Microsoft and Canonical partner to bring Ubuntu to Windows 10

This post has more details http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-and-canonical-partner...

The interesting part is "Ubuntu will primarily run on a foundation of native Windows libraries."

If this is true Canonical is playing with fire. That could be the embrace step of the usual embrace-extend-estinguish script. Think what happens when Microsoft adds some new functionality to those "native Windows libraries" and Ubuntu/Windows is extended to use it and Ubuntu/Linux obviously not. If (when?) the majority of Ubuntu's users will be on Windows Microsoft only needs to start developing its own Ubuntu and cut Canonical out of the loop. If there will be a significant amount of Ubuntu/Windows servers by then, very little will be left for Canonical. Only the cost of Windows licenses can save Canonical on the server. The desktop will be lost given that most of Ubuntu's desktops are born as Windows machines. The more convenient way will be to add Ubuntu/Windows to them and keep a Windows OS for games or just in case you need some Windows native application.

Maybe Canonical is thinking about leaving the desktop and focusing on the server. Still it's a risky move.

Another interesting post of October 2015 http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/ubuntu-conspiracy "The word is that Microsoft is in secret negotiations to purchase Canonical." Maybe they're playing the Elop move without having to change CEO.

> "Ubuntu will primarily run on a foundation of native Windows libraries."

I think that you're predicating an entire argument on what was probably a bit of slipshod writing. After all, we know (now) that what this is is Linux binaries running on the Windows NT kernel, and that Microsoft hasn't actually done anything to those binaries at all (and indeed touted that as a feature). So Microsoft hasn't taken any steps to make Ubuntu softwares specific to the new Windows NT Linux subsystem.

Nor has this even been positioned as an "Ubuntu on Windows server". Indeed, the Microsoft people promoting it have been stating (in all-capitals or boldface, no less) that it's for enhancing developer command-line workflows. It apparently doesn't even have the server capabilities (i.e. running programs as services) that even the old (Interix) Windows NT POSIX subsystem had.

You're also discounting the other Ubuntu news of the month.

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11415985 and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11416376 .