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Operating Systems Software Microsoft Hardware

TRON Enters Alliance With Microsoft 303

Posted by timothy from the sound-of-mechanical-breathing dept.
David writes "As widely reported on OSNews.com, Forbes, IDG, CNet, AustralianIT, and Ashi Shimbun - Microsoft Corp. has entered into an alliance with the T-engine Forum, the consortium behind the free software TRON operating system. As TRON runs billions of devices worldwide, this will help Microsoft's goal of cementing WinCE / .NET in places as diverse as your toaster and cell phone, perhaps in a setup similar to how X-Windows is in relation to the Linux kernel." (Continued below.)

David continues: "This arrangement is ironic, as Microsoft is part of the reason why the U.S. in the 1980s prevented Japan from putting TRON into schools on the desktop by account of trade rules, which would've meant Linux may've never gone beyond being a footnote in the comp.os.minix archives. No doubt Microsoft is aiming to keep Linux out of the embedded space, and may in the long-term foster an environment where using anything other than industry-licenced OS software on the desktop becomes unviable for everyday tasks because all the infratructurial systems we take for granted today like radio, television, phones, IM, require Palladium-style walled gardens."
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TRON Enters Alliance With Microsoft More

TRON Enters Alliance With Microsoft

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  • But... (Score:5, Funny)

    by condour75 ( 452029 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:33PM (#7099589) Homepage
    I'll never believe it... Tron fights for the users. He'd never work for the MCP.

  • Shoot me now! (Score:4, Funny)

    by Roadkills-R-Us ( 122219 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:35PM (#7099611) Homepage
    Too late, they already put Windows on my gun, and it just keeps rebooting when I pull the trigger.

    • Re:Shoot me now! (Score:5, Funny)

      by NanoGator ( 522640 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:53PM (#7099730) Homepage Journal
      "Too late, they already put Windows on my gun, and it just keeps rebooting when I pull the trigger."

      I tried to commit suicide using a Linux based gun. Unfortunately, by the time I figured out the right switches for the sht command, I felt better!

      • Re:Shoot me now! (Score:5, Funny)

        by dvdeug ( 5033 ) <dvdeug&email,ro> on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @09:00PM (#7099769)
        Unfortunately, by the time I figured out the right switches for the sht command, I felt better!

        RTFM. It's sht [options] [caliber] [number of bullets], where -l is for lead bullets, -number is how you specify the number of the body part you want to shoot (where the default is in the air), -h for high velocity, and -q for auto reload. How much easier could it get?

        • Re:Shoot me now! (Score:4, Funny)

          by NanoGator ( 522640 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @09:09PM (#7099823) Homepage Journal
          "RTFM. It's sht [options] [caliber] [number of bullets], where -l is for lead bullets, -number is how you specify the number of the body part you want to shoot (where the default is in the air), -h for high velocity, and -q for auto reload. How much easier could it get?"

          I tried to use the auto feature for caliber, and it wasn't working. I had to look that up. Oh, and it's -H not -h. Stupid man page had a typo in it.
          • Don't forget to use the -w & -k switches if you are intent on a murder/suicide.

            -w [number of wives to shoot]
            -k [number of kids to shoot]

            use the -q flag to query you before the gun will start shooting other people's wives and children.
            or use the -Y to answer "Yes to all", and blow everyone away.
        • Please download it off some obscure site, then satisfy its dependencies then satisfy the dependencies of its dependencies only to find out that it either blows up when you use sht command or would not compile due to bugs in the code/different GCC version/missing files.
        • Bah, the n00b should just use DrakSuicide and let the wizard walk him through it. He's not ready for the command line.

          Disclaimer: I am a Mandrake user, and I used DrakSlashdot to post this

        • How much easier could it get?

          well, you need to be root to do that.
        • -number is how you specify the number of the body part you want to shoot (where the default is in the air)

          An improvement on the first version, where the default was the foot.

        • GNU (Score:4, Funny)

          by kahei ( 466208 ) on Wednesday October 01, 2003 @05:26AM (#7101910) Homepage

          You may be thinking of a vendor sht. He's probably using GNU sht, which takes caliber etc from a file of tab (NOT space -- think make!) separated records -- exact syntax available in handy 'info' format.

          Frankly it's easier to just use windows and call IFirearmsEx::WGunSystemBulletOperationShootEx32(HG UN gun, HAMMO ammo, LPTRAJECTORY trajectory, LPSHOOTPARAMS params, DWORD reserved1, DWORD reserved2, BOOL &bHitYesNo)

    • > Too late, they already put Windows on my gun, and it just keeps rebooting when I pull the trigger.

