Is Oracle ogling Linux?

Larry Ellison has never shied away from a fight. Now he's apparently looking at taking on Microsoft in the operating system arena, by going the Linux route.

Ellison told the Financial Times that he was considering launching a version of the Linux operating system, and has looked into buying either Red Hat or Novell, the two companies which dominate the Linux market.

"I'd like to have a complete stack," he told the paper. "We're missing an operating system. You could argue that it makes a lot of sense for us to look at distributing and supporting Linux."

Blog community response:

"Such a move would redraw the software landscape and open a new front in Oracle's long rivalry with US rival Microsoft. It will also give a big boot to Linux adaption among the enterprise."
--Digital Inspiration

"And if the competition play it right, the days of Microsoft dominating the Operating System universe and thus the PC industry may even be numbered."
--Bigtrends

"You've got to wonder how the thought of an Oracle-branded Linux distribution might be curdling the cream this morning in the executive suites at Microsoft (and other OS vendors). You don't threaten Microsoft's bread-and-butter server customer base lightly; just ask the folks at Netscape."
--Blog: Pete Loshin