Full Circle: Microsoft Donates Mono to Wine Project, Closing a Peculiar Chapter in FOSS History

Kevin Purdy – Aug 28, 2024 5:15 pm UTC

Microsoft has transferred ownership of the Mono Project, an open-source framework that extended its .NET platform to non-Windows environments, to the Wine community. WineHQ will now manage the Mono Project’s upstream code, while Microsoft will support the transition of Mono-based applications to its open-source .NET framework.

According to Microsoft’s announcement on the Mono Project’s website, the most recent substantial update to Mono was released in July 2019. The framework was groundbreaking in making .NET available on various operating systems, notably being the earliest version of .NET for Android, iOS, Linux, among others.

The inception of Mono can be traced back to Miguel de Icaza, who along with others created the GNOME desktop. De Icaza’s original company, initially named Helix Code and later Ximian, was aimed at adapting Microsoft’s burgeoning .NET framework for Unix-like systems. In 2003, Ximian was acquired by Novell.

Mono played a crucial role in de Icaza’s initiatives to integrate Microsoft’s Silverlight—a browser plugin aimed at being a Flash alternative—into Linux ecosystems. This effort was documented in an article on Ars Technica, which you can read here. Furthermore, Novell promoted Mono as a tool for developing iOS applications using C# and other .NET languages, as discussed here. In 2009, Microsoft’s implementation of its “Community Promise” to the .NET standards signified its endorsement for Mono’s use beyond its direct influence, as detailed here.

By 2011, Novell was being absorbed and was less proactive with Mono, prompting de Icaza to establish Xamarin to continue Mono’s development for Android. A key agreement between Novell (via its SUSE subsidiary) and Xamarin allowed Xamarin to assume control over the intellectual property and client base utilizing Mono within Novell/SUSE, as reported by Phoronix available here.

Regarding Mono and Wine? Initially, not much change occurred. Wine, which serves as a compatibility layer for running Windows applications on POSIX-compliant systems, had been leveraging Mono within its architecture and even developed its exclusive Mono engine, which can be explored here. Microsoft’s donation of Mono to Wine practically eliminated any remaining skepticism concerning Microsoft’s oversight of the project. It signals a more open-source-friendly Microsoft, which though different from the past, suggests a positive shift.

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!