From: Sativa@gnutella.com   
      
   Sure, Microsoft could easily create their own Linux distribution;   
    similarly to what Amazon has done. However, Ubuntu (made by   
    Canonical) is already the most used Linux distribution within   
    Microsoft Azure. Plus, Microsoft has had some close integration   
    in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) for Windows 10 where   
    even though other Linux distros are supported, it?s clear that   
    Ubuntu is the preferred distribution to use with WSL. Due to this   
    popularity of Ubuntu Linux on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform,   
    and the tight integration using WSL with Windows 10; it really   
    seems to make perfect sense that if Microsoft wanted their own   
    Linux distribution for the Azure cloud and for Windows 10,   
    Microsoft would choose to continue this relationship to the next   
    level by acquiring the Canonical (the company that makes the   
    Ubuntu Linux distribution.)   
      
   Microsoft has even started targeting Linux with it?s desktop   
    software. The release of the Microsoft Teams desktop client   
    application for Linux is the first Microsoft Office application   
    released for Linux. With this release, Microsoft even stated that   
    it?s the ?first Microsoft 365 app coming to Linux?. Perhaps we?ll   
    even see Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and others come to run   
    natively on Linux in the near future as well.   
      
   This growth of Linux adoption by Microsoft makes it seem that even   
    though the Windows OS will be here for the foreseeable future,   
    it?s becoming clearer that Linux taking over the server market   
    may only be the beginning. Linux is creeping into our desktop and   
    laptop machines slowly more and more. In the future, it may   
    become the dominant operating system for all uses. After all,   
    Linux is in most peoples pockets with Google?s Android OS too.   
    Microsoft acquiring Canonical and Ubuntu may be the best way for   
    Microsoft to stay relevant in the way of operating systems of the   
    future; for both server and desktop use.   
      
   Acquiring Ubuntu, the most popular Linux distribution in the cloud   
    and across the enterprise, may be the next best move to say   
    relevant in the operating system space. Especially since Windows   
    Server?s marketshare in the cloud (including Microsoft?s own   
    Azure cloud) has been slowly decreasing in favor of Linux and   
    most popularly Ubuntu.   
      
   Yes, on a related note, Microsoft has some big partnerships with   
    Red Hat for using Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in Microsoft   
    Azure too. Ubuntu is not the only Linux distribution they?re   
    working with, among others that are supported in Azure as well.   
    However, these partnerships and support of many Linux   
    distributions doesn?t need to really be affected by the   
    acquisition of Ubuntu and Canonical. Those other distributions   
    can still continue to be supported within Azure, so long as   
    enterprises are still relying on them for their cloud-based   
    systems. Although, an even tighter integration of Ubuntu with   
    both Microsoft Azure and Windows 10 could help push forward   
    greater innovations in the ability to run Linux server in the   
    cloud, as well as integrating them into the traditionally   
    Windows-focused networks most enterprises are running   
    today.   
      
   It?s worth mentioning that the Linux uses by Microsoft mentioned   
    in this article so far are not the only ventures into embracing   
    Linux that Microsoft has done. They use Linux a lot themselves to   
    host many Microsoft Azure services, contribute to the Linux   
    kernel, use Linux for the Azure Sphere OS for IoT, support Linux   
    for IoT Edge devices with Azure IoT Edge, and much more. This   
    even includes the SONiC open source networking OS based on Linux   
    that runs the switches that power Microsoft Azure?s datacenters.   
    No matter what you think about Microsoft, they have very much   
    become an Open Source and Linux company in recent years. Formally   
    owning their own Linux distribution would take that to the next   
    level, and really cement their position in the Linux   
    space.   
      
      
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