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Mary-Jo Foley
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Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store

By | December 9, 2011, 11:13am PST

Summary: Microsoft is providing a loophole in its Windows 8 Store developer agreement that allows for inclusion of OSI-licensed open source apps.

Microsoft is planning to allow applications licensed under Open Source Iniative (OSI) approved licenses to be distributed via the Windows 8 app store.

That tidbit comes from a December 7 post on “The H” (which I saw via PCWorld). The H combed through a pre-release version of Microsoft’s Windows Store App Developer Agreement and found mention of how open-source apps will be grandfathered in.

The H explained:

“Apps that are released under an Open Source Initiative-recognised open source licence can, at least in the pre-release version of the Windows Store, be distributed according to terms that contradict Microsoft’s Standard Application License Terms if this is required by the open source licence. Among other things, the Standard Application License Terms prohibit the sharing of applications.”

This loophole may help open-source developers avoid the kinds of issues encountered by some who were stymied Apple’s more restrictive iOS App Store terms and conditions.

Microsoft officials shared more details about the coming Windows Store earlier this week. Metro-style applications will be licensable, marketable and downloadable from the Windows 8 Store. Non-Metro-style Desktop Apps will only be marketable from inside the store, with links provided to developers’ sites for sales/downloads.

If you need a refresher as to what a “Metro-style” app is, here’s my post from the Build conference about Metro earlier this year. And here’s an updated architectural diagram, courtesy of Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Rockford Lhotka, with more detail as to what Metro vs. Desktop Apps on x86/x64-based Windows 8 looks like.

I’ve had a few developers ask me whether Microsoft will allow the use of open-source languages/development environments — like PHP, Ruby, Python, Eclipse, etc. — to create Windows 8 apps. The Windows 8 architectural diagrams (from Microsoft and others) make me believe the answer is no, even though HTML5/JavaScript/CSS are all supported (and treated as better than first-class citizens in Windows 8)….Anyone know otherwise?

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Topics

Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows, Open Source, Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

Got a tip? Send her an email with your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. Confidentiality guaranteed.

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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
pbisson 26th Jan
Mary-Jo, Therre is one question I would like to ask Microsoft, but you are surely in better position to evaluate my question, then I am, or to ask at all. It is as follows:

Would Microsoft consider releasing the JavaScript version of the their App to the open Web for site developing?... except that Web developer's would have to sign up for the release and that there would be an indicator on the app, that it is Web Version.

This woud help in support of developing for touch screeen technology and also, it is my impression that following Apples experience and the fact that a lot of people recently updated systems to Windows 7 and "i" series machines, Microsoft really has to do something in a big way.

Hopefully, if Microsoft released the JavaScript version of their Metro Style Apps for the Web, with Windows 8 release, they would have been updated the Web version, to include site, touch, mouse, and keyboard support.

Of course, I've looked at the apps, and have an idea of what they can do but could Microsoft do it for the Web?
View in thread
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Linux fanbois will interject that this is some sort of evil trap
facebook@... 9th Dec
Given the overreaction to Mono, zealots will have a problem with this as well.
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Never trust the devil
ScorpioBlue 10th Dec
Embrace, extend, extinguish...
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
Michael Alan Goff 10th Dec
@ScorpioBlue

Do you even know the basis behind that line being used by the Supreme Court? Furthermore, do you really think is has any real bearing on what is being done with Mono? And, lastly, what relevance does it have to the app store?
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
ScorpioBlue 12th Dec
Do you even know the basis behind that line being used by the Supreme Court?

Apparently you don't know, Goff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish

It didn't originate with the Supreme Court but applied to internal memos circulating around Microsoft regarding control of both the internet and marketshare.

Furthermore, do you really think is has any real bearing on what is being done with Mono?

If you want to know where the distrust of Microsoft in the FOSS community comes from, then look no further.

And, lastly, what relevance does it have to the app store?

Because those open source apps won't stay open source once Microsoft controls it's distribution, that's why.

Get a clue, Goff. Think before you speak.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
Michael Alan Goff 13th Dec
My mistake, internal memo.

As for the distrust of the OSS, they obviously need to move on from a 10+ year old case. As for the nature of the store, I suppose that you have evidence.

No?

Kindly get some evidence, or kindly go away.

Please?
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The devil is still there
ScorpioBlue 13th Dec
My mistake, internal memo.

You're always full of mistakes. That's why you need me to guide you.

As for the distrust of the OSS, they obviously need to move on from a 10+ year old case.

Nope. Because they need to be reminded. Continuously.

As for the nature of the store, I suppose that you have evidence.

That wiki link up above provides a track record for you. I don't need to hold your hand and spell it out for you.

Kindly get some evidence, or kindly go away.

Please?

No.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
Michael Alan Goff 14th Dec
So all you have is a 10 year old case.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
ScorpioBlue 14th Dec
In legal circles, 10 years isn't that long.

As I said, never trust the devil.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
Lerianis10 29th Dec
@ScorpioBlue

In legal circles when you are talking about tech? Yes, 10 years is a hell of a long time and should not really be being litigated anymore, if the company has changed their behavior, as Microsoft has.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
nanderto 9th Dec
I am sure open source to build apps will be allowed but they have to fit in the programming model, so I expect things like JQuery, IOC containers, and some MVVM frameworks etc will show up with open source licenses .
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What is the deal
x I'm tc 9th Dec
Can someone explain to me the rationale behind not allowing open source in? I don't see what the issue is, but I may be missing something.

