After more than fifty years of crossed influences in the digital world, the first friendly and public meeting between Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, marks an unprecedented stage in world technological history. This meeting rich in symbols took place during a dinner organized by Mark Russinovich, CTO of Microsoft Azure, also bringing together David Cutler, an essential figure in the development of the Windows NT kernel. These two completely opposed pillars – one defender of concrete proprietary code, the other champion of collaborative free software – exchanged within a framework which goes far beyond simple commercial or ideological coexistence. The 2025 context, where the border between proprietary and open source solutions is increasingly porous, adds particular insight to this historic face-to-face.
Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds: divergent paths in the evolution of software
Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds embody two opposing philosophies in software development. Gates, from the beginnings of Microsoft, built an empire based on proprietary software, where control of sources and monetization through licenses mark growth. Microsoft has long been associated with Windows, a closed operating system, controlled from source code to execution, thus promoting strict industrial and commercial logic. The objective was clear: build an ecosystem where Microsoft dominates, guaranteeing maximum profitability and controlled compatibility.
In contrast, Linus Torvalds started Linux in 1991 as a personal project, quickly becoming the leading figure of theopen source. Linux is based on a kernel scalable and collaborative, open to any external contribution, which promoted rapid innovation and decentralized development. The open source model highlights freedom software, that of reading, modifying, and sharing source code, an approach that has attracted millions of developers through distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat. This divergence has long crystallized debates about the future of software: on the one hand, an industrial and commercial logic; on the other, a community and collaborative approach. Each plays a central role in modern computing, one shaping the company, the other shaping the community and digital infrastructures.Bill Gates: promotion of closed source code, commercial licenses, Windows ecosystem. Linus Torvalds: collaborative development, open source software, Linux kernel.Microsoft:
major player in proprietary software, recent developments towards Azure and the cloud.
- Linux: heart of open source, pillar of cloud and server infrastructures.
- Discover the fascinating debate between Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds on the advantages and disadvantages of closed source code and open source code. Dive into their perspectives, influence on the software industry, and the future of technological development. The Technical and Cultural Issues Related to the Microsoft and Linux Approaches
- The Gates-Torvalds duel reflects not only a technical choice but also a profound cultural opposition. The Microsoft model, with Windows as its flagship product, was built around tight integration of hardware and software, as well as rigorous code control. This strategy has enabled a highly homogeneous ecosystem at the product level, but is also sometimes criticized for its proprietary lock-in, limiting user freedom. Linux, on the other hand, is the result of international cooperation. Thousands of contributors through Git, with source management on platforms like GitHub
- , work to continually evolve the kernel and its multiple modules. This collaborative effort is facilitated by open source licenses (GPL, LGPL), ensuring that all modifications remain accessible to the community. We thus see two opposing remnants of digital construction:
Linux, a decentralized, modular galaxy, offering us a solid foundation for customized solutions ranging from servers to embedded systems.
The convergence of these two worlds, however, has fostered unexpected connections. Microsoft has had to adapt to changes in the digital world, now integrating Linux and open source tools into its platforms, notably in the form of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL),which allows Linux environments to be run directly under Windows. This breakthrough has been essential for many developers who use Ubuntu and other distributions without leaving the Windows ecosystem. The Azure cloud is a good illustration of this hybridization, where Linux dominates the infrastructure, highlighting a strategic shift at Microsoft:
Azure’s server layers rely heavily on Linux. Microsoft sponsors numerous open source projects.Developers are encouraged to use Linux and Git tools natively.
This remarkable progression highlights how the boundary between closed source and open source is becoming intangible, fueled by interests essential to the flexibility of modern companies.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG2eyPk0QGA
- The historical legacy of closed source versus the rise of free software
To understand this exceptional encounter, it’s essential to revisit the history of operating systems and their models. In the 1970s and 1980s, Microsoft, with MS-DOS and then Windows, captured the lion’s share of the personal computer market. Its strategy focused on protecting patented technologies and offering upgradeable versions, requiring expensive licensing. Linux appeared much later, offering a free and open alternative supported by the GNU/Linux community. Thanks to distributions such as Ubuntu 25.10, Debian, and Red Hat, Linux systems have gained a significant foothold in corporate servers, cloud infrastructures, and even desktops. This open source software revolution has also had repercussions in the public sector and administration, where several governments, such as Denmark’s, are adopting Linux and open source office suites to reduce costs and dependence on proprietary vendors. Concrete examples:Denmark, which is opting for Linux and LibreOffice solutions on all government workstations.
The growing use of Linux in European administrations.
- Multiple projects relying on Linux solutions to guarantee security and technical independence.
- This historical legacy clearly demonstrates that open systems have successfully prioritized collective innovation over immediate profitability, while offering viable and robust alternatives to the closed model.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOPJLqzJsOQ
Technical Collaboration: Git, GitHub, and Gradual Integration at Microsoft
We are witnessing a technological hybridization where coexistence is no longer a choice but a necessity to meet the demands of modern businesses.
Discover the divergent visions of Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds on closed and open source code. Explore how these two IT giants shaped the software industry and the implications of their philosophies on innovation and collaboration.
Looking ahead: Toward stronger coexistence between Windows, Linux, and the Azure cloud The Gates-Torvalds meeting takes place in a world where digital technology is more complex than ever. The cloud dominates, orchestrated containers, and hybrid environments are the norm. Microsoft has invested heavily in Azure, which relies heavily on Linux infrastructures. The future is shaped around advanced interoperability and extensive technical cooperation.Several technical and strategic elements reinforce this coexistence:
Azure:
A cloud platform that supports multiple Linux distributions by default, facilitating deployment and management.
- Virtualization and containers: Offering the freedom to run Windows and Linux on the same infrastructure without compromise. Projects like Virtual Linux in a Browser
- or PostmarketOS are strengthening easy access to these open source environments. Continuous improvements in Linux kernel performance, as mentioned in the latest Linux 6.15+ releases, are accelerating adoption in critical environments.Collaboration between the various stakeholders is thus paving a solid path for developers and system administrators who wish to leverage the strengths of each platform. This movement is also inducing a new cultural dynamic, where open and closed are no longer opposed but coexist, bringing flexibility and innovation.
- Ultimately, this meeting symbolizes more than just a conversation. It marks a phase where technical reality is forcing the giants to work side by side to meet the current and future challenges of the global digital world.
