Hacker News Reader

Far more in line with their EEE tradition:

- 2021: Windows Subsystem for Linux that can run pretty much any Linux program

- 2024: Custom proprietary extensions in WSL, hidden "incentives" to make sure some important software runs only on WSL

- 2027: Nobody uses Linux without WSL anymore

- 2030: WSL now costs $200 per year.

Don't forget, before the last step, they'll first subsidise universities and schools to explicitly train their students to have a dependence on WSL, so that they can maximally exploit their users when they introduce a fee.

they might not even be after a fee – having locked in people keeps them in the industry. And that pays.

Except Microsoft doesn't offer WSL-based hosting, and they currently don't offer their own Linux distro. This is a complement to their Azure business, basically.

Partly false, Microsoft does have its own Linux distribution now.

https://github.com/microsoft/CBL-Mariner

Two actually, Sphere OS uses the Linux kernel.

Microsoft had an UNIX OS long time ago. It was called Xenix.

I know, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28784116

Reply on news.ycombinator.com