Does it have to do with MS's right to revoke? If so, I'd rather see that go. happy
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Sharing of applications
LiquidLearner 9th Dec
@jdakula

You can't share a Metro app but you can't restrict the use of an OSI app. Therefore the OSI license will take precedence over the Windows app policy.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
Dodgson1832 9th Dec
Nice reporting as always. You're one of the tech journalists whom always just reports instead of trying to take a buddy-buddy tone or being overly prejudiced against certain technologies. Always like reading your stuff.
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Contributr
Thanks!
Mary Jo Foley 9th Dec
Appreciate the kind words. MJ
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About Mono
ovabus 21st Dec
So, regarding to Mono: What effects this story will have to it? Is this a good or a bad thing to Mono ?
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windows is a free software
petux7 1st Jan
who will show windows kernel for the open source developers for developing a good and precise applications for windows 8 and why use open source funs windows 8 ?
I don't think that the open source fans will use windows!
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
CAP198462 11th Jan
I worry about open source apps ever since I took a course on IT security, the fact is that with open source apps you either pursue a caveat emptor strategy and if you get screwed it's your own fault or you build into your app store the ability to check out the app before you purchase it, which presumes users know enough to recognize a threat when they sees it. A managed app store like Apple's is much safer. I'll be keeping my iPad and Linux, and my personal information safer, thanks you.
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
CAP198462 11th Jan
I worry about open source apps ever since I took a course on IT security, the fact is that with open source apps you either pursue a caveat emptor strategy and if you get screwed it's your own fault or you build into your app store the ability to check out the app before you purchase it, which presumes users know enough to recognize a threat when they see it. A managed app store like Apple's is much safer. I'll be keeping my iPad and Linux, and my personal information safer, thanks you.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
CAP198462 11th Jan
I worry about open source apps ever since I took a course on IT security, the fact is that with open source apps you either pursue a caveat emptor strategy and if you get screwed it's your own fault or you build into your app store the ability to check out the app before you purchase it, which presumes users know enough to recognize a threat when they see it. A managed app store like Apple's is much safer. I'll be keeping my iPad and Linux, and my personal information safer, thanks you.
0 Votes
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Dangerous Lockdown
Pacoup 19th Jan
Personally I think that both the Metro store policies and lockdown to the store are broken. It's my impression that the inability for Metro apps to be distributed freely of a store will play against, and certainly not for Microsoft.

Developers will walk away to a more open platform, regardless of the security benefits such a closed model may give to users. I think Android and yes, the rise of Windows itself in the 90s is an example of this fact in action.

Unless Microsoft gets their head out of the sand on this I believe Android will supplant Windows from the bottom up; i.e. starting with mobile and going up to PCs.

Windows 8 will not be saved by the enterprise either. Everyone is just now migrating to Windows 7, which is clearly on the path of becoming the next Windows XP. By then time the enterprises finally migrate from Windows 7 to something newer, the world will be running on Android if Windows 8 isn't popular enough for consumers.

My point is that in order to succeed, Windows 8 needs to have a hit where Android is currently dominating: in the newest consumer devices. Unless they make it attractive for developers to make things for Windows 8 tablets, they will lose their market. And it's starting to smell bad now because developers like openness and Microsoft's got nothing going for them which would negate the need for openness as Apple does.
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
neville_bagnall@... 25th Jan
Well Boo, IronPython and IronRuby are all opensource languages that use the CLI/CLR. And the Mono guys clearly think that they will be able to target WinRT from their runtime.

As I understand it, disqualification from App Store hosting comes if you use Windows APIs outside the WinRT+extras set.

Boo in particular as a statically linked language occupies a very similar space as C# and VB, and should be indistinguishable from them in compiled form.

The Iron languages require the DLR, so developing with them requires that DLR APIs do not disqualify. Since C# can also use it, I suspect using it won't disqualify.

But all this is based on MS's rules of access to the App Store.

I've heard nothing so far to suggest that Apps will be unable to run if they break the Microsoft App Store rules. It might be enforced, but it might not. The impression I've got so far is that it is Visual Studio that is preventing it, not the runtime.
0 Votes
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RE: Microsoft to allow open source apps in Windows 8 Store
pbisson 26th Jan
Mary-Jo, Therre is one question I would like to ask Microsoft, but you are surely in better position to evaluate my question, then I am, or to ask at all. It is as follows:

Would Microsoft consider releasing the JavaScript version of the their App to the open Web for site developing?... except that Web developer's would have to sign up for the release and that there would be an indicator on the app, that it is Web Version.

This woud help in support of developing for touch screeen technology and also, it is my impression that following Apples experience and the fact that a lot of people recently updated systems to Windows 7 and "i" series machines, Microsoft really has to do something in a big way.

Hopefully, if Microsoft released the JavaScript version of their Metro Style Apps for the Web, with Windows 8 release, they would have been updated the Web version, to include site, touch, mouse, and keyboard support.

Of course, I've looked at the apps, and have an idea of what they can do but could Microsoft do it for the Web?

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