In the event Microsoft decides to open source Windows

[Thanatophobia]

We should decide how we can extend Windows API while still staying compatible in a similar manner to GNU extends POSIX.

Will that include compatibility with Windows 10 and UWP?

[erkinalp]

This is subject to further development and discussion, just like my proposal for ENIW the replacement for WSL.

[wildschwein]

In the event that Father Christmas is found at the North Pole I will start to believe that MS might just release Windows as open source. Then I shall start worrying about it but not until.

Shall we have some other "what if" threads?

What if Nazi Germany had coded Windows in 1943? Would the licence have been more or less restrictive?

LOL ! It would have been called "Deutsche Fenster für BEFEHLE"... the war would have been won because every tank would have implemented this...

[gonzoMD]

The war wouldn't have been won, but it wouldn't had last so long because every tank would had been suffered of BSOD's (brown screens of death) and they would have been FUBAR then.

[erkinalp]

FSF has invited Microsoft to open source Windows 7:

Since its launch on January 24th, we've had an overwhelming amount of support in our call to "upcycle" Windows 7. Truthfully, the signature count flew far faster than we ever expected it to, even despite our conservative (if aptly numbered) goal of 7,777 signatures. We have seen the campaign called quixotic and even "completely delusional," but in every case, people have recognized the "pragmatic idealism" that is at the core of the FSF's message. Even where this campaign has been attacked, it's nevertheless been understood that the FSF really does want all software to be free software. We recommend every fully free operating system that we are aware of, and want to be able to expand that list to include every operating system. So long as any remain proprietary, we will always work to free them.

Over the last few weeks, we have been carefully watching the press coverage, and are glad to see the message of software freedom popping up in so many places at once. We received a lot of support, and have responded to dozens of comments expressing support, concern, and even outrage over why the FSF would think that upcycling Windows 7 was a good idea, and why it was something we would want to demand.

Microsoft can free Windows. They already have all of the legal rights necessary or the leverage to obtain them. Whether they choose to do so or not is up to them. In the past weeks, we've given them the message that thousands of people around the world want Windows to be freed. Next, we'll give them the medium.

This afternoon we will be mailing an upcycled hard drive along with the signatures to Microsoft's corporate offices. It's as easy as copying the source code, giving it a license notice, and mailing it back to us. As the author of the most popular free software license in the world, we're ready to give them all of the help we can. All they have to do is ask.

We want them to show exactly how much love they have for the "open source" software they mention in their advertising. If they really do love free software -- and we're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt -- they have the opportunity to show it to the world. We hope they're not just capitalizing on the free software development model in the most superficial and exploitative way possible: by using it as a marketing tool to fool us into thinking that they care about our freedom.

Together, we've stood up for our principles. They can reject us, or ignore us, but what they cannot do is stop us. We'll go on campaigning, until all of us are free.

Not Windows 10 as we hoped, but close enough.

[hbelusca]

Not Windows 10 as we hoped

"We" == only you.

[erkinalp]

I mean we the ReactOS developers, not we the ReactOS Project.

[gonzoMD]

And why do you think that the developers hope it? I think no one of them wants it.

[erkinalp]

We will benefit by mutual code sharing between open-source Windows and ReactOS. And revive some of the lost parts of compatibility in Windows.

[EmuandCo]

As "we" already said. Not gonna happen. Why on heaven and earth should Microsoft even think about providing open source access without any restrictions (as FOSS naiive bearded GPL worshippers ask it to be) to his cash cow?! Opening Windows 7 would mean providing access to a major amount of Windows 10 code for free and free tinkering. No for-profit company would be that stupid. This is no brainf*rt communism here, but capitalism!

[erkinalp]

Because Windows is not their primary business anymore. Azure and Office are.

[Fraizeraust]

not their primary business anymore.

business != ownership

You really seem to confuse with the two, unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Microsoft still holds the ownership and copyright to Windows operating system, they would never release any of NT code to the public because why would they? You are only wasting your time if you dream that Microsoft will ever open source Windows.

[shunesburg]

Not Windows 10 as we hoped

"We" == only you.

Like said everytime by lot of people : All people is not English native and in few languages there is a indemnified personnel pronoun (not including people in particular), which is translate by "We" by error in Google Translate. For a better comprehension, use "Some people" for this "We".

[Adcock]

At least after this they won't be able to brag about the issue.
If they do, we [including me] could protest, ignore them. [no one is preventing us now]
I think this will clear the illusion about M!cr0$0ft to the FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE.

[erkinalp]

The imdemnified we that h. shunesburg mentions excludes the original listener, not the speaker itself.
This kind of fourth person is very common in Austronesian languages.