Not sure how many of you saw it, but Larry Ellison threw down the gauntlet today (at least in this bloggers opinion) at Oracle Open World, announcing that Oracle would maintain and support (it’s own?) RedHat-based Linux distribution, Unbreakable Linux.

Reminds me of an old cartoon …

Pinky: “Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?”

Brain: “The same thing we do every night, Pinky, try to take over the world!” [1]

The plan includes:

  • a sweetheart deal to get RedHat subscribers to switch to an Oracle Unbreakable Linux subscription
  • the promise of lower longterm maintenance costs, and
  • indemnification from SCO, who has devolved a once innovative business into one of the most despicable business models I’ve ever seen (sue, sue, sue).

Larry claims that Oracle’s initiative is an effort to accelerate the robustness of Linux for enterprise data center applications.  Looks like investors have a slightly different take … RHAT is down more than 16% in after hours trading.

So the Oracle vs. Microsoft title bout looks to be shaping up nicely - with both parties sporting a full software stack - OS, storage, database, mail, apps, …  Wonder who they’re gonna get from the DOJ to officiate?

Oh well, maybe Larry will follow Bill and Warren’s lead and decide that his continued good fortune should be used to help address some of the world’s ills.

References

[1] Pinky and the Brain, YouTube.  Or try the politically slanted alternative version if you’re so inclined.