Microsoft has finally Open-Sourced the Windows 7 netbook install tool which lets users create a USB/DVD of the OS installation as well as download the installation from the Internet.
Named as WUDT, the product is released under the GPLv2 license, with the code available at CodePlex. You can check the source here, at the WUDT page on CodePlex. Microsoft admitted the mistake of putting up the software with Open-Source code as a closed source software and promised to look into the matter. Within a month, now it has finally released the software as Open-Source with a size of 2.59 MB.
This is unlike earlier, when the software was closed source and was sized at only a 950 KB. There is no Term of Use link directing us to any proprietary license page anymore. The executable installer which is for Windows, includes the source along with the software. This is a major improvement against earlier, when Microsoft released the tool as a closedsource software, possibly stealing away some Open-Source codes. You can see this post for some reading on the topic.
This should make it clear that Open-Source software is protected by licenses and is not just lying there for free to put into your own closed source software. It is time we respect Open-Source software. The new Windows 7 USB/DVD tool software requires:
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