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> One legal thing that I'm also wondering about is the "Linux" trademark. This probably explains why they never talk about Linux (at least I never saw it), but

by annnnd 11y ago

> One legal thing that I'm also wondering about is the "Linux" trademark. This probably explains why they never talk about Linux (at least I never saw it), but always about Ubuntu. I guess they have an agreement with Canonical.

dlandis 11y ago
They mention "Linux" all the time. The feature is called Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta).
- dboreham 11y ago
  It is perfectly legal to mention someone else's trademark. Else we would have text in books like "He walked over to the bar and ordered a popular sugared caffeinated beverage made by a company headquartered in Atlanta". You just can't say something that might confuse the reader into thinking that you own the trademark.
  - simonh 11y ago
    But doesn't calling it "Windows Subsystem for Linux" imply that actual Linux is involved, or even included? Suppose I marketed a range of flavoured additives to put in you Coke and called it "Simon's Flavours for Coca Cola"?
    - CodeCube 11y ago
      IANAL, but that would be perfectly fine ... you are totally allowed to write a piece of software, and say that it's for Windows, or for Mac. Or manufacture a piece of hardware that's for iOS, or Android. Or an aftermarket car part "for Honda", etc.
      - simonh 11y ago
        But Wine isn't 'for Windows' and this Microsoft thing isn't 'for Linux'. It doesn't involve the thing trademarked as Linux itself at all, in fact it replaces it. It's as though I wrote my own OS kernel with a Linux emulation layer to replace the Linux kernel and called it "Simon's Linux" or "Simon's OS for Linux". Suppose Wine renamed themselves "Linux Emulation for Windows".
- charonn0 11y ago
  The "for Linux" part is their hedge, I think. I recall Microsoft forced a project known as "Ultimate Windows Boot CD" to change its name to "Ultimate Boot CD for Windows".
- collinmanderson 11y ago
  Maybe it should be called "Windows Subsystem for Linux Applications (Beta)"

by annnnd 11y ago

dlandis 11y ago

They mention "Linux" all the time. The feature is called Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta).

dboreham 11y ago
It is perfectly legal to mention someone else's trademark. Else we would have text in books like "He walked over to the bar and ordered a popular sugared caffeinated beverage made by a company headquartered in Atlanta". You just can't say something that might confuse the reader into thinking that you own the trademark.
- simonh 11y ago
  But doesn't calling it "Windows Subsystem for Linux" imply that actual Linux is involved, or even included? Suppose I marketed a range of flavoured additives to put in you Coke and called it "Simon's Flavours for Coca Cola"?
  - CodeCube 11y ago
    IANAL, but that would be perfectly fine ... you are totally allowed to write a piece of software, and say that it's for Windows, or for Mac. Or manufacture a piece of hardware that's for iOS, or Android. Or an aftermarket car part "for Honda", etc.
    - simonh 11y ago
      But Wine isn't 'for Windows' and this Microsoft thing isn't 'for Linux'. It doesn't involve the thing trademarked as Linux itself at all, in fact it replaces it. It's as though I wrote my own OS kernel with a Linux emulation layer to replace the Linux kernel and called it "Simon's Linux" or "Simon's OS for Linux". Suppose Wine renamed themselves "Linux Emulation for Windows".
charonn0 11y ago
The "for Linux" part is their hedge, I think. I recall Microsoft forced a project known as "Ultimate Windows Boot CD" to change its name to "Ultimate Boot CD for Windows".
collinmanderson 11y ago
Maybe it should be called "Windows Subsystem for Linux Applications (Beta)"