On January 14, Microsoft ended official support for Windows 7, one of the most popular operating systems it has ever developed. Naturally, millions of systems still depend day by day on Windows 7, and the lack of free updates puts them at risk. Microsoft only offers hotfixes to those who pay for extended support, but the Free Software Foundation believes it can do something much better: freeing Windows 7's code. They are so convinced that they sent Microsoft an empty hard drive.
The Upcycle Windows 7 Petition
The original petition appeared on the Free Software Foundation's official page on January 23. Under the title "Upcycle Windows 7" and with more than 13,000 signatures (they sought a minimum of 7,777), the foundation literally demanded that Windows 7 be released to the public and converted to an open source license so that all interested parties could modify, optimize, and share the operating system. With this, the FSF calls on Redmond to "correct past mistakes" and demonstrate that it "respects the privacy and freedom of its users" instead of "forcing them to use a new version of Windows".
Obviously, there is nothing new on the horizon. The FSF's position toward Microsoft has always been the same, and as expected, Redmond's response was pure silence. However, the foundation decided to raise the stakes by sending Microsoft an empty hard drive for the company to store all the relevant code there. It also added that Microsoft should demonstrate this new "love for open source software" it claims to have. The FSF is willing to give Redmond the benefit of the doubt and provide any assistance in the transition process.
Why This Might Not Be the Best Strategy
Leaving aside the "slight" dose of sarcasm, I think this is not the best strategy for the foundation to follow. On one hand, Microsoft has historically shown great resistance to releasing its operating systems. We have seen specific components turned into open source (for example, the calculator and PowerToys) as well as older versions of MS-DOS, but nothing in the Windows line. And on the other hand, Windows 7 is still under support. The difference is that it is not available to the end user, but the definitive technical abandonment of that operating system will happen in 2023.
Although millions of computers still have Windows 7 installed that cannot (or should not) start their transition to Windows 10, it would be more interesting to request the release of Windows XP in its 64-bit edition. Imagine for a moment a build of Windows XP x64 with its bugs fixed, obsolete components removed (e.g., IE6), better drivers, and compatibility with modern hardware, without sacrificing software support. That thing would fly, using a fraction of the resources Windows 10 demands, and giving new life to old computers. Dreaming doesn't cost anything...
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