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Microsoft has announced its partnership with Linux vendor Xandros.The Redmond giant will provide Xandros users with a patent covenant that protects users from intellectual property claims.

Microsoft will provide the patent license directly to the end user, which allows it to circumvent patent licensing requirements in the General Public License (GPL) which governs Linux.

This collaboration aims to improve the interoperability between Xandros and Microsoft software for servers and systems management.Xandros will also join Microsoft in building tools that translate between the Open Document Format and Microsoft's Open XML.

Xandros is best known as a desktop Linux distribution. The company will use the Web Services for Management standard as well as APIs where available.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The deal is similar to the partnership signed last November between Microsoft and Novell, but differs on a few points.

Microsoft will not pay Xandros for any of its intellectual property, and will not purchase any of its software. The firms have made no mention of virtualization.While this allows the Novell-Microsoft partnership to proceed, it is expected to block the Xandros deal.

Microsoft and Xandros declined to comment on the implications of GPLv3 on the deal, pointing out that the license is currently in a draft stage and might still change.