How would they not be able to use Linux anymore? With it being GPL and everything?

Imagine a scenario where Microsoft's moves into open source aren't genuine. They spend a decade or two working their way into the ecosystem using their ownership of GitHub to encourage Microsoft solutions. One day Google wakes up to find some key component has been replaced with something Microsoft controls, or at least primarily develops. No biggie. They'll just make their own. Until the next one.

I'm hopeful EEE[1] is a thing of the past, but I can see why Google would hedge for the possibility of Linux and open source in general being pod peopled into an ecosystem it can't keep using. They're worried Microsoft will do to Linux what Google did to AOSP. Golang's dependence on importing stuff from GitHub is already a threat.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguis...

As someone that follows Android development since version 2.1, when NDK became a thing, Google has been removing GPL component one after the other with each Android release.

With Q, the Linux kernel is the only GPL thing still standing.

No need to worry about Microsoft.

For each GPL component removed, do Google open source the replacement?

No. Google has let AOSP die in the vine. It's nearly impossible to properly run Android without the play store. Most OEMs develop a lot in house to combat the rot that's occurred in the open source components.

Yes the new kernel is open source; it's the play store and perhaps other bits of the full OS they'll hang on to.

> One day Google wakes up to find some key component has been replaced with something Microsoft controls, or at least primarily develops.

Then Google just doesn't take that patch and forks the kernel. Google already has its gLinux team with their own Debian-based Linux distro, and Google has a successful history of leading OSS projects.

You don't think having a stable driver ABI is game changing?

Have you seen the nightmare that is building monolithic pile of crap using lineageOS/etc every-time it gets an update? Even googles own devices (hammerhead/etc) have been known for having binary blobs that have to be extracted and custom wrapped to get them working with the latest versions.

Mainlining the driver is the correct solution, but most Android drivers don't pass the smell test.

I don't understand how is returning to Windows model of driver development is an improvement.