Microsoft's Mono Project Finds a New Home with Wine

In a significant move, Microsoft has officially donated the Mono Project to the Wine community, marking the end of a unique journey in the open-source world.

A hand drawing a project management diagram with a red marker.
Photography by TheDigitalArtist on Pixabay
Published: Thursday, 03 October 2024 09:17 (EDT)
By Emily Wong

Microsoft's decision to donate the Mono Project, an open-source framework that extended its .NET platform to non-Windows systems, to the Wine community is a noteworthy development. The Wine team will now take on the responsibility of maintaining the Mono Project's upstream code, while Microsoft encourages developers to transition their Mono-based applications to its open-source .NET framework.

Mono has had a storied history since its inception. Originally created by Miguel de Icaza, co-creator of the GNOME desktop, Mono was a pioneering effort to bring Microsoft's .NET platform to Unix-like systems. The project began under the banner of Ximian, which was later acquired by Novell in 2003.

A Journey Through Open-Source Evolution

Over the years, Mono has seen various ownerships and affiliations, including Novell, SUSE, and Xamarin, before ultimately landing in Microsoft's hands. Despite these changes, Mono remained a crucial tool for developers seeking cross-platform compatibility, especially on Android, iOS, and Linux.

The last major release of Mono was in July 2019, and while it may no longer be at the forefront of development, its legacy as a trailblazer for .NET across multiple operating systems is undeniable. With Wine now at the helm, the Mono Project enters a new chapter, potentially opening up new possibilities for cross-platform development.

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