      That's just how it goes. If it didn't reboot, then you would've had a fatal error :p

  • BSOLC (Score:5, Funny)

    by forsetti ( 158019 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:35PM (#7099614)
    Blue Screen of Light-Cycle?

  • Sorry... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:36PM (#7099619)
    I don't want a MS powered toaster. It would bring down my power network, and I would be open to power line viruses. Besides, it might start doing weird things and throw the toast at the ceiling for no reason, or just refuse to toast, and I'd have to reboot the toaster to get it to work again...

    No thanks! Spare me the Microsoft stuff and give me a good old mechanical toaster! Yah!!

    • Re:Sorry... (Score:5, Funny)

      by LordOfYourPants ( 145342 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:43PM (#7099672)
      If my toaster were Linux powered, my toast would come out perfectly every time. The caveat is that the toast would have to be cut up into 40 pieces and thrown up into the air because the toaster is mounted on the ceiling and everyone who suggests that it should go on a counter would be told "You can open up the toaster and see the guts. Go build your own."

      On top of that, no one knows that they have to cut their toast into 40 pieces before a perfect toasting session because asking for help with their toaster nets them a "RTFM," leading them to a 400 page manual that explains everything but they kitchen sink when they just want to have a piece of toast. That, or they get directed to toast tech support which charges them $50 a year for a straight answer.

      There'd be a ToastMaster who would decide when and where the latest model of the toaster gets released. Again, other gizmo fans could roll their own toaster, but people taking on names like ToasterOne would end up getting in shit for doing so.
      • ...a fork() for getting your toast out with if it ever gets stuck.

        <badaboom>

        Seriously, there would also be "spinoff" toaster manufacturers who make really pretty and easy to use toasters (Mandrake), and even portable toasters that don't need to be bolted to the counter (Knoppix) - which, thanks to the power of apt-get, can be bolted to the counter and drowned in 8,000 (yes, really!) accessories if you so desire.

      • The OS with MS bloat will require a 200 Gb hard disk to fit it on, fortunately it doubles as the heating element.

        James

        • Re:Sorry... (Score:3, Funny)

          by eclectro ( 227083 )
          The OS with MS bloat will require a 200 Gb hard disk to fit it on, fortunately it doubles as the heating element

          No, that would be silly. Everybody knows that the toaster will have an internet connection where it can download the variuos .net services into ram.

          You will have perfect toast every time.

          And when there are death-related incidents due to the SOtoast virus Microsoft will be able to quickly download a patch to your toaster.

    • Don't forget you'll only be able to use MS certified bread in the toaster.

      Jason
      ProfQuotes [profquotes.com]
    • > I don't want a MS powered toaster. It would bring down my power network, and I would be open to power line viruses. Besides, it might start doing weird things and throw the toast at the ceiling for no reason, or just refuse to toast, and I'd have to reboot the toaster to get it to work again...

      You fool! Don't you know you can only use licenced bread with a Microsoft toaster?! Otherwise you add the potential for security vulnerabilities, like other people taking you toast!

  • MS: Who are your users?

    TRON: Forget it mister high mighty Microsoft. You aren't making me talk.

    MS: Suit yourself

    *derez of TRON commences*
  • In jail, held by the MCP

    RAM: Oh my User...Tron--they've got you in here?

    TRON: Not for long, friend.

  • such a shame (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Crashmarik ( 635988 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:39PM (#7099641)
    Leopards don't change their spots
    Lions don't lie with lambs
    Microsoft doesn't play well with others

    Its really a shame that theres always someone out there who figures theyr'e the ones that can get a fair shake out of Microsoft.

    Microsoft allready moved against TRON being adopted by japanese schools. (WTO trade regs were their weapon of choice). Does anyone at the TRON project really think the vole of redmond has had a change of heart ?

    The only ray of hope here, is that it will provide a great impetus to embeded linux. I can just see chinese party officials thinking their refrigerators are spying on them because they run microsoft operating systems.

    • Re:such a shame (Score:4, Funny)

      by Bendebecker ( 633126 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:45PM (#7099685) Journal
      "The only ray of hope here, is that it will provide a great impetus to embeded linux."
      Nope, the only hope here is if one of us users can get into the system and liberate TRON before he gets the bits blasted out of him on the game grid.

    • Re:such a shame (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonvmous Coward ( 589068 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @09:08PM (#7099813)
      "Leopards don't change their spots
      Lions don't lie with lambs
      Microsoft doesn't play well with others"

      Ah, but caterpillars turn into butterflies. Your argument is defeated! Buahaha!

