# Miguel de Icaza

> Mexican free software developer

**Wikidata**: [Q62849](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62849)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Icaza)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/miguel-de-icaza

## Summary  
Miguel de Icaza is a Mexican‑born software developer, computer scientist, and technology evangelist best known for creating the GNU Midnight Commander file manager and co‑founding the open‑source projects Ximian, Mono, and Xamarin. His work has been pivotal in bringing free, cross‑platform development tools to a wide audience.

## Biography  
- **Born:** 23 November 1972, Mexico City, Mexico  
- **Nationality:** Mexican (U.S. citizenship since 2015)  
- **Education:** National Autonomous University of Mexico  
- **Known for:** Founding GNU Midnight Commander and leading the Mono and Xamarin projects  
- **Employer(s):**  
  - Ximian (1999 – 2003)  
  - Novell (2003 – 2011)  
  - Xamarin (May 2011 – June 2016)  
  - Microsoft (2016 – 2022)  
- **Field(s):** Software development, computer science, free‑software advocacy, entrepreneurship  

## Contributions  
Miguel de Icaza launched **GNU Midnight Commander** in 1994, a free, cross‑platform orthodox file manager that quickly became a staple for Unix‑like systems. In 1999 he co‑founded **Ximian**, a company focused on improving the GNOME desktop environment and delivering professional‑grade Linux tools. Under Ximian, he initiated the **Mono** project, an open‑source implementation of Microsoft’s .NET framework, enabling developers to write cross‑platform .NET applications. After Novell acquired Ximian in 2003, de Icaza continued to shepherd Mono’s growth. In 2011 he co‑started **Xamarin**, providing commercial support and tools for Mono on mobile platforms; Xamarin was acquired by Microsoft in 2016, where he served as a senior engineer until 2022. His contributions earned him the **Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software** in 1999, recognizing his impact on the free‑software ecosystem.

## FAQs  
### Q: What is Miguel de Icaza most famous for?  
A: He is best known for creating the GNU Midnight Commander file manager and for co‑founding the Mono and Xamarin projects, which brought free, cross‑platform development tools to millions of developers.  

### Q: Did Miguel de Icaza work for Microsoft?  
A: Yes, he joined Microsoft in 2016 after its acquisition of Xamarin and remained there until 2022, contributing to the company’s cross‑platform development strategy.  

### Q: What is the Mono project?  
A: Mono is an open‑source implementation of Microsoft’s .NET framework, launched under Ximian to allow developers to build and run .NET applications on Linux, macOS, and other platforms.  

### Q: Has Miguel de Icaza received any awards?  
A: He received the Free Software Foundation’s Award for the Advancement of Free Software on 15 December 1999.  

### Q: Where can I follow Miguel de Icaza online?  
A: He is active on Twitter (@migueldeicaza), Bluesky (migueldeicaza.bsky.social), and maintains a personal blog at https://tirania.org.  

## Why They Matter  
Miguel de Icaza’s work has reshaped the landscape of free and open‑source software by delivering high‑quality, cross‑platform tools that lower barriers for developers worldwide. GNU Midnight Commander set a standard for powerful, console‑based file management, while Mono opened the .NET ecosystem to Linux and macOS, fostering a more inclusive development community. Xamarin extended this vision to mobile, enabling native iOS and Android apps to be written in C#. These projects accelerated the adoption of open‑source solutions in enterprise environments and inspired a generation of developers to embrace platform‑agnostic programming. Without de Icaza’s leadership, the seamless interoperability between Windows, Linux, and mobile platforms would have progressed far more slowly, and many modern cross‑platform frameworks might not exist today.  

## Notable For  
- Creating **GNU Midnight Commander** (1994), a widely used orthodox file manager.  
- Co‑founding **Ximian** (1999) and leading the development of **Mono**, the open‑source .NET implementation.  
- Co‑founding **Xamarin** (2011), later acquired by Microsoft, advancing cross‑platform mobile development.  
- Receiving the **FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software** (1999).  
- Serving as a senior engineer at **Microsoft** (2016‑2022), influencing the company’s cross‑platform strategy.  

## Body  

### Early Life and Education  
- Born in Mexico City on 23 Nov 1972.  
- Studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, graduating with a background in computer science.  

### GNU Midnight Commander (1994)  
- Developed the first version of GNU Midnight Commander, a free, cross‑platform file manager modeled after Norton Commander.  
- Became a core utility for many Unix‑like operating systems, praised for its efficiency and keyboard‑centric design.  

### Ximian and the Mono Project  
- Co‑founded Ximian in 1999 to improve the GNOME desktop and provide professional Linux tools.  
- Initiated the Mono project under Ximian, delivering an open‑source .NET runtime that runs on Linux, macOS, and other platforms.  
- After Novell’s acquisition of Ximian in 2003, de Icaza continued to guide Mono’s development, expanding its ecosystem and community.  

### Xamarin and Microsoft (2011‑2022)  
- Co‑started Xamarin in 2011, offering commercial support for Mono on iOS and Android.  
- Xamarin’s acquisition by Microsoft in 2016 integrated its technology into Visual Studio and Azure, enhancing Microsoft’s cross‑platform offerings.  
- Worked at Microsoft until 2022, focusing on developer tools and platform interoperability.  

### Awards and Recognition  
- Awarded the Free Software Foundation’s **Award for the Advancement of Free Software** on 15 Dec 1999 for his contributions to free software tools.  

### Personal and Online Presence  
- Maintains a personal blog at https://tirania.org and is active on Twitter (@migueldeicaza).  
- Holds accounts on Bluesky, YouTube, TikTok, and Keybase, engaging with the developer community.  

## Schema Markup  
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  "nationality": {"@type": "Country", "name": "Mexico"},
  "birthDate": "1972-11-23",
  "birthPlace": "Mexico City, Mexico",
  "alumniOf": [{"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "National Autonomous University of Mexico"}],
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  "sameAs": [
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## References

1. [Source](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2016/02/24/microsoft-to-acquire-xamarin-and-empower-more-developers-to-build-apps-on-any-device/)
2. [Source](https://www.zdnet.com/article/former-xamarin-co-founder-miguel-de-icaza-is-leaving-microsoft/)
3. [Source](https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/08/04/novell_buys_ximian/)
4. [Source](https://www.gnu.org/award/1999/1999.html)
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. [Source](https://twitter.com/migueldeicaza/status/6796935910391808)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. Quora
9. The Movie Database
10. YouTube API