I sent this invitation to st...@mozilla.org as well, but in case their spam filters are set to block @microsoft.com email addresses, I'm posting here.
I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
As part of my mission as an advocate for open source applications on Windows, I've gotten spaces set aside at the Windows Vista Readiness ISV Lab. In the past the company has only invited commercial software developers to these labs. I'm committed to evolving our thinking beyond commercial companies to include open source projects, so I went to the non-trivial effort of getting slots for non-commercial open source projects.
The lab itself is a 4-day event held in Redmond every week through December 2006; we provide secure office space for 4 people, hardware, VPN access, and 1:1 access to product team developers and support staff.
If you're interested, please send email to sra...@microsoft.com, jcan...@microsoft.com, and mfran...@microsoft.com - I'm on vacation through 8/27, but Jamie Cannon and Michael Francisco will help you get tracked in.
> I sent this invitation to st...@mozilla.org as well, but in case their > spam filters are set to block @microsoft.com email addresses, I'm > posting here.
> I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm > writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox > and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
> As part of my mission as an advocate for open source applications on > Windows, I've gotten spaces set aside at the Windows Vista Readiness > ISV Lab. In the past the company has only invited commercial software > developers to these labs. I'm committed to evolving our thinking > beyond commercial companies to include open source projects, so I went > to the non-trivial effort of getting slots for non-commercial open > source projects.
> The lab itself is a 4-day event held in Redmond every week through > December 2006; we provide secure office space for 4 people, hardware, > VPN access, and 1:1 access to product team developers and support > staff.
> If you're interested, please send email to sra...@microsoft.com, > jcan...@microsoft.com, and mfran...@microsoft.com - I'm on vacation > through 8/27, but Jamie Cannon and Michael Francisco will help you get > tracked in.
> I believe we are already in contact with your team via email. We will > follow-up there.
> Best,
> Mike
> sra...@microsoft.com wrote: > > Schroepfer and all:
> > I sent this invitation to st...@mozilla.org as well, but in case their > > spam filters are set to block @microsoft.com email addresses, I'm > > posting here.
> > I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm > > writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox > > and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
> > As part of my mission as an advocate for open source applications on > > Windows, I've gotten spaces set aside at the Windows Vista Readiness > > ISV Lab. In the past the company has only invited commercial software > > developers to these labs. I'm committed to evolving our thinking > > beyond commercial companies to include open source projects, so I went > > to the non-trivial effort of getting slots for non-commercial open > > source projects.
> > The lab itself is a 4-day event held in Redmond every week through > > December 2006; we provide secure office space for 4 people, hardware, > > VPN access, and 1:1 access to product team developers and support > > staff.
> > If you're interested, please send email to sra...@microsoft.com, > > jcan...@microsoft.com, and mfran...@microsoft.com - I'm on vacation > > through 8/27, but Jamie Cannon and Michael Francisco will help you get > > tracked in.
> I believe we are already in contact with your team via email. We will > follow-up there.
> Best,
> Mike
> sra...@microsoft.com wrote: > > Schroepfer and all:
> > I sent this invitation to st...@mozilla.org as well, but in case their > > spam filters are set to block @microsoft.com email addresses, I'm > > posting here.
> > I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm > > writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox > > and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
> > As part of my mission as an advocate for open source applications on > > Windows, I've gotten spaces set aside at the Windows Vista Readiness > > ISV Lab. In the past the company has only invited commercial software > > developers to these labs. I'm committed to evolving our thinking > > beyond commercial companies to include open source projects, so I went > > to the non-trivial effort of getting slots for non-commercial open > > source projects.
> > The lab itself is a 4-day event held in Redmond every week through > > December 2006; we provide secure office space for 4 people, hardware, > > VPN access, and 1:1 access to product team developers and support > > staff.
> > If you're interested, please send email to sra...@microsoft.com, > > jcan...@microsoft.com, and mfran...@microsoft.com - I'm on vacation > > through 8/27, but Jamie Cannon and Michael Francisco will help you get > > tracked in.