      See how easy it is to attack an argument that overly relies on metaphor? I'm really suprised you were modded up.
      • Therefore: BSD is dying, QED.

        Wait, now I'm confused. What was this analogy about?

      • Re:such a shame (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Feztaa ( 633745 )
        See how easy it is to attack an argument that overly relies on metaphor?

        For every common phrase or saying, there is an equal and opposite phrase or saying.

        For example:

        "The early bird gets the worm" vs. "Good things come to those that wait."

        Or, my personal favorite:

        "Great minds think alike" vs. "No two fools differ."

      • Re:such a shame (Score:5, Insightful)

        by 1010011010 ( 53039 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @11:14PM (#7100500) Homepage

        How about:

        • The Earth makes one revolution about its axis each day.
        • Air at normal pressure and temperature is less dense than uranium.
        • Microsoft cannot be trusted


        How could anyone ever arrive at the conclusion that Microsoft will not screw them?

        Microsoft's intentions in this deal are transparent. They tried to crush TRON with Super301. Now they're trying to subvert it. When TRON is just a way to run .Net, why would one need TRON?

        Same story, different day: "Microsoft seeks absolute control."

    • Re:such a shame (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Citizen of Earth ( 569446 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @09:44PM (#7100040)
      This is you getting into bed with Microsoft.

      This is you getting fucked.

      Any questions?

    • Re:such a shame (Score:5, Interesting)

      by AstroDrabb ( 534369 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @10:30PM (#7100278)
      I hate MS as much as the next guy. However, this looks like it will STILL be TRON and it will STILL be a free RTOS. They are just going to allow MS and their .Not crap to run on it. I guess this is how MS wants to try to get a monopoly on the embeded world.

  • Shit... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Bendebecker ( 633126 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:39PM (#7099642) Journal
    Where's Flynn when ya need him?

    Sark: "You're just an ordinary program!"
    Flynn:"So are you. One that should have been erased."

    Flynn:"Come on, how can you expect to rule the world if you can't solve a few unsolvable problems."

  • This just in... (Score:5, Funny)

    by NMerriam ( 15122 ) <NMerriam@artboy.org> on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:41PM (#7099657) Homepage
    TRON and Microsoft are only working together on a new security system that will be able to protect heterogeneous systems from attack, so there is no reason to worry.

    The first SDK for this software ("Skynet") should be out in about 18 months.
    • "The first SDK for this software ("Skynet") should be out in about 18 months."

      6 years later, after the war is over, the OSS community will have finally finished making an Open Source copy of the system. There were no problems with the launch of Kskynet as it didn't have enough features to make it self-aware.
    • The first SDK for this software ("Skynet") should be out in about 18 months.

      Finally. It's like, more than 6 years late already.

  • Oh Well (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:42PM (#7099666)
    Better than having to pay an extra $699 to SCO for my toaster.

  • This is part of the .NET vs Java war (Score:4, Informative)

    by bizcoach ( 640439 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:43PM (#7099673) Homepage
    The main point seems to be:

    The agreement will allow the Windows CE .NET platform for digital devices to work on top of T-Kernel.

    • The agreement will allow the Windows CE .NET platform for digital devices to work on top of T-Kernel.

      Apparently they just wanted a better kernel than the WinCE kernel. Not hard.

      Java is already on a ton of competing devices, including Linux based ones.

    • Re:This is part of the .NET vs Java war (Score:4, Insightful)

      by cpeterso ( 19082 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @10:09PM (#7100168) Homepage

      good point. The story sounds familiar:

      1. Microsoft "cooperates" with an established competitor
      2. Microsoft embraces and extends established standard (TRON OS)
      3. Microsoft cuts ties with competitor and/or drops support for the standard


      Since WinCE uptake has been slow for embedded devices, this plan will "cut 'em off at the pass" by inserting .NET between the low-level OS and user-level apps. .NET is the new "OS".

