2007 Linux and free software timeline: January [LWN.net]

Whilst the Microsoft patent agreement is in place there is *nothing* we can do to fix community relations. And I really mean nothing. We can pledge patents all we wish, we can talk to the press and "community leaders", we can do all the right things w.r.t. all our other interactions, but we will still be known as GPL violators and that's the end of it.

-- Jeremy Allison leaves Novell

Debian worries about the new Python trademark policy, but distribution of Python is not interrupted (discussion).

The Virtual Citizenship Association is created out of the failed Free Ryzom campaign (web site).

The Nouveau driver pledge launches with the goal of raising $10,000 in one month for the development of a free NVIDIA driver. The project exceeds its goals (pledge page).

Linden Labs releases the Second Life Viewer code under the GPL; one year later, some needed libraries remain non-free (press release).

There's usually about a two-year cycle where Linus and some people have trouble with something, and then they work it out. Despite their kicking and screaming, they eventually will go to GPL 3.

-- Bruce Perens

Mike McGrath becomes the Fedora Infrastructure leader (announcement).

N800 The MySQL license changes to GPLv2-only to avoid an automatic change to GPLv3.

The Nokia N800 is released (press release).

Alan Cox testifies before the House of Lords on systems security (report).

OpenXML relies on undisclosed patents, and undisclosed or incomplete licensing terms that make any independent reimplementation impossible or heavily risky. It obliges implementors to reverse-engineer the behavior of old closed Microsoft applications and formats. It uses non-standard formats for languages and dates, and specifies known bugs, such as treating 1900 as a leap year.

-- FFII sounds the alarm.

The Open Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group merge to become the Linux Foundation.

[Linus and Andrew] linux.conf.au 2007 is held in Sydney; some participants call it the "best LCA ever" (LWN coverage).

Seclists.org is shut down by GoDaddy after a complaint by MySpace (Fyodor's story).

The Linux Driver Project launches, promising free drivers for any vendor wanting to cooperate with the community (announcement).

Foresight Linux 1.0 is released (announcement).

The LiMo Foundation is launched to help promote development of Linux for mobile devices (press release).

rPath gets $9.1 million in venture funding (press release).

Timeline home

February ==>

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