If this post got your attention, in hope to know more about Windows turning into Open Source, well, then you are a real optimistic. Trust me, it will take some light years for that to happen. But having said that, in its own very subtle way MS in April released its first open source program on
Sourceforge. It has been released under CPL (Common Public License).
"The Windows Installer XML (
Wix) is a toolset that builds Windows installation packages from XML source code. The toolset supports a command line environment that developers may integrate into their build processes to build MSI and MSM setup packages."
So is this the change everyone was waiting for? Not quite. It may seem a major release and a certain change in MS's point of view towards Open Source but when analyzed closely, it's nothing too big, IMHO. As one of my veteran PHP colleagues said, "After all its still a tool to aid the .NET developers, what's the big deal if they are giving it free via Open Source, maybe its just a way of getting free work done
". Well I don't thing MS requires free work; but whatever people might say on second thought MS certainly have got the notice of the Open Source Community with this new release.
For new developments related to Wix and some very interesting entries, check out the
Blog entries of Rob Mensching (Lead Developer, Wix Project). He is very optimistic about Open Source and MS. I feel a sense of confidence after reading his responses during an interview with OSDir.com. I for one seriously believe that MS can have a very possitive impact on the Open Source Develoment and the company should not be seen as an evil corp. trying to con eveyone.
My personal take on Wix, "Good work, keep it coming".