    • Window CE is just one of the middlewares for TE (Score:5, Informative)

      by pario ( 675744 ) on Wednesday October 01, 2003 @12:22AM (#7100882)
      Everyone here seems to have missed the main point. This alliance only means that Microsoft will create a version of Windows CE .NET that runs on the T-Engine platform. T-Engine is a collection of standards for embedded hardware, realtime operating system and middlewares, and for the T-Engine platform Windows CE .NET will be just one of the middlewares. This news is not even about Microsoft taking over TRON or MS vs Java; in fact, there are T-Java and T-Linux under development, by Sun and Montavista, respectively, and other GUI middlewares on sale, which were originally part of BTRON, the TRON desktop OS. Most information about T-Engine is available only in Japanese at this point, but you can find some in English here. [super-nova.co.jp]

      As a sidenote, the main thrust of the T-Engine platform is high portabilty of middlewares across various embedded emvironments with different CPUs. This portabilty is made possible by a standard opensource kernel, which is based on micro-ITRON 3.0, and standalization of hardware. Dr. Sakamura even said he is going to fix the specification of the realtime kernel by the end of year and it will not be changed for the next HUNDRED years for the sake of comatibilty of middlewares. Moreover, there are rumors that a subsidary of Panasonic is developing a desktop operating system based on T-Engine. This is a very exciting year for the TRON project indeed.

  • No, they'll play fair enough. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by JayBlalock ( 635935 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:45PM (#7099683)
    Actually, I have no doubt that Microsoft will play relatively fair with these guys. If they're a non-profit org, that means they could pretty much pick up their toys and leave anytime they want. (in realistic terms; I obviously don't know what kind of contract was signed) The idea appears to solely be to let Microsoft take over what has always been a pretty serious competitor in Asia in the handheld markets. I have little doubt that whatever comes of this will be named "Microsoft Tron" or "Powered by Microsoft TN Technologies" or something like.

    It's just more assimilation. (and just think, they were probably prepping this deal at the same time they were whining about the China-Japan-Korea superOS being unfair)

  • I'm not looking forward to the BSOD on my toaster...
    • "I'm not looking forward to the BSOD on my toaster..."

      You're two versions behind on Windows. Would you find it funny if I made a joke about how a Linux based toaster would have a USB port, but the kernel wouldn't know what to do with it? No, because Linux supported USB years ago. Think about it.

    • Re:not looking forward... (Score:5, Funny)

      by IanBevan ( 213109 ) * on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @09:04PM (#7099788) Homepage
      I'm not looking forward to the BSOD on my toaster...

      Is that a Brown Slice Of Death ?

  • Evil MCP (Score:3, Funny)

    by rindeee ( 530084 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:49PM (#7099706)
    Hey, wait a minute. I always knew there was something strange about those Microsoft Certified Professionals and they ugly biege MCP polo shirts that were tucked frumpilly into their 38" Husky "big boy" denims. Little did I know how deep their dasterdliness ran. /shutter/

    ER

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:50PM (#7099710)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • So, your point amounts to saying that Microsoft can buy lots of prestige and people in countries that are not economically well-off. True, but that doesn't make building a nation's computational infrastructure on top of the products of a single foreign vendor a good choice. And while Microsoft makes lots of money, it employs comparatively few people, so most IT workers still end up empty-handed.

  • In Microsoft America... (Score:3, Funny)

    by phillymjs ( 234426 ) <slashdot AT stango DOT org> on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:51PM (#7099713) Homepage Journal
    ..."Windows Powered"(TM) toaster sticks fork in YOU!

    ~Philly
    • The good news is that the new toasters are supposed to include a "compatability mode" for bread that wants direct access to the heating unit, not the HAL (Heat Abstraction Layer, of course!). But unfortunately, new drivers will have to be written to make it work with older toaster covers, or 3rd party heating coils.

  • They've Already Done It! (Score:3, Funny)

    by serutan ( 259622 ) <snoopdoug@geekaz ... minus physicist> on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:54PM (#7099733) Homepage
    Talkie Toaster [geocities.com]

    Would anybody like some toast?
    Well then, would anybody like some toast?

  • I'm all for it... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Mrs. Grundy ( 680212 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @08:56PM (#7099742) Homepage
    if it means that when I can't figure out how to use a kitchen appliance a little anthropomorphized cartoon refrigerator character pops up, waves at me and tells me what to do.
  • ...and it is down to me. Ever since a kindly friend explained the concept of Free software to me ten years ago, the question of Microsoft (as the exemplar of Propritariness and ruthless business practices) interacting with Free (and later OS) phenomena has been bounced around. Probably he and I talked about it back then. Would Microsoft be destroyed? Would they open-source Windows? Attempt to subvert the movement? FUD it to death? Suppose they ported Office to Linux? All these sorts of questions have been

  • Clippy ][ (Score:3, Funny)

    by dswensen ( 252552 ) on Tuesday September 30, 2003 @09:00PM (#7099762) Homepage
    This will mark the return of Clippy, mark my words.

    It appears you're trying to make toast. Would you...

