VSHN.timer #259: Open Source – Trust, Trouble & Triumph

Welcome to another VSHN.timer! Once again, here are 5 links related to Kubernetes, OpenShift, CI / CD, Open Source or DevOps; all stuff coming out of our own chat system, making us think, laugh, or simply work better.

Open source has always balanced on a tightrope: freedom versus funding, community versus control, innovation versus instability. In 2025, that balance feels shakier than ever. From corporate licensing curveballs to heroic grassroots engineering efforts, the soul of open source is being tested – and redefined. Here are five stories that capture the drama, grit, and resilience of open source this year.

1. Epochalypse: Beating Y2K38 before it beats us
   Remember Y2K? Well, it’s back – in Unix form. The Epochalypse Project is a volunteer-driven initiative to migrate systems off 32-bit timestamps before 2038, when they’ll roll over and break. It’s a nerdy but noble mission that proves open source is still humanity’s best bug fix.
   https://epochalypse-project.org
   
2. MinIO’s gentle push toward paid features
   MinIO, once a darling of the open cloud-native world, is now nudging users toward its paid “Enterprise” tier via subtle cues in its documentation. Some say it’s a smart move to sustain development. Others call it a bait-and-switch. Either way, it’s a sign of the times: open source doesn’t always mean free lunch.
   https://linuxiac.com/minio-steering-users-toward-paid-subscriptions
   
3. Guix jumps ship from GitHub
   Citing concerns about GitHub’s alignment with free software values, the Guix project has migrated to Codeberg. It’s more than just a repo move – it’s a statement of independence. In an era of Big Tech entanglements, small communities are voting with their commits.
   https://guix.gnu.org/blog/2025/migrating-to-codeberg
   
   By the way: Would you also like to have your own fully managed, dedicated Forgejo instance? Why not head over to https://www.codey.ch and check it out?
   
4. Microsoft open sources WSL: Gift or gambit?
   Microsoft open sourced the Windows Subsystem for Linux this May, claiming it wants to deepen trust with the developer community. That’s big news – but it also raises eyebrows. Is Redmond turning over a new leaf, or is this a clever long play in the open source chessboard?
   https://linuxiac.com/microsoft-open-sources-wsl
   
5. Redis 8: A return to Open Source with AGPLv3
   In May 2025, Redis made a significant shift by releasing version 8.0 under the OSI-approved AGPLv3 license, marking a return to open source. This move came after a period of community unrest following Redis’s adoption of dual source-available licenses – RSALv2 and SSPLv1 – in March 2024, which were not recognized as open source by the OSI. The licensing change had led to the creation of Valkey, a fork supported by the Linux Foundation and major cloud providers. With the introduction of AGPLv3, Redis aims to rebuild trust and reaffirm its commitment to the open source community.
   https://redis.io/blog/agplv3

Is it fair for open source maintainers to commercialise their software more aggressively? Do you trust Big Tech’s involvement in the open source ecosystem? Would your team consider moving projects off GitHub for ethical reasons? Get in touch with us, and see you next week for another edition of VSHN.timer.

PS: check out our previous VSHN.timer editions about Open Source: #152, #170, #191, #194, #214, #234, #235, #256, #257

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