Should microsoft make windows source code widely avaliable

[BlackAzarath]

    Microsoft has a long list of operating system versions that you can't get anymore like windows 95 unless you know someone that would let you get it from them. Then there's the problem of running it on new hardware. That is why Microsoft should give their source code from old versions of windows to the people who are willing to build it for there needs. Yes it is discontinued software but I believe it would be beneficial  for those who want to use those operating systems.

[Quinnell]

It should be entirely up to Microsoft whether they do it or not.  A lot of the code in the older versions is still relevant to modern Windows.  I don't think they have to release it if they believe it benefits their business more to keep it in-house.

[TehDwonz]

12 minutes ago, TheForgetfulOne said:

    Microsoft has a long list of operating system versions that you can't get anymore like windows 95 unless you know someone that would let you get it from them. Then there's the problem of running it on new hardware. That is why Microsoft should give their source code from old versions of windows to the people who are willing to build it for there needs. Yes it is discontinued software but I believe it would be beneficial  for those who want to use those operating systems.

I doubt that seeing Windows source code would benefit your mental health though - likely a severe hazard!

Besides it being their property, they likely don't want people using such insecure old versions where there is a possibility it will be connected to the Internet.

[mahyar]

imo no for example a lot of machines in a lot of places still use windows xp this recent leak was to force those companies and governments to switch to a newer os  

[The_russian]

Parts of modern windows versions are still built off parts of older versions, they don’t just creat a completely new OS each time with absolutely nothing from older versions. Releasing the source code would likely lead to security issues.

[BlackAzarath]

24 minutes ago, mahyar said:

imo no for example a lot of machines in a lot of places still use windows xp this recent leak was to force those companies and governments to switch to a newer os  

 .    Well if they realease it to the public people would not commit piracy and they would not need to leak the source code to deal with people who still use old systems

[mahyar]

Just now, TheForgetfulOne said:

 .    Well if they realease it to the public people would not commit piracy and they would not need to leak the source code to deal with people who still use old systems

not piracy an old os with a lot of hole has the source code leaked and hacker can reverse engineer that code and find more hole and hack old systems easier  

[SansVarnic]

11 hours ago, TheForgetfulOne said:

 .    Well if they realease it to the public people would not commit piracy and they would not need to leak the source code to deal with people who still use old systems

I believe your getting this backwards, the ISO is widely available for free. Granted the OS version and features are limited to Home and you cannot personalize so you just need to buy the license to unlock those features and the Pro version.

Microsoft did this to help reduce the focus on the fight of piracy. Hard to pirate a freely available working OS.

 

Microsoft wont the OS Kernel but it is widely know that Windows 10 is built mainly on C#.

 

The piracy you are getting to is so small now with how Windows is distributed that it is hardly negligible and Microsoft knows this.