    A) Like advice on which bread to use?
    B) Adjust your toast settings (will require Microsoft TOAST(TM)(R) Install CD)
    C) Prepare your spread of choice?
    D) Just go make some damn eggs (Microsoft Eggs will open in new window)
  • 1980's: There are no problems, only solutions.

    2000's: There are no competitors, only Microsoft.
  • from the sound-of-mechanical-breathing dept.
    That might as well be the sound-of-silence dept., if WinCE has anything to do with it... :^)
  • "Some git installed Linux on my toaster. Took me ages to figure out that you have to hold the shift key to adjust the browning knob!"

  • 10. Hey Jeff Bridges: Time to get back to the arcade! It's Tron 2 time, not "The Bigger Lebowski".

    9. When that whirling MCP pillar slows down, it looks just like Steve Ballmer.

    8. Microsoft brass threatening Apple execs to send them back to the garage they started in.

    7. Don't ya just love those little Recognizers moving across the screen stomping worms?

    6. Anything that gets Boxleitner and Jurasik acting again brings us closer to that Babylon 5 re-launch.

    5. TRON? "Space Paranoids". Microsoft? I'm paranoi
  • because my toaster's embedded Windows CE seized up and I can't eject the toast.
  • Given this course of action, even devices like my vacuum cleaner and mini-fridge will be vulnerable to DCOM exploits.


  • As TRON runs billions of devices worldwide, this will help Microsoft's goal of cementing WinCE / .NET in places as diverse as your toaster and cell phone

    Well bring out your tinfoil hats everyone. Microsoft has already created this OS to cement their foot in the door.

    WindowsCE
    WindowsME
    WindowsNT

    That's WindowsCEMENT

    Yup, time to bring on the tinfoil body suit so they don't pick up my vibe.

  • As they did with everyone else with whom they've "allied", the alliance will last exactly as long as it takes for Microsoft to get any proprietary information they want, then they'll kill the deal. The industry is littered with the empty shells of companies formerly "allied" with Microsoft.
  • Here MS is trying to buy their way into the largest 'non pc' market there is.

    If this is real, then it spells disaster for a LOT of embedded people out there..

    Ultimately it will impact us 'regular folk', when you have to license your damned refrigerator, and MUST have it online or it stops working.... or wonder if your ABS brakes will really work when it comes time to use them. God help us all.

  • Martha, the kitchen has a virus ...... again...
  • ...this will help Microsoft's goal of cementing WinCE / .NET....

    I'm not so sure the use of the word "cement [geocities.com]" was entirely accidental. (Don't tell me I'm the only one who immediately thought of the Windows CeMeNT thing?)
  • TRON + Linux = "T-Linux" [slashdot.org]
    I tried to email these bone-heads, however I get weird errors trying to send email to office@www.t-engine.org

  • Tron is open source?? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by molo ( 94384 ) on Wednesday October 01, 2003 @01:24AM (#7101132) Journal
    I said it before [slashdot.org] and I'll say it again: where can I find the source and the license to tron? It seems that tron is more of an open specification of a RTOS, and there are a ton of closed binary-only implementations.

    This actually kinda reminds me of the MIPS processor architechure.. there is an open specification and lots of people produce chips for the ISA.. but it wasn't until opencores [opencores.org] came along that there was an open implementation.. and there is no open implementation for TRON yet, AFAIK.

    Is tron open-source? Where is the code? Where is the license? Whats the story here? If it really is open-source, why can't someone point to the code? Something is fishy here.. or perhaps its just lost in the translation.. but I can't figure this out.

    -molo

    • Re:Tron is open source?? (Score:5, Informative)

      by kahei ( 466208 ) on Wednesday October 01, 2003 @05:40AM (#7101960) Homepage
      *sigh*

      TRON is a set of standards, SOME of which relate specifically to a realtime OS.

      You can buy the standards from the TRON Association and implement them.

      There is no source, unless you write some.

      Incidentally, how precisely did the parent post get modded *up* rather than *down*? I mean, I don't usually RTFA any more than the next guy, but it's a bit depressing that so many people made their opinions public without stopping to learn what the topic even *is*.

      By the way, MS deal with TRON consists of layering .NET on TRON in the same way many other things are already layered on it (or, to put it another way, making CE .NET conform to the TRON standard). This is a sensible and obvious thing to do and is the kind of thing TRON is designed for. Nothing to see here, tinfoil hats back in pockets please, move along.

  • Hmmm... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Trolling4Dollars ( 627073 ) on Wednesday October 01, 2003 @02:03AM (#7101271) Journal
    Maybe that joke about Microsoft making something that doesn't suck (vacuum cleaner) may be coming to real life very soon?

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