So Microsoft released 20,000 some lines of code for use under the General Public License version 2(GPL v2). On all the tech websites we have been reading that Microsoft is finally playing nice with Free Software. Can this be true? Has hell really frozen over? Don't bet on it.

This release of driver code is due to the fact that these drivers, up till now considered proprietary and used exclusively by Microsoft's IP partners, utilize code taken from Free Software drivers. By the terms of the GPL any free software application or driver code can be used for anything at all, and anything written using "borrowed" Free Software code can also be used in any way imaginable, but the resultant code _must_ also be released under the GPL.

According to Microsoft, they had planned on releasing these drivers anyway...they just didn't get around to it until the Software Freedom Law Center contacted them and helped them understand how to release the required code elements.

Here are some pertinent links:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/23/microsoft_hyperv_gpl_violation/
http://www.sdtimes.com/link/33224
http://www.sdtimes.com/link/33134
http://linux-network-plumber.blogspot.com/2009/07/congratulations-micros...

Software released under the GPL is Free Software, what is important here is to understand here is what is meant by Free Software. It is free to use in any way you like, as often as you like, on as many machines as you like. You can even download the source code and make changes or hire someone to make the changes for you! This is all totally legitimate, acceptable, and even expected.

The only perquisite is that you must then release the resulting program as Free Software as well...up to and including the source code. After all, you started with code that belongs to the community, not you. This likely made your project much easier, if not you would have started from scratch, and because you were given an advanced start using code that belongs to the community your changes also belong to the community.

You can sell the software you now posses, give it away, use it in an embedded way in a device like a phone or watch or something, whatever! This is the meaning of Free in Free Software. Usually Free Software is available at no cost as well, but this is a different matter entirely really.

This is the way Free Software grows. People find something that is close to what they want, then modify it to suit their needs. These changes continue to add value, functionality, and stability, to Free Software projects.