This timeline covers the period of most obvious abuses of power by Microsoft against free software and Samba in particular. It was more difficult to bury open source like Samba in expensive litigation than a company, but they tried hard. This was the Ballmer era, named after the then-CEO, and the history of Samba’s triumphs feels highly relevant to 2026.
What caused Microsoft’s new CEO in 2014 to dramatically change course from such directed hostility? Perhaps it was a fit of morality. Perhaps it was the intention to launch the much worse extortion racket we see today.
Microsoft continus to spend a fortune on coercisve activity, because it is a successful strategy for them.
1998
Microsoft aggression strategy
Halloween documents leaked . Samba targetted by strategy to decommoditise protocols. Linux labelled as “cancer”.
2001
SCO war begins
SCO claims ownership of Linux code. Microsoft joins SCO; IBM backs community. Massive community engagement, ultimately successful in 2007.
2002
Patent wars
EU Parliment proposes software patents, massive open source resistance, finally killed in 2005.
Microsoft targets Samba with CIFS licence excluding the “cancerous” GPL.
2005
Collectivist patent responses
Open Invention Network (OIN) founded as a mutual defence pact against
Microsoft with IBM, Red Hat, Novell, Sony, Philips, and eventually thousands of others. Software Freedom
Law Center founded, advising Samba and others on patent risk.
2006
Betrayal and response
Novell goes against OIN and signs patent deal with Microsoft targetting Linux and Samba. GPLv3
development teams respond with anti-Novell clause to protect Samba. Software Freedom
Legal Conservancy launched, Samba joins immediately.
2007
Major successes
GPLv3 public release in Edinburgh, Scotland. Samba adopts GPLv3. Microsoft loses 13-0](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=T-201/04) on Samba in the EU Court of First Instance, forced to allow patent-protected access to Microsoft protocols under the strange and complex PFIF.
2008
Strange times
Microsoft publishes interoperability principles plus 30,000 pages of protocol documentation in public. EU Commission imposes €899 million fine 6 days later, sceptical of Microsoft sincerity. Samba began to cooperate directly with Microsoft on protocol implementation.