On 19 Aug 2006 12:52:20 -0700, sra...@microsoft.com
<sra...@microsoft.com> wrote: > I sent this invitation to st...@mozilla.org as well, but in case their > spam filters are set to block @microsoft.com email addresses, I'm > posting here.
Heh, no such blocking exists, I assure you. For what it's worth, though, st...@mozilla.org isn't the list that it sounds like. Email about partnering with Mozilla Corporation should go to partn...@mozilla.com, and general discussion with the entire community should go, well, in places like this (although I think, for future reference, cc's to mozilla.dev.apps.firefox and mozilla.dev.apps.thunderbird would be good, too).
:)
> I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm > writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox > and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default Program" infrastructure.
Other areas that I think both Firefox and Thunderbird should investigate are:
- effects of running in the new application security mode - interacting/integrating with InfoCard - integration with the common RSS data store and services - integration with the Vista calendar and address book
Any others that you know of?
> developers to these labs. I'm committed to evolving our thinking > beyond commercial companies to include open source projects, so I went > to the non-trivial effort of getting slots for non-commercial open > source projects.
The facility and program that you describe should really help to ensure that we get the proper integration issues looked at for Firefox 2 and Thunderbird 2. Do you know if there are any spots for other open source groups that are using Firefox/XULRunner as a platform such as Songbird and Democracy, or Flock?
Alternatively, are you going to be linking to MSDN resources (such as documentation and sample code, or even testing tools?) that could help open source projects such as Mozilla understand what the major changes will be for Windows Application Developers? Something like a checklist of the most common OS integration points that have changed from Windows XP would be extremely useful, and would also be accessible to organizations that can't afford to send people to Redmond.
evilgoh...@gmail.com wrote: > Just out of curiosity, since when does Microsoft have an Open Source > department?
Not sure when they made the department but I have known people at Microsoft that released open source software back in the late 90's... they had a funky license back then but it was open source.
sra...@microsoft.com wrote: > In the past the company has only invited commercial software > developers to these labs.
How, exactly, is Mozilla, Firefox, and etc. not commercial software? It's used by businesses, consumers, and businesses all over the world, and the company that produces it makes a very handy profit. Freedom and commerciality aren't mutually exclusive...
> > In the past the company has only invited commercial software > > developers to these labs.
> How, exactly, is Mozilla, Firefox, and etc. not commercial software? > It's used by businesses, consumers, and businesses all over the world, > and the company that produces it makes a very handy profit. Freedom > and commerciality aren't mutually exclusive...
> On 19 Aug 2006 12:52:20 -0700, sra...@microsoft.com > <sra...@microsoft.com> wrote: ... >> I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm >> writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox >> and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
> As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with > someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd > definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of > course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with > Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default > Program" infrastructure.
> Other areas that I think both Firefox and Thunderbird should investigate > are:
> As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with > someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd > definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of > course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with > Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default > Program" infrastructure.
Has work on this gone into the source already? Are there patches one can look at? Why I'm asking is that SeaMonkey probably wants to look into being able to hook in there as well.
Robert Kaiser wrote: > beltzner schrieb: >> As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with >> someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd >> definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of >> course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with >> Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default >> Program" infrastructure.
> Has work on this gone into the source already? Are there patches one > can look at? Why I'm asking is that SeaMonkey probably wants to look > into being able to hook in there as well.
The only patch so far that has been checked in is for an additional string so we could get it in before the string freeze. There are docs on SPAD (Set Program Access and Defaults) and SUD (Set User Defaults) on http://devreadiness.org/
> Robert Kaiser wrote: >> beltzner schrieb: >>> As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with >>> someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd >>> definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of >>> course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with >>> Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default >>> Program" infrastructure.
>> Has work on this gone into the source already? Are there patches one >> can look at? Why I'm asking is that SeaMonkey probably wants to look >> into being able to hook in there as well. > The only patch so far that has been checked in is for an additional > string so we could get it in before the string freeze. There are docs on > SPAD (Set Program Access and Defaults) and SUD (Set User Defaults) on > http://devreadiness.org/
Thanks, I guess those pointers can be helpful (I don't understand the code but I'm cross-posting this to m.d.a.seamonkey so our people can look into stuff that we might need there).
Obviously a way to cement the use of Vista by grabbing onto the tails of Firefox popularity, a way to market Vista with relation to Firefox, get some inside info on how Firefox developers think, and definitely worried about The Goog. A brain drain?? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then what is it? Hmmm come to think about it...what ever happend with that Sun / Java deal? You better read your contracts for participation. Me thinks someone is having difficulty with an issue and they need some help or maybe no creativity. Marketing geniuses...Very sneaky says Yoda.
gardner.j...@gmail.com wrote: > I, for one, will never forget the principles under which microsoft > operates. They are known as the 3 E's: > Embrace > Extend > Extinguish
JarrE wrote: > On 22.08.2006 17:35, beltzner wrote: > > On 19 Aug 2006 12:52:20 -0700, sra...@microsoft.com > > <sra...@microsoft.com> wrote: > ... > >> I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm > >> writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox > >> and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
> > As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with > > someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd > > definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of > > course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with > > Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default > > Program" infrastructure.
> > Other areas that I think both Firefox and Thunderbird should investigate > > are:
> Porting their installation to MSI?
> Mvh/ > JarrE
sorry.. but msi is the worst installer ever.. next to the installshield (from personal experiences). i think mozilla should stick to their own installer.
Guys, I understand that the thought of receiving assistance in integrating with Vista is tempting, but this is the last company one should trust. Once you walk in the door at Microsoft, you open yourself and all the Mozilla projects up to patent and copyright lawsuits.
I love Firefox, Thunderbird and very much appreciate the hard working developers who contribute to these projects. For your sake and ours, please stay away from Redmond.
On 24 Aug 2006 21:18:14 -0700, adam.wes...@gmail.com
<adam.wes...@gmail.com> wrote: > Guys, I understand that the thought of receiving assistance in > integrating with Vista is tempting, but this is the last company one > should trust. Once you walk in the door at Microsoft, you open yourself > and all the Mozilla projects up to patent and copyright lawsuits.
> I love Firefox, Thunderbird and very much appreciate the hard working > developers who contribute to these projects. For your sake and ours, > please stay away from Redmond.
We appreciate your desire to help and protect the project, but this is not the appropriate forum for discussing these sorts of hypothetical organizational perils.
And if legal issues _did_ exist, this isn't the appropriate forum for receiving or providing legal advice.
Please don't continue this thread here; reply to me directly if you must.
JarrE wrote: > On 22.08.2006 17:35, beltzner wrote: > > On 19 Aug 2006 12:52:20 -0700, sra...@microsoft.com > > <sra...@microsoft.com> wrote: > ... > >> I am the Director of the Open Source Software Lab at Microsoft, and I'm > >> writing to see if you are open to some 1:1 support in getting Firefox > >> and Thunderbird to run on Vista.
> > As Mike Schroepfer indicated, I think we're already in discussion with > > someone on your team about this, but for the record: yes, we'd > > definitely be interested in getting some 1:1 support. We have, of > > course, been testing on Vista, and Rob Strong has done some work with > > Ed Averett to ensure that we take advantage of the new "Default > > Program" infrastructure.
> > Other areas that I think both Firefox and Thunderbird should investigate > > are:
kykoc...@gmail.com wrote: > Yeah man.. since when Microsoft have an Open Source Department..
Since at least April 2005, since that's when they started giving other companies access to the Open Source Software Lab that they had had for a while before then. See http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6058196.html for example.
Holy makeral....to me this is huge....well I'm nobody and it only feels huge because I'm nobody...wait a minute,the new guy at Microsoft is making nice to improve my access to his product-even though I try to stay away from his browser....oh my..this is big...one blue collar fella ,an old one at that...in Phoenix Really likes it when people who do not have to ,step ouside their box......this is as big a pat on your back as you have ever had...well from me anyway....
