Google Working on Desktop Linux

paulmac84 writes "The Register reports that Google is working on a version of Ubuntu, known internally as Goobuntu. Google has confirmed it is working on a desktop linux project, but declined to supply further details, including what the project is for. Is Google about to release this as an alternative to Windows?" Update: 02/01 00:11 GMT by SM: chrisd is the first among many to point out that this is just more fodder from the Google rumor mill and isn't something they are currently planning to release.

Comments

Great news!

[concept10]

I saw this reported some where else last week, but I thought it wasn't true.

As a supporter and user of Ubuntu GNU/Linux since the first release, Warty I am pleased. More resources thrown at this distro is great news. Currently Ubuntu Breezy 5.10 works perfectly on my two machines (including P4 laptop) and Ubuntu has a great philosophy and community, along with great progress with making the Linux desktop experience better for everyone.

I wonder what exactly Google could bring to the table to help further along this great gem.

Re:Not to sound cynical

[rizzo420]

aren't google's servers all running linux? aren't they all heavily modified customized? does google ever go down? sounds like they've got some good software and hardware engineers working for them... i think they know what they're doing.

This is their Linux distro for internal use

[Anonymous Coward]

I have to post anonymously, and I won't say *how* I know this --
(which I know lends zero credibility to this post)...

But Goobuntu is being developed for internal use by Google's Linux-using employees.
Makes a lot of sense if you think about it, no?

The wild speculation on this thread amuses the hell out of me.

I'm sure that the Google engineers working on it will spin some of their work back to the community though -- so it should benefit everybody, despite being meant for Google's internal consumption :)

Re:Not to sound cynical

[ninkendo84]

Google is good at... gathering and indexing information.

Google is also good at hiring whoever they want with experience in any field they want experience in. Look what they did to Microsoft. They could just hire every open source developer they can get their hands on and say "Work on the same thing, and we'll pay you truckloads of money."

Re:hmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you new?

Google makes so much money from advertisments its bording on insanity. All these "free" services are more then paid for by the ads they run. Thats the revenue source.

Re:Nope, can't happen

[IANAAC]

Also, just as food for thought, what if Google decided to drop 5% of their R&D into Wine? Just 2% then? The Wine guys have done miracles so far on a shoestring. Imagine what the result would be if Google paid a few of those guys to quit their day jobs and work on Wine full-time.

Actually, there are a couple of commercial versions of Wine out there that are already being worked on full time. The problem isn't throwing programmers at it full time. The problem is getting the literally thousands of programs that people want to properly work under Wine. Cedega's doing a decent job of getting games to work. Codeweavers' doing a decent job of getting office-type apps to work. There are SO many little programs that people have come to use and depend on that just aren't important to these two fairly major camps.

Unrelated, but I used to wish that Codeweavers (or some other group) would concentrate on some of the nice audio/midi apps out there, such as Sonar or Cubase. Now I'd just prefer an app like Rosegarden (or anything else that may crop up) to incorporate all the features I like into their own app.

ERP

[jaweekes]

To me the main problem is ERP, HR and accounting software. Office is no problem now, and email is easy. Linux has some really good replacements, but ERP, HR and accounting software are mainly Windows based. OK, Oracle will run on anything, but most companies do not use, or want to use Oracle. Apart from that, ADP is Windows, and most accounting software is pushed by the CPA's, so they use Windows too.

This to me as an IT guy is the main problem. Get ERP, HR and accounting on Linux, and most companies in the world will jump on it. Until then Linux will not get over 10% of the market.

Flame on...

Re:hmmm

[Black Perl]

Go to Best Buy, or Target, or Office Depot, or any other retailer of boxed software for consumers, and see how much will run on anything other than Windows. Hint: NONE.

That's a real barrier, and it's not just in the business environment.

Why should I have to go to Best Buy or Target or Office Depot, when I can download my apps right from the OS menu?

Install Ubuntu 5.10 and see just how easy it is.

The "real barrier" you speak of is the mindset that you have to go to a big-box store and buy your apps.

Developing a Linux Desktop would distract us.

[chrisd]

Goobuntu is our internal desktop distribution. It's awesome, but we're not going to be releasing it. Unless you work here it wouldn't work anyway. If you haven't tried ubuntu, you should, I have the regular one running on my laptop and it really is fantastic. I'd say it was debian done right if I wanted to start a debian flame war. Also, know that Google getting into the Red Hat business would be kind of dumb, and it would distract from our moon teleporter and cold fusion projects

Chris

Re:What can Google do

[ichimunki]

You forgot Poland.

Er, I mean, you forgot: Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, .NET, C#, and for a non-MS example, Acrobat.

Plus, Internet Explorer is a complete misnomer. It's a web page viewer. Let me know when it can do email, nntp, ssh, sftp/scp, or any of a hundred other typical things you do on the internet.

As for Linux, most of those applications are sensibly presented in Gnome (and probably in KDE, too).