Oracle considers venturing into Linux

ft.com ^ | April 16 2006 | Richard Waters

[N3WBI3]

Oracle is studying whether to launch its own version of the Linux operating system and has looked at buying one of the two companies currently dominating the Linux world, according to Larry Ellison, the software company’s chief executive officer.

Such a move would redraw the software landscape and open a new front in Oracle’s long rivalry with US rival Microsoft.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Ellison said that Oracle wanted to sell a full “stack” of software that, like Microsoft, included both operating system and applications.

“I’d like to have a complete stack,” he said. “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.”

Like IBM, Oracle has counted on Linux – an open source system whose code is open to anyone to view and adapt – to act as a counterweight to Microsoft’s Windows, which has expanded rapidly from desktop PCs into corporate IT systems.

As part of a recent study of the open source software market, Mr Ellison said that Oracle had considered buying Novell, which after Red Hat is the biggest distributor of Linux. “We look at everything, play this thing out,” he added.

Red Hat’s own acquisition last week of JBoss – another open source company whose products compete with Oracle and IBM – could shake up alliances in the Linux world and provide another reason to act, said Mr Ellison.

FT Ellison interview

oracle logo “Sitting in a sparse Japanese pavilion beside a private lake hidden among the wooded hills of northern California, the software industry’s second-richest man seems fully in command of his domain.” Go there

“Now that Red Hat . . . competes with us in middleware, we have to re-look at the relationship – so does IBM,” he said.

On Red Hat’s growing influence and its ambitions to reach beyond the Linux operating system, he added: “I don’t think Oracle and IBM want another Microsoft in Red Hat.”

Mr Ellison also said he was pushing Oracle further into hosting software on behalf of customers, relying on regular subscription payments rather than upfront revenue.

[N3WBI3]

Fall out from RedHat's Purchase last week of Jboss..

[N3WBI3]

OSS PING

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[Incorrigible]

Go for it Larry!!!

Selling free software is a great business model!!

Muhahahahahaha!!!

[N3WBI3]

Red Hat has done pretty well for themselves, as did JBoss who owners just made a mint by selling the company to Redhat..

Keep in mind Oracle wont be selling 'free' software, they will be offering software stack including the closed source Oracle Database. This in and of itself would take a good long while to hurt RedHat, unless Oracle decides to yank Red Hat as a supported OS. Oracle is one of those things you don't use in a non supported configuration..

[zeugma]

Selling free software is a great business model!!

Good morning  Incorrigible,

I don't really think the idea here is so much to be selling a distribution, but rather to have an in-house distribution that oracle can use as a 'supported' linux stack on which to run oracle.

There are tons of parameters that can be tuned in the kernel, some of which can have positive or negative effects on how an Oracle database might perform.

It's kind of like the way that Oracle implements Apache support today. When you install Oracle Apache, it is their own version, compiled their way, with their own funky file locations (and I do mean really funky file locations). They know how their installer sets up apache to work with their product, and they will support that. Can you use a generic Apache with Oracle? Sure, but don't ask Oracle anything about it if it doesn't work.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

This is *H*U*G*E*.

Quote: Oracle is studying whether to launch its own version of the Linux operating system.

Oracle Linux? I'd use it.

[N3WBI3]

There are tons of parameters that can be tuned in the kernel, some of which can have positive or negative effects on how an Oracle database might perform.

I dont know that that is such a huge deal the kernel parameters oracle needs changed are run time tunable. you could use a script with cat, or modules.conf to set them up. But youre right in that if they dont get done its trouble.

This has less to do with Oracle needing a more compliant Linux and more to do with sticking it to RedHat

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

IB4GE

:-P

[N3WBI3]

I don't know that I would, there is a reason Red Hat is the only Linux Ill run in production even on boxes that do not require the support and that is because I don't want different Operating systems where I don't need them.

If oracle were to yank support for all but Red Hat I would switch but you can be darn sure I would be thinking about a new Database. I don't use SQL server because I don't want to be locked into one OS because of the DB I use..

[Golden Eagle]

Wow, so all these companies that supposedly hate Microsoft actually just envy them. Who would have ever thought?

[N3WBI3]

Its not a matter of envy, its a matter of competing. RedHat wanted to add middleware to its offerings this put them in competition with oracle. Not, it seems, oracle feels obliged to reply in kind by creating its own distribution.

As the the whole 'hate MS thing' youll be hard pressed to find anyone who says MS should not sell a database, browser, email server, groupware server, operating system, office suite, or any other package they can get out the door. The problem is when they told dell not to use Netscape Navigator, or when they told IBM that they could not sell OS2 and windows at the same time.

For someone who hates the fact IBM is moving towards Linux I would thing just maybe you would be a little more pissed at MS for bullying OS2 out of the market...

[rzeznikj at stout]

Envy ain't the word I'd use.

Market necessity sounds more correct...

[MikefromOhio]

For someone who hates the fact IBM is moving towards Linux I would thing just maybe you would be a little more pissed at MS for bullying OS2 out of the market...

Come on now. We ALL know Iggle isn't going to criticize his employer ERRRRR Micro$oft....

[DesScorp]

Either Red Hat or Novell would be a good purchase for Oracle. I just hope Oracle doesn't fsck them up.

[Golden Eagle]

hate...hates...pissed...

LOL not me, but obviously the emotions of those like Ellison who thought open source would damage Microsoft but instead find it reaking havoc on everyone BUT Microsoft.

[N3WBI3]

So you're not going to address the fact when MS pushed closed source competitors like OS/2 out of the market by forcing vendors to release only their products they made an opening for opensource?

I think hate, hates, and pissed reflects your opinion of OpenSource my point was IBM is only involved now because of slimy market practices by MS..

[Golden Eagle]

MS pushed closed source competitors like OS/2 out of the market

Microsoft marketed their product just like IBM did, and the customers obviously chose Microsoft. It's time you grew up and accepted it.

IBM is only involved now because of slimy market practices by MS..

Like IBM is some sort of Angel LOL. They made a huge mistake legitimizing open source and are now suffering for it. Oracle no different.

[N3WBI3]

Microsoft marketed their product just like IBM did, and the customers obviously chose Microsoft. It's time you grew up and accepted it

Can you show me where IBM told OEM's that if they sold another Operating system that they would have to pay more for OS2?

They made a huge mistake legitimizing open source and are now suffering for it.

IBM's Biggest mistake *ever* was teaming up with MS...

[Golden Eagle]

Can you show me where IBM told OEM's that if they sold another Operating system that they would have to pay more for OS2?

If true, how come no one switched to IBM's software? Obviously because they trusted IBM even less.

[N3WBI3]

Hmmm They were given a choice:

1) Sell *only* windows (an OS with a very large market share) for x dollars

2) If you sell any other OS windows will cost you more than x dollars

It was abusing their market share, its like ford telling me that their cars will cost me more if I also buy a GM. And you are defending it.

Its also what lead to the ultimate death of OS/2 and drove IBM towards another x86 OS (Linux). As I said working in any way shape or form with MS is suicide from IBM to the Java fiasco they try to destroy anything they don't own...