enemy and fear XYc\`egi\$Yl`ckXe[jfliZ\Zf[\m\ij`fejÆk_`j^`m\jlj\ijX that allows the own- any kind of cooperation with Redmond. [\^i\\f]`e[\g\e[\eZ\]ifdk_\dXel]XZkli\iËjC`elogfc`Zp% ers to break free li- As a consequence, they view Microsoft’s censes in a court of competitors, such as Sun, as natural al- light is hardly an incentive to use Moon- law. Microsoft holds patents for Silver- lies. In doing so, they overlook the fact light. The dominance of Flash technol- light just like for Dotnet [8] and could that Microsoft, Sun, and Novell are all ogy has forced even critics to deploy use them to demand license fees for ruled by the same economic principles, Flash plugins if they want to use popular Moonlight, which Linux distributors that is, whether the company sees Linux pages such as YouTube, for example. consider to be free software. Addition- as an opportunity or a danger for its own In contrast to this, web surfers cur- ally, Moonlight integrates proprietary business. Free software with Microsoft rently aren’t likely to run across pages multimedia codecs and there are no technology rather than proprietary soft- that force them to install Silverlight. guarantees that Microsoft will continue ware from another vendor sounds rea- Moonlight restricts your options even to allow their free use in the future. sonable under the circumstances. This more as there are some Silverlight pages said, the other camp is right to warn that it doesn’t actually support. ;`jkiljk users about patent traps. The dilemma Silverlight’s potential is causing quite Microsoft opponents such as Matt Asay results from the fact that whether soft- a stir of debates in the free software [9] and Chromatic [10] refer to this strat- ware patents really void free software community whose members resent egy as one of poisoning or polluting the licenses remains uncertain. Software Flash’s dominance. On the other hand, Linux desktop. Microsoft does not con- patents and the lack of legal certainty opposing Microsoft is part of the com- tribute new functionality without em- that they provoke are the problem. p munity’s cultural heritage, which leads bedding components that are patented to what seems to be an insurmountable or licensed. This helps to establish new INFO dilemma. Moonlight’s opponents point technologies that users can’t or do not [1] Moonlight: http:// www. monoproject. to the dangers of software patents, just want to do without. If Microsoft was com/ Moonlight like in the Mono debate [4]. Mono and then to establish legal obstacles, it would [2] Silverlight: http:// silverlight. net Moonlight supporters argue that these force Moonlight users back to Windows. [3] FFMpeg: technologies might be from Microsoft, And this would give Microsoft a tool http:// ffmpeg. mplayerhq. hu but they are available under a free li- against its free competitors who refuse [4] Mono: http://monoproject.com cense, in contrast to proprietary counter- to sell out on licensing issues. [5] Miguel de Icaza's blog: parts such as Flash and, until recently, Distrust of Microsoft is rooted in the http://tirania.org/blog Java. Novell developer Miguel de Icaza company’s aggressive anti-Linux stance [6] Microsoft/ Novell Collaboration on [5] describes Microsoft as a cooperative in the past. Tirades from the software gi- Silverlight: http:// tirania. org/ blog/ partner in this “historic cooperation” ant’s management and Linux prevention archive/ 2007/ Sep05. html [6]. Besides consultancy services from strategies such as “Embrace, Extend and [7] Gnash: http:// www. gnu. org/ software/ gnash Silverlight developers to Moonlight de- Extinguish” from the Halloween docu- [8] Dotnet: velopers, Microsoft offers access to the ments [11] are still not forgotten. And http://www.microsoft.com/net specifications and to a test suite. The de- more recently, Microsoft attempted to [9] Matt Asay’s blog: velopers of the free Flash variant, Gnash sabotage free standards such as the http:// asay. blogspot. com [7], can only dream of such potent sup- Open Document Format. [10] Chromatic’s blog: port from Adobe. In contrast to this, Adobe has not set http:// news. cnet. com/ openroad Silverlight gives open source program- itself apart as an opponent of free soft- [11] Halloween documents: http:// en. mers a new technology for developing ware. Although the Flash manufacturers wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Microsoft_Hal web applications without having to rely are very active when it comes to soft- loween_documents_leak on proprietary, commercial software as ware patents, Roy Schostewitz from the [12] Boycott Novell: http://boycottnovell.com in the case of Flash. This might tilt the Boycott Novell [12] blog does not view MARCH 2009 ISSUE 100 95 094-095_projects.indd 95 15.01.2009 16:20:44 Uhr.