Microsoft to Create Emacs Clone?
Microsoft developer Douglas Purdy reports of plans to create a clone of the Emacs editor for .Net.
In his blog Purdy has published an entry saying that he and his team are looking for developers to program an application that will bring the functionality of Emacs to the .Net software platform. It is hard to say right now whether Microsoft will be using the Emacs code, or developing its own application from scratch. More specifically, Purdy is looking for a programmer with experience in the development of IDEs and text editors. The job is advertised as a full time vacancy.
Emacs is a text editor that was developed by Richard Stallman back in 1976, and which is available today in different versions for a large number of systems, including Windows. A proprietary Emacs-style editor was sold to UniPress in 1981 by Java creator James Gosling. This editor was dubbed "Gosling Emacs". The free alternative, GNU Emacs, was initiated by Stallman in 1984.
Microsoft's .Net software platform includes a runtime environment, a collection of class libraries, and matching utilities. At present, Open Source developers are working on a free version code named "Mono". The project is mainly promoted by Novell. There is also a .Net variant called "Rotor", which is available for Windows, FreeBSD and OS X, however, its licensing terms are unacceptable to many developers.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.