Microsoft's former open source VP Wim Coekaerts
Equal Footing
Former Microsoft open source VP Wim Coekaerts.
Microsoft has changed its ways since the old days, when the company gained a reputation for spreading what the FOSS community liked to call FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) about Linux. The new Microsoft has gradually released parts of the .NET platform to open source, and recently, CEO Satya Nadella stated that Microsoft "loves Linux." Some long-time FOSS watchers are skeptical, but the Linux Foundation recently showed their support by welcoming Microsoft as a Platinum-level member.
As part of that effort to upgrade their Linux position and improve their standing within the community, Microsoft hired Wim Coekaerts, who had helped jump-start the Linux effort at Oracle as the new Corporate Vice President of Enterprise Open Source. Coekaerts only stayed at Microsoft for eight months before he was lured back to Oracle, but according to Coekaerts, the decision to leave was strictly personal. He is quoted as saying "… from my short time [at Microsoft], I saw a company that really does love Linux and has a bright future in open source."
We caught up with Coekaerts at LinuxCon North America in Toronto (while he was still with Microsoft) and asked him about the company's changing attitude toward Linux.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.
-
New Vulnerability Discovered in Linux Kernel
Hiding out for nearly 15 years, the Ghostlock vulnerability allows a standard logged-in user to gain root privileges.
-
New Linux Flaw Lets Attackers Escape VMs
A 16-year-old vulnerability allows an attacker to escape a virtual machine, gain access to the host, and execute malicious code.