Ubuntu founder doubts 'Goobunto' product
Google very likely is using the Ubuntu version of Linux internally, but Ubuntu project founder Mark Shuttleworth said this week he doubts the Internet search giant plans to turn it into a product.
"As far as I'm aware there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Google plans to distribute a derivative of Ubuntu as a Google OS," Shuttlworth said on his blog. "As exciting as that may be for Linux, it wouldn't make sense for Google, and so far they've been pretty sensible about their projects."
"The 'goobuntu' you may have heard of is just a modified version of Ubuntu," he said. "Technically, there's likely to be a 'goobian' and a 'goohat,' too," referring to Linux versions from Debian and Red Hat.
Google has acknowledged working on its own version of Ubuntu, dubbed Goobuntu, but not any plans to distribute the software. Some have speculated that Google will do just that.
Shuttleworth said Google programmers have been helping out with Ubuntu. "The guys there have been good about sending us patches, and we do our best to integrate them into mainstream Ubuntu and push them on to Debian and upstream," Shuttleworth